Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA NS 24 004
The National Institutes of Health (NIH), through the BRAIN Initiative, is soliciting R01 grant applications under Funding Opportunity Number RFA-NS-24-004 titled "BRAIN Initiative: New Technologies and Novel Approaches for Recording and Modulation in the Nervous System (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)." This funding opportunity is a reissue of an earlier announcement (RFA-NS-18-020) and is centered on one of the BRAIN Initiative's core goals: enabling scientists to understand the dynamic activity of brain circuits by building better ways to measure and control what cells and networks in the central nervous system (CNS) are doing in real time.
The program is focused on proof-of-concept testing and technology development for tools that can record from, and/or modulate, nervous system activity. "Modulation" is interpreted broadly and includes stimulation or activation, inhibition, and other forms of manipulation. The FOA emphasizes that it is looking for exceptionally creative, potentially high-risk ideas that tackle major technical barriers in neuroscience. The payoff NIH is aiming for is transformative: technologies that, if they work, would substantially change what experiments are possible and accelerate discovery about how the CNS functions.
A key theme is achieving measurements and interventions at or near cellular resolution, while also being able to operate across multiple spatial and temporal scales. In practice, this means proposals might aim to capture activity at the level of single neurons or non-neuronal cells, while also being able to monitor or influence ensembles, circuits, and networks over time. The FOA is also explicit that the technology should be able to work in any brain region and throughout the full depth of the brain, which highlights ongoing limitations in accessing deep structures with high fidelity while maintaining resolution and minimizing invasiveness.
The opportunity is not limited to classic electrophysiology. NIH signals strong interest in approaches that leverage diverse types of biological signaling and physical mechanisms, including optical, magnetic, acoustic, and genetic strategies for recording and manipulation, in addition to electrical activity. Projects that integrate multiple approaches are encouraged, reflecting the idea that major leaps often come from combining modalities (for example, pairing a recording method with a precisely targeted manipulation method, or integrating hardware advances with computational methods that extract usable signals from complex data).
Another clear expectation is that proposed technologies should be compatible with experiments in behaving animals, and that they should be validated under in vivo experimental conditions. In other words, the FOA is not primarily aimed at purely theoretical concepts or tools that only work in simplified preparations; it is looking for tools that can survive the realities of living brain tissue and the motion, constraints, and biological variability that come with studies of behavior. NIH also emphasizes reducing major barriers to neurobiological experiments, which points toward platforms that are easier to deploy, more scalable, more stable over time, less invasive, or capable of collecting richer datasets than existing approaches.
Because these projects often sit at the intersection of disciplines, the FOA encourages teams that integrate the appropriate domains of expertise, including biological, chemical, and physical sciences, engineering, computational modeling, and statistical analysis. This reflects the practical needs of modern neurotechnology: success often depends not just on building a device or molecular tool, but also on demonstrating biological performance, quantifying limitations, validating measurements, and building analysis pipelines that can turn high-dimensional recordings into interpretable information.
Administratively, this is a discretionary NIH grant using the R01 mechanism, and clinical trials are not allowed under this announcement. The original closing date listed is January 20, 2026. Multiple CFDA numbers are associated with the opportunity (93.173, 93.213, 93.242, 93.273, 93.279, 93.286, 93.853, 93.865, 93.866, 93.867), reflecting that it aligns with several NIH program areas. An explicit award ceiling is not provided in the source details you shared, and the expected number of awards is not specified there either, which is common in some NIH FOAs where budgets and award counts depend on application quality and available funds.
Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S. organizations and government entities, such as state, county, and city governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments; tribal organizations that are not federally recognized; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); small businesses; and other categories. The FOA also highlights additional eligible applicants such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISI), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations), and U.S. territories or possessions. This wide eligibility is consistent with NIH's interest in drawing the strongest and most creative technology concepts from a broad range of institutions and sectors.
Overall, the opportunity is designed for investigators proposing bold, enabling neurotechnologies that push beyond incremental improvements. Competitive applications will typically articulate a clear unmet need in recording and/or modulation, propose a novel solution with a plausible development and validation path, demonstrate feasibility through proof-of-concept rationale or preliminary evidence where appropriate, and lay out a convincing in vivo validation strategy relevant to behaving-animal neuroscience. The throughline is impact: tools that open up experiments that are currently impractical or impossible, and that make it easier to map, measure, and causally test how CNS circuits produce function and behavior.Apply for RFA NS 24 004
- The National Institutes of Health in the education, health, income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BRAIN Initiative: New Technologies and Novel Approaches for Recording and Modulation in the Nervous System (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.173, 93.213, 93.242, 93.273, 93.279, 93.286, 93.853, 93.865, 93.866, 93.867.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2023-03-14.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-01-20. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the name of this funding opportunity?
This opportunity is titled "BRAIN Initiative: New Technologies and Novel Approaches for Recording and Modulation in the Nervous System (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)."
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FOA number)?
The Funding Opportunity Number is RFA-NS-24-004.
Which agency is offering this grant?
The National Institutes of Health (NIH), through the BRAIN Initiative, is soliciting applications under this announcement.
What grant mechanism is being used?
This is an NIH R01 funding opportunity (discretionary grant) focused on technology development and proof-of-concept testing.
Are clinical trials allowed under this FOA?
No. This announcement is explicitly designated as "Clinical Trial Not Allowed."
Is this FOA new or a reissue?
It is a reissue of an earlier announcement, RFA-NS-18-020.
What is the overall goal of this program?
The program supports exceptionally creative, potentially high-risk technology development aimed at enabling scientists to measure and control the dynamic activity of brain circuits in real time, with the long-term goal of substantially changing what experiments are possible and accelerating discovery about how the central nervous system (CNS) functions.
What kinds of projects is NIH looking for?
NIH is looking for proof-of-concept testing and technology development projects that create or significantly advance tools to record from and/or modulate nervous system activity under in vivo conditions, with strong relevance to experiments in behaving animals.
What does "recording" mean in the context of this opportunity?
"Recording" refers to measuring nervous system activity, including but not limited to electrical activity. The FOA indicates interest in diverse biological signals and physical mechanisms that can capture neural or related cellular activity.
What does "modulation" mean in this FOA?
"Modulation" is interpreted broadly and includes stimulation or activation, inhibition, and other forms of manipulating nervous system activity.
Is the FOA limited to classic electrophysiology approaches?
No. While electrical approaches may be relevant, NIH explicitly signals strong interest in optical, magnetic, acoustic, and genetic strategies, as well as other approaches that leverage diverse biological signaling and physical mechanisms.
Are multimodal or integrated approaches encouraged?
Yes. The FOA encourages integrating multiple approaches, such as pairing a recording method with a precisely targeted manipulation method, or combining hardware advances with computational methods to extract usable signals from complex datasets.
What spatial resolution is NIH aiming for?
A key theme is achieving measurements and interventions at or near cellular resolution (including single neurons or non-neuronal cells), while still being able to operate across larger scales such as ensembles, circuits, and networks.
Does the FOA care about operating across multiple spatial and temporal scales?
Yes. The opportunity highlights the importance of being able to measure and/or influence activity across multiple spatial and temporal scales, from individual cells to networks, and over time.
Do proposed technologies need to work in deep brain regions?
Yes. The FOA explicitly states that the technology should be able to work in any brain region and throughout the full depth of the brain, reflecting the challenge of accessing deep structures with high fidelity while maintaining resolution and minimizing invasiveness.
Are projects required to be compatible with behaving-animal experiments?
Yes. A clear expectation is compatibility with experiments in behaving animals and validation under in vivo experimental conditions.
Is this FOA intended for purely theoretical or in vitro-only concepts?
No. The FOA is not primarily aimed at purely theoretical concepts or tools that only work in simplified preparations; it emphasizes in vivo validation and real-world performance in living brain tissue, including constraints related to motion and biological variability.
What kinds of barriers is NIH trying to reduce with this program?
The FOA emphasizes reducing major barriers to neurobiological experiments, pointing toward tools and platforms that are easier to deploy, more scalable, more stable over time, less invasive, and/or capable of collecting richer datasets than existing approaches.
Is the program interested in high-risk, high-reward ideas?
Yes. The FOA emphasizes exceptionally creative, potentially high-risk ideas that tackle major technical barriers, aiming for transformative technologies if successful.
What disciplines or expertise are encouraged for project teams?
The FOA encourages interdisciplinary teams that integrate appropriate expertise such as biological, chemical, and physical sciences, engineering, computational modeling, and statistical analysis, reflecting the practical needs of modern neurotechnology development and validation.
Does this FOA emphasize data analysis or computational methods?
Yes. The announcement explicitly notes that integrating hardware advances with computational methods can be important, especially for extracting usable signals from complex, high-dimensional data and building analysis pipelines that turn recordings into interpretable information.
What is the application deadline mentioned in the provided information?
The original closing date listed is January 20, 2026.
Is there an award ceiling provided in the information shared?
No. The source details provided do not include an explicit award ceiling.
Is the expected number of awards provided in the information shared?
No. The source details provided do not specify the expected number of awards.
What CFDA numbers are associated with this opportunity?
The following CFDA numbers are associated with the opportunity: 93.173, 93.213, 93.242, 93.273, 93.279, 93.286, 93.853, 93.865, 93.866, 93.867.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad and includes a wide range of U.S. organizations and government entities, including state, county, and city governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments; tribal organizations that are not federally recognized; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); small businesses; and other categories.
Are minority-serving institutions and community-based organizations included in eligibility?
Yes. The FOA highlights additional eligible applicants including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, AANAPISI, Hispanic-serving Institutions, HBCUs, TCCUs, and faith-based or community-based organizations.
Are federal agencies eligible to apply?
Yes. The FOA lists eligible federal agencies among the eligible applicant categories.
Are non-U.S. (foreign) organizations eligible to apply?
Yes. The FOA indicates that non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations) are included among eligible applicants.
Are U.S. territories or possessions eligible to apply?
Yes. U.S. territories or possessions are included among eligible applicants.
What types of outcomes would a competitive application typically articulate?
Based on the provided description, competitive applications will typically (1) define a clear unmet need in recording and/or modulation, (2) propose a novel solution that addresses major technical barriers, (3) present a plausible development and proof-of-concept path (with preliminary rationale or evidence where appropriate), and (4) include a convincing in vivo validation strategy relevant to behaving-animal neuroscience, with an emphasis on enabling new experiments that are currently impractical or impossible.
What is the central scientific focus area?
The central focus is the central nervous system (CNS), specifically technologies to measure and causally influence cells and networks in the brain in real time, across scales and across brain regions.
What is the intended impact of funded technologies?
The intended impact is transformative: to create tools that substantially change what experiments are possible, accelerate discovery, and make it easier to map, measure, and test how CNS circuits produce function and behavior.
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| BRAIN Initiative: Brain Behavior Quantification and Synchronization Data Coordination and Artificial Intelligence Center (U24 Clinical Trial Optional) Apply for RFA MH 23 130 Funding Number: RFA MH 23 130 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| BRAIN Initiative Fellows: Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Postdoctoral Fellowship (F32) Apply for RFA MH 23 110 Funding Number: RFA MH 23 110 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| BRAIN Initiative: Exploratory Research Opportunities Using Invasive Neural Recording and Stimulating Technologies in the Human Brain (R61 Basic Experimental Studies with Humans Required) Apply for RFA DC 24 001 Funding Number: RFA DC 24 001 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| BRAIN Initiative: Integration and Analysis of BRAIN Initiative Data (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for RFA MH 23 270 Funding Number: RFA MH 23 270 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| BRAIN Initiative Advanced Postdoctoral Career Transition Award to Promote Diversity (K99/R00 Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for RFA MH 23 331 Funding Number: RFA MH 23 331 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Emergency Awards: HEAL Initiative-Early-Stage Discovery of New Pain and Opioid Use Disorder Targets Within the Understudied Druggable Proteome (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for RFA TR 23 010 Funding Number: RFA TR 23 010 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| BRAIN Initiative Advanced Postdoctoral Career Transition Award to Promote Diversity (K99/R00 Independent Clinical Trial Required) Apply for RFA MH 23 330 Funding Number: RFA MH 23 330 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| BRAIN Initiative: Research Resource Grants for Technology Integration and Dissemination (U24 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for RFA NS 23 026 Funding Number: RFA NS 23 026 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Emergency Awards: HEAL Initiative: Translational Science Career Enhancement Awards for Early and Mid-career Investigators (K18 Clinical Trials Not Allowed) Apply for PAR 23 161 Funding Number: PAR 23 161 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| BRAIN Initiative: Exploratory Team-Research BRAIN Circuit Programs - eTeamBCP (U01 Clinical Trials Optional) Apply for RFA NS 23 025 Funding Number: RFA NS 23 025 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| BRAIN Initiative: Targeted BRAIN Circuits Planning Projects TargetedBCPP (R34 Clinical Trials Not Allowed) Apply for RFA NS 23 023 Funding Number: RFA NS 23 023 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $450,000 |
| BRAIN Initiative: Targeted BRAIN Circuits Projects- TargetedBCP (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for RFA NS 23 024 Funding Number: RFA NS 23 024 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| BRAIN Initiative: Development of Novel Tools to Probe Cell-Specific and Circuit-Specific Processes in Human and Non-Human Primate Brain (UG3/UH3 Clinical Trial Optional) Apply for RFA MH 23 295 Funding Number: RFA MH 23 295 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| BRAIN Initiative: Development and Validation of Novel Tools to Probe Cell-Specific and Circuit-Specific Processes in the Brain (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for RFA MH 23 290 Funding Number: RFA MH 23 290 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| HEAL Initiative Partnerships to Advance INterdisciplinary (PAIN) Training in Clinical Pain Research: The HEAL PAIN Cohort Program (T90/R90 Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for RFA NS 24 015 Funding Number: RFA NS 24 015 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| ClinGen Genomic Curation Expert Panels (U24 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for PAR 23 199 Funding Number: PAR 23 199 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $220,000 |
| HEAL Initiative: Toward Developing Quantitative Imaging and Other Relevant Biomarkers of Myofascial Tissues for Clinical Pain Management (R61/R33, Clinical Trial Required) Apply for RFA AT 24 003 Funding Number: RFA AT 24 003 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| BRAIN Initiative: Development and Validation of Novel Tools to Probe Cell-Specific and Circuit-Specific Processes in the Brain (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for RFA MH 24 280 Funding Number: RFA MH 24 280 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| HEAL Initiative: Novel Targets for Opioid Use Disorders and Opioid Overdose (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for RFA DA 24 064 Funding Number: RFA DA 24 064 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $275,000 |
| HEAL Initiative: Novel Targets for Opioid Use Disorders and Opioid Overdose (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for RFA DA 24 063 Funding Number: RFA DA 24 063 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $400,000 |
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