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This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is issued as an initiative of the NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience Research. The Neuroscience Blueprint is a collaborative framework through which 15 NIH Institutes, Centers and Offices jointly support neuroscience-related research, with the aim of accelerating discoveries and reducing the burden of nervous system disorders (for further information, see http://neuroscienceblueprint.nih.gov/). The Neuroscience Blueprint is supporting a Lifespan Human Connectome Project (L-HCP) to extend the Human Connectome Project (HCP) (http://www.neuroscienceblueprint.nih.gov/connectome) to map connectivity in the developing, adult, and aging human brain. The goal of this FOA is solicit grant applications that propose to extend the experimental protocols developed through the HCP to middle-age and elderly adults to investigate the structural and functional changes that occur in the brain during typical aging. A companion FOA is soliciting applications that apply the HCP protocols to children and adolescents to explore changes that occur during typical development.

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is issued as an initiative of the NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience Research.The Neuroscience Blueprint is a collaborative framework through which 15 NIH Institutes, Centers and Offices jointly support neuroscience-related research, with the aim of accelerating discoveries and reducing the burden of nervous system disorders (for further information, see http://neuroscienceblueprint.nih.gov/).The Neuroscience Blueprint is supporting a Lifespan Human Connectome Project (L-HCP) to extend the Human Connectome Project (HCP) (http://www.neuroscienceblueprint.nih.gov/connectome) to map connectivity in the developing, adult, and aging human brain.The goal of this FOA is to solicit grant applications that propose to extend the experimental protocols developed through the HCP to children and adolescents to investigate the structural and functional changes that occur in the brain during typical development.A companion FOA is soliciting applications that apply the HCP protocols to middle age and elderly adults to explore changes that occur during normal aging.

The purpose of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to encourage applications to pursue translational and clinical studies for recording and/or stimulating devices to treat nervous system disorders and better understand the human brain. The program will utilize a cooperative agreement mechanism to support the submission of an Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) for a Significant Risk (SR) study or obtain Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval for a Non-Significant Risk (NSR) study, and a subsequent small clinical study (e.g., Early Feasibility Study). The small clinical study should provide data to answer key questions about the function or final design of a device.This final device design may require most, if not all, of the non-clinical testing on the path to more advanced clinical trials and market approval. The clinical study is expected to provide information that cannot be practically obtained through additional nonclinical assessments (e.g., bench top or animal studies) due to the novelty of the device or its intended use. Activities supported in this program include implementation of clinical prototype devices, non-clinical safety and efficacy testing, design verification and validation activities, and pursuit of regulatory approval for, and implementation of, a single small clinical study.

The purpose of this FOA is to encourage applications to pursue a small clinical study to obtain critical information necessary to advance recording and/or stimulating devices to treat central nervous system disorders and better understand the human brain (e.g., Early Feasibility Study).Clinical studies supported may consist of acute or short-term procedures that are deemed Non-Significant Risk (NSR) by an Institutional Review Board, or Significant Risk (SR) studies that require an Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) from the FDA, such as chronic implants.The clinical study should provide data to answer key questions about the function or final design of a device.This final device design may require most, if not all, of the non-clinical testing on the path to more advanced clinical trials and market approval. The clinical study is expected to provide information that cannot be practically obtained through additional nonclinical assessments (e.g., bench top or animal studies) due to the novelty of the device or its intended use.

A central goal of the BRAIN Initiative is to understand how electrical and chemical signals code information in neural circuits and give rise to sensations, thoughts, emotions and actions. Available technologies for recording and manipulating neural circuit activity in human and animal experiments are not sufficient to accomplish this goal. Non-invasive technologies are low resolution and/or provide indirect measures such as blood flow, which are imprecise. Invasive technologies can provide information at the level of single neurons producing the fundamental biophysical signals, but they can only be applied to tens or hundreds of neurons, out of a total number in the human brain estimated at 85 billion. Previous BRAIN FOAs sought to develop novel technology (RFA-NS-15-003) or to optimize existing technology ready for in-vivo proof-of-concept testing and collection of preliminary data (RFA-NS-15-004). This FOA seeks applications for technology at an even earlier stage of development. It seeks new and untested ideas that are in the very earliest stages. The support provided might enable calculations, simulations, computational models, or other mathematical approaches for demonstrating that the signal sources and/or measurement technologies are theoretically capable of meeting the demands of large-scale recording or manipulation of circuit activity. The support might also be used for building and testing phantoms, prototypes, in-vitro or other bench-top models in order to validate underlying theoretical assumptions in preparation for future FOAs aimed at testing in animal models. Invasive or non-invasive approaches are sought that will ultimately enable or reduce the current barriers to large-scale recording or manipulation of neural activity, and that would be compatible with experiments in humans or behaving animals. Applications are encouraged from any qualified individuals, including physicists, engineers, theoreticians, and scientists, especially those not typically involved with neuroscience research.

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) invites grant applications from institutions/organizations that propose to build research infrastructure to promote external collaboration with the medical rehabilitation community. The aim of this FOA is to create a national network of research cores that provide access to collateral expertise in biomedical, behavioral, engineering, and/or psychosocial fields that is particularly relevant to medical rehabilitation research. We are particularly interested in supporting infrastructure programs in clinical trial design, engineering and the environment, individualized medical rehabilitation and dynamic reassessment, and applied behavioral supports for rehabilitation research and healthy outcomes. However, other areas of expertise may be proposed provided they offer unique research opportunities and have potential for promoting medical rehabilitation research and improving outcomes for people with disabilities. In response to this FOA, applicants should propose a program of research resources and collaborative opportunities in a specific research domain. This may be accomplished through a workshops, written material, and websites, consultations, collaborations, and pilot funding. In addition, the research core may support activities within the grantee institution related to technique development, adaptation, and validation. To accomplish the aims of the FOA, applicants may propose collaborations to other institutional sites, provided that they cover the appropriate administrative and logistical issues.

The purpose of this funding opportunity announcement (FOA) is to support the development of novel tools and technologies through the through the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program to advance the field of neuroscience research, including 1) tools to facilitate the detailed analysis of complex circuits and provide insights into cellular interactions that underlie brain function, 2) proof-of-concept testing and development of new technologies and novel approaches for large scale recording and manipulation of neural activity, at or near cellular resolution, at multiple spatial and/or temporal scales, in any region and throughout the entire depth of the brain, and 3) iterative refinement of such tools and technologies with the end-user community with an end-goal of scaling manufacture towards reliable, broad, sustainable dissemination and incorporation into regular neuroscience practice.

The purpose of this funding opportunity announcement (FOA) is to support the development of novel tools and technologies through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program to advance the field of neuroscience research including 1) tools to facilitate the detailed analysis of complex circuits and provide insights into cellular interactions that underlie brain function, 2) proof-of-concept testing and development of new technologies and novel approaches for large scale recording and manipulation of neural activity, at or near cellular resolution, at multiple spatial and/or temporal scales, in any region and throughout the entire depth of the brain, and 3) iterative refinement of such tools and technologies with the end-user community with an end-goal of scaling manufacture towards reliable, broad, sustainable dissemination and incorporation into regular neuroscience practice.

The NIH Research Education Program (R25) supports research education activities in the mission areas of the NIH. The over-arching goal of this Big Data to Knowledge (BD2K) R25 program is to support educational activities that enhance the diversity of the biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research workforce. To accomplish the stated over-arching goal, this FOA will support creative educational activities with a primary focus on research experiences and curriculum development.

The purpose of the NIH Pathway to Independence Award (K99/R00) program is to increase and maintain a strong cohort of new and talented, NIH-supported, independent investigators. This program is designed to facilitate a timely transition of outstanding postdoctoral researchers from mentored, postdoctoral research positions to independent, tenure-track or equivalent faculty positions, and to provide independent NIH research support during the transition that will help these individuals launch competitive, independent research careers. Prospective candidates are strongly encouraged to contact the relevant NIH staff for IC-specific programmatic and budgetary information: Table of IC-Specific Information, Requirements and Staff Contacts.See also Frequently Asked Questions.