Notices of Funding Opportunities

National Institutes of Health (NIH) BRAIN Initiative notices of funding opportunities (NOFOs), requests for applications (RFAs), program announcements (PAs), and other NIH Guide announcements are listed below. Search this page to find all notices of special interest (NOSI). Search the Closed Opportunities page to find expired opportunities.  

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For more about NIH BRAIN Initiative research and associated funding opportunities, visit the Research Overview.

Title
Release Date
Expiration Date
Funding Opportunity #
BRAIN Initiative: Data Archives for the BRAIN Initiative (R24 Clinical Trial Optional)
June 25 , 2026

This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) solicits applications to develop web-accessible data archives to capture, store, and curate data related to BRAIN Initiative activities. The data archives will work with the research community to incorporate tools that allow users to analyze and visualize the data, but the creation of such tools is not part of this NOFO. The data archives will use appropriate standards to describe the data, but the creation of such standards is not part of this NOFO. A goal of this program is to advance research by creating a community resource data archive with appropriate standards and summary information that is broadly available and accessible to the research community for furthering research.

BRAIN Initiative: Production and distribution facilities for brain cell type-specific access reagents (U24 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
July 02 , 2026

This BRAIN Initiative Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is to support scaled reagent production and distribution facilities involving technologies to access brain cell types. Facilities for production and distribution of these reagents by a broad and diverse set of neuroscientists will be encouraged. This NOFO is part of the BRAIN Initiative Armamentarium for Brain Cell Access transformative project. Efforts will be supported to produce and distribute gene transfer, gene regulation, and genome engineering reagents for use in both genetically tractable and less tractable systems, including primates and human tissue, which are relevant for future translational efforts. Reagents to be produced and distributed are those designed and validated under other NOFOs from the Armamentarium transformative project.

BRAIN Initiative: Research on the Ethical Implications of Advancements in Neurotechnology and Brain Science (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)
October 10 , 2026

Guided by the goals established in BRAIN 2025: A Scientific Vision and reinforced by the Advisory Council to the Director Working Group on BRAIN 2.0 Neuroethics Subgroup, this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) from the NIH Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative is intended to support efforts addressing core ethical issues associated with research focused on the human brain and resulting from emerging technologies and advancements supported by the BRAIN Initiative. This NOFO encourages research project grant applications from multi-disciplinary teams focused on key ethical issues associated with BRAIN Initiative supported research areas. Efforts supported under this NOFO are intended to be both complementary and integrative with the transformative, breakthrough neuroscience discoveries supported through the BRAIN Initiative.

BRAIN Initiative: Research on the Ethical Implications of Advancements in Neurotechnology and Brain Science (R21 Clinical Trial Optional)
October 10 , 2026

Guided by the goals established in BRAIN 2025: A Scientific Vision and reinforced by the Advisory Council to the Director Working Group on BRAIN 2.0 Neuroethics Subgroup, this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) from the NIH Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative is intended to support efforts addressing core ethical issues associated with research focused on the human brain and resulting from emerging technologies and advancements supported by the BRAIN Initiative. This NOFO encourages research project grant applications from multi-disciplinary teams focused on key ethical issues associated with BRAIN Initiative supported research areas. Efforts supported under this NOFO are intended to be both complementary and integrative with the transformative, breakthrough neuroscience discoveries supported through the BRAIN Initiative.

NIH Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) (R25 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
June 07 , 2025

The NIH Research Education Program (R25) supports research education activities in the mission areas of the NIH.  The overarching goal of this R25 program is to support educational activities that encourage individuals from diverse backgrounds, including those from groups underrepresented in the biomedical and behavioral sciences, to pursue further studies or careers in research. 

BRAIN Initiative Fellows: Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Postdoctoral Fellowship (F32)
August 12 , 2025

The purpose of the The Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative Fellows (F32) program is to enhance the research training of promising postdoctorates, early in their postdoctoral training period, who have the potential to become productive investigators in research areas that will advance the goals of the BRAIN Initiative. Applications are encouraged in any research area that is aligned with the BRAIN Initiative, including neuroethics. Applicants are expected to propose research training in an area that clearly complements their predoctoral research. Formal training in analytical tools appropriate for the proposed research is expected to be an integral component of the research training plan. In order to maximize the training potential of the F32 award, this program encourages applications from individuals who have not yet completed their terminal doctoral degree and who expect to do so within 12 months of the application due date. On the application due date, candidates may not have completed more than 12 months of postdoctoral training.

BRAIN Initiative: Optimization of Instrumentation and Device Technologies for Recording and Modulation in the Nervous System (U01 Clinical Trials Not Allowed)
January 21 , 2026

Reissue of RFA-NS-18-019: Understanding the dynamic activity of neural circuits is central to the NIH BRAIN Initiative. The invention, proof-of-concept investigation, and optimization of new technologies through iterative feedback from end users are key components of the BRAIN Initiative. This FOA seeks applications to optimize existing or emerging technologies through iterative testing with end users. The technologies and approaches should have potential to address major challenges associated with recording and modulation (including various modalities for stimulation/activation, inhibition and manipulation) of cells (i.e., neuronal and non-neuronal) and networks to enable transformative understanding of dynamic signaling in the central nervous system (CNS). These technologies and approaches should have previously demonstrated their transformative potential through initial proof-of-concept testing and are now ready for accelerated refinement. In conjunction, the manufacturing techniques should be scalable towards sustainable, broad dissemination and user-friendly incorporation into regular neuroscience research.Proposed technologies should be compatible with experiments in behaving animals, validated under in vivo experimental conditions, and capable of reducing major barriers to conducting neurobiological experiments and making new discoveries about the CNS. Technologies may engage diverse types of signaling beyond neuronal electrical activity such as optical, electrical, magnetic, acoustic or genetic recording/manipulation. Applications that seek to integrate multiple approaches are encouraged. If suitable, applications are expected to integrate appropriate domains of expertise, including biological, chemical and physical sciences, engineering, computational modeling and statistical analysis.

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