The BRAIN Blog

The NIH recently announced the 108 newly funded awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 for the NIH BRAIN Initiative®. The NIH will highlight these funded awards, funding opportunities, and other BRAIN-related endeavors, such as The BRAIN Initiative Alliance, at the upcoming, annual Society for Neuroscience conference in San Diego, CA (Nov. 12^th-16^th, 2016).

With four new Requests for Applications (RFAs), NIH announces the formation of the BRAIN Initiative Cell Census Network (BICCN), a resource to be used widely by the neuroscience community supporting a center or centers and specialized collaboratories for a mouse brain atlas, collaboratories for human and non-human primate brains, and a data center.

NIH recently issued two new Request for Applications (RFAs) to support next generation tools and technologies for non-invasive imaging of human brains. The first supports proof-of-concept projects based on exceptionally innovative, original or untested concepts, while the second calls for projects that are ready for full-scale development.

Novel technologies for understanding the brain and treating brain disorders are expected to give rise to new and complex social and ethical questions that warrant focused attention and investigation. With this new Request for Applications (RFA), NIH solicits research proposals to address core ethical issues associated with human brain research and/or developments resulting from emerging technologies and research advances of the types supported by the BRAIN Initiative.

NIH has issued two new Requests for Applications (RFAs) for the BRAIN Initiative® to support critical research training needs of the Initiative, including a fellowship opportunity for early-stage postdoctorates, as well as a career enhancement opportunity for independent investigators…

NIH recently re-issued seven notices of funding opportunities (NOFOs) for fiscal year 2017 to support neural recording and modulation technologies for the BRAIN Initiative. Three of the NOFOs call for large-scale recording and modulation of dynamic activity of neural circuits, supporting new experimental capabilities in animal models or humans. Four of the NOFOs support development of next generation invasive recording and/or stimulating devices to treat central nervous system disorders and thereby better understand the human brain….

Advancements in cell classification strategies and steps toward a comprehensive mouse brain cell atlas…

NIH has issued new Requests for Applications (RFAs) for the NIH BRAIN Initiative® that address critical components of the BRAIN 2025 Report including the development of new theoretical and data analysis tools, the establishment of platforms for sharing data, and continued support of early-stage research in large-scale recording and modulation.

In a recent Dear Colleague Letter (NSF 16-115), the National Science Foundation (NSF) announced interest in novel approaches to manage, integrate, and analyze large and complex neuroscience data sets, as exemplified by data coming from the BRAIN Initiative.

The upcoming year represents a transition point for NIH’s contribution to the BRAIN Initiative, with ambitious goals for scaling up initial efforts as well as plans in new areas such as technology dissemination, data coordination, and neuroethics. Details and specific contact information are available on the Cleared Initiatives page of the NIH BRAIN website.