BRAIN Initiative: Research Opportunities Using Invasive Neural Recording and Stimulating Technologies in the Human Brain (U01) | RFA NS 16 008

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA NS 16 008

The NIH BRAIN Initiative funding opportunity "Research Opportunities Using Invasive Neural Recording and Stimulating Technologies in the Human Brain (U01)" (Funding Opportunity Number RFA-NS-16-008) supports research that takes advantage of rare clinical situations where neurosurgical procedures allow direct, precisely localized recording from and stimulation of human brain tissue. The central idea is that invasive approaches in humans can answer questions that are difficult or impossible to address with noninvasive tools, especially when the goal is to understand neural circuit function in specific structures or to link circuit activity to symptoms in neurological and psychiatric disorders.

A major problem the FOA is trying to solve is that these human invasive studies are usually limited by small numbers of eligible patients, limited clinical time, and the difficulty of running complex protocols in hospital settings. Individual sites often cannot enroll enough participants to reach solid statistical power, and datasets are not consistently combined across centers. To overcome those barriers, the FOA encourages applicants to form integrated, multidisciplinary teams that can coordinate across investigators and, where appropriate, across sites. The expectation is that teams will build the clinical-research infrastructure, harmonize protocols, and aggregate data in ways that make the resulting conclusions more robust and broadly useful.

Projects are expected to target high-impact questions in human neuroscience and in disorders of the human nervous system, using invasive neural recording and/or stimulating technologies. The FOA is designed to support either (1) experimental projects that generate meaningful empirical findings using these invasive methods, or (2) exploratory research and planning activities that help assemble teams, establish pipelines, and produce preliminary data. In both cases, the work is framed as enabling: the award is meant to put groups in a position to compete for continued funding later, either through future BRAIN Initiative FOAs or through other NIH Institute funding streams.

The mechanism is a U01 cooperative agreement, which typically means NIH expects substantial scientific and programmatic involvement during the project period compared with a standard research grant. In practice, that often translates into closer coordination with NIH program staff, milestone-driven management, and an emphasis on collaboration, sharing, and building resources that can scale beyond a single laboratory.

Eligibility is broad across U.S.-based organizations. Eligible applicants include state, county, city, township, and special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; nonprofit organizations (with or without 501(c)(3) status); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); small businesses; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; and Native American tribal governments (federally recognized) as well as other Native American tribal organizations. The FOA also explicitly calls out additional eligible categories such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, AANAPISIs, faith-based or community-based organizations, Hispanic-serving institutions, HBCUs, tribally controlled colleges and universities, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions. At the same time, it restricts non-U.S. participation: non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and foreign institutions are not eligible to apply, non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible, and foreign components (as defined by NIH policy) are not allowed.

Key administrative details in the source include that the sponsoring agency is the National Institutes of Health, the instrument is a cooperative agreement (U01), and the opportunity was listed under multiple CFDA numbers (93.173, 93.213, 93.242, 93.273, 93.279, 93.286, 93.853, 93.865, 93.866, 93.867). The original closing date was January 13, 2016, the posting creation date was October 5, 2015, and the expected number of awards was 10. The award ceiling is not specified in the provided text.

Overall, the opportunity is aimed at pushing human neuroscience forward by making invasive human electrophysiology and stimulation studies more coordinated, better powered, and more informative, while also laying the groundwork for longer-term, larger-scale efforts under the broader BRAIN Initiative and NIH priorities.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health, income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BRAIN Initiative: Research Opportunities Using Invasive Neural Recording and Stimulating Technologies in the Human Brain (U01)" 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 2015-10-05.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2016-01-13. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 10 candidate(s).
• 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.

Apply for RFA NS 16 008

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