Grants / Department of Health and Human Services / National Institutes of Health

Establishing a Research Network to Guide Foundational Research on Human Consciousness

Forecast Expected deadline February 8, 2027 Opportunity RFA-AT-27-002

• Award ceilingnot stated
• Award floornot stated
• Expected awards1
• Total funding$600,000
• Cost sharingNot required
• Funding typeCooperative Agreement

Key dates

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Who can apply

This opportunity is open to nonprofits, colleges and universities, state and local governments, tribes, small businesses and businesses.

• 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 (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)

Other Eligible ApplicantsIndian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized);Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government;U.S. Territory or Possession;Faith-based or Community-based Organizations;Regional Organizations

More grants for nonprofits, colleges and universities, state and local governments, tribes, small businesses, businesses.

Is this a realistic fit?

• No cost sharing or match is required.

What the grant funds

This Funding Opportunity will establish the NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience Research Network to Guide Foundational Research on Human Consciousness, leveraging a trans-NIH collaboration of 14 Institutes, Centers, and Offices dedicated to reducing the burden of nervous system disorders. Consciousness is central to numerous serious biomedical conditions, including coma, delirium, dementia, traumatic brain injury, stroke, sleep disorders, metabolic disorders, and seizures - conditions central to NIH's biomedical mission. Yet the neural mechanisms that support conscious states remain insufficiently understood, limiting clinicians’ ability to diagnose and treat patients effectively. Advancing foundational science on human consciousness will strengthen clinical decision-making and improve outcomes for patients with costly and hard-to-treat neurologic and systemic illnesses by: Detecting consciousness in minimally responsive patients to guide prognosis, treatment, and ethical decisions (e.g., organ harvesting). Improving understanding of consciousness in Alzheimer’s disease, related dementias, and delirium. Investigating altered states in mental disorders to inform treatments. Identifying sentience and state transitions under anesthesia and during recovery. Advancing knowledge of sleep states and improving treatments for insomnia and other sleep disorders. Exploring non-sensory visual perception (e.g., hallucinations, aphantasia) to deepen insight into mental health. Evaluating therapeutic effects of consciousness-modulating interventions such as meditation, hypnosis, and neurostimulation. Applying New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) to study human consciousness. Despite its importance, biomedical research on consciousness lacks shared standards, resulting in fragmented efforts and limiting understanding of underlying neurocircuitry. To accelerate rigorous, reproducible, and ethically grounded research, this initiative will create a national interdisciplinary Research Network to strengthen and integrate consciousness-related neuroscience, rather than support discrete, hypothesis-driven projects. The Network will develop coordination frameworks, standards, and infrastructure, uniting expertise from neuroscience, neurology, psychiatry, psychology, anesthesiology, sleep and meditation research, computational science, AI, bioethics, and philosophy.

Category: Health.

How to apply

1. Read the full notice and attachments on Grants.gov. The notice is the official source for deadlines and requirements.
2. Make sure your organization has an active SAM.gov registration and Unique Entity ID; registration can take several weeks.
3. Register on Grants.gov and submit through Workspace before the deadline and time given in the notice. Our application guide walks through each step.

Questions go to NCCIH Division of Extramural Research Program Officer, NCCIHDERFunding@nih.gov, Please contact via e-mail.

Open the official notice