RFA-NS-25-018: BRAIN Initiative: New Technologies and Novel Approaches for Recording and Modulation in the Nervous System (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
Closed
This grant is closed. Who won this program's grants before is below, and similar open grants are at the end of the page. It is in our archive of National Institutes of Health notices from 2024.
National Institutes of Health offered grants to nonprofits, colleges and universities, state and local governments, tribes, small businesses and businesses. Applications closed on June 16, 2026.
From the official notice on Grants.gov, last changed February 13, 2026. Checked November 7, 2026.
- Award amountsNot given on Grants.gov
- Cost sharingNot required
- Funding typeGrant
About this NIH notice
- Activity codeR01
- Clinical trialsNot allowed
- Funded byNINDS
- Median yearly award$509,654
- Typical project length3 years
- R01, Research Project Grant. NIH's standard grant for a defined research project led by a named investigator, usually for up to five years. Other open R01 notices.
Projects funded under RFA-NS-25-018 were run by National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS, 2 projects). Contact the program officer at the institute that fits your project before you apply; the notice lists them.
Application due dates, page limits and budget limits are set in the notice. Read RFA-NS-25-018 in the NIH Guide.
Other notices with this title
| Notice | Posted | Deadline | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| RFA-NS-24-004 | March 14, 2023 | Closed September 23, 2024 | Closed |
| RFA-NS-21-026 | June 8, 2021 | Closed February 8, 2023 | Closed |
Key dates
| Posted | September 24, 2024 |
|---|---|
| Deadline | June 16, 2026 |
| Archived by Grants.gov | July 16, 2026 |
Who can apply
This opportunity was open to nonprofits, colleges and universities, state and local governments, tribes, small businesses and businesses.
All 15 applicant types the notice lists
- 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 Applicants include the following: Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions; Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs); Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government; Faith-based or Community-based Organizations; Hispanic-serving Institutions; Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs); Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized); Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations); Regional Organizations; Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs) ; U.S. Territory or Possession.
Is this a realistic fit?
- Most of the money in the 10 programs behind this notice (73% over five years) went to colleges and universities.
- No cost sharing or match is required.
What the grant funds
This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) seeks applications for proof-of-concept testing and development of new technologies and novel approaches for recording and modulation of neural cells and circuits, to address major challenges and enable transformative understanding of dynamic signaling in the central nervous system. Preliminary feasibility data are not required, and it is expected that the proposed research may be high-risk, but if successful could profoundly change the course of neuroscience research. Applications may propose development of instrumentation hardware and/or devices and associated software, and/or molecular constructs for sensing and manipulating neural activity. Approaches may utilize any modality such as optical, electrical, magnetic, or acoustic recording/manipulation, to target neuronal electrical signals or other forms of neural activity, including intracellular signaling and engagement of non-neuronal cells in circuit function. A companion NOFO (RFA-NS-25-017) is targeted to projects focused on optimization of instrumentation and devices that are later in the development cycle, where iterative optimization and end-user testing is needed. The companion NOFO does not allow projects primarily focused on development or optimization of molecular constructs for recording and manipulating neural activity. Projects of this nature are supported by this NOFO and other BRAIN Initiative announcements including RFA-MH-22-245, RFA-MH-21-175, and RFA-EY-21-001 (or their reissue). For this and the companion NOFO, the aim of the proposed technologies should be to reduce major barriers to conducting neurobiological experiments, including considerations of cost and ease of access, and to enable new discoveries for understanding neural circuit function. Technologies should address major challenges associated with recording and modulating CNS activity, at cellular or circuit resolution, and should contribute to an overall ecosystem of technologies spanning multiple spatial and temporal scales in any region throughout the CNS. The approaches should be compatible with experiments in behaving animals, with an expectation that they will be validated with in vivo experiments during the course of the project. Proposed validation experiments must focus on demonstrating the capabilities and potential impact of the technology, rather than advancing the state of biological knowledge as the primary project goal.
Funded under RFA-NS-25-018 so far
NIH funded 2 projects under RFA-NS-25-018 in fiscal 2026, at 2 institutions. The median yearly award was $509,654.
| Project | Institution | Fiscal year | Award |
|---|---|---|---|
| A novel BRET system to optimize and image in vivo recording of neural activity in freely behaving animals | Vanderbilt University | 2026 | $557,161 |
| High-Resolution Neural Probes for Ion-Selective, Multimodal Brain Mapping | Columbia Univ New York Morningside | 2026 | $462,148 |
Who has won Aging Research grants before
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Aging Research (93.866) awarded $19 billion across 11,026 grant awards, an average of $1.7 million per award.
| Recipient | State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Regents of the University of California, San Francisco | California | 337 | $575 million |
| The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York | New York | 242 | $574 million |
| University of Southern California | California | 203 | $572 million |
| The Washington University | Missouri | 210 | $556 million |
| Regents of the University of Michigan | Michigan | 232 | $538 million |
Who has won Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders grants before
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders (93.853) awarded $9.1 billion across 8,641 grant awards, an average of $1.0 million per award.
| Recipient | State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| The General Hospital Corporation | Massachusetts | 203 | $288 million |
| The Regents of the University of California, San Francisco | California | 248 | $277 million |
| The Johns Hopkins University | Maryland | 230 | $276 million |
| The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York | New York | 188 | $226 million |
| Regents of the University of Michigan | Michigan | 179 | $221 million |
Who has won Mental Health Research Grants grants before
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Mental Health Research Grants (93.242) awarded $8.8 billion across 6,785 grant awards, an average of $1.3 million per award.
| Recipient | State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yale Univ | Connecticut | 185 | $371 million |
| University of Pittsburgh - of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education | Pennsylvania | 200 | $297 million |
| University of California, Los Angeles | California | 176 | $234 million |
| Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai | New York | 144 | $212 million |
| The Washington University | Missouri | 149 | $211 million |
Other programs behind this notice
- Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs
- Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research
- Vision Research
- Alcohol Research Programs
- Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders
- Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health
- Research and Training in Complementary and Integrative Health
Applying now
This notice no longer takes applications. Agencies often post the same opportunity again under a new number, so check the program's notices on Grants.gov and the similar open grants below.
The notice on Grants.gov keeps its full text and attachments, which is useful for planning a resubmission.
Questions people ask
Is RFA-NS-25-018 still open?
No. It closed on June 16, 2026.
Who can apply for BRAIN Initiative: New Technologies and Novel Approaches for Recording and Modulation in the Nervous System (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)?
National Institutes of Health accepted applications from nonprofits, colleges and universities, state and local governments, tribes, small businesses and businesses. The notice adds further conditions, so read its eligibility section.
What is the deadline for BRAIN Initiative: New Technologies and Novel Approaches for Recording and Modulation in the Nervous System (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)?
Closed June 16, 2026. Applications are no longer accepted; the program's newer notices are on this page when there are any.
Who has been funded under RFA-NS-25-018?
NIH RePORTER lists 2 projects funded under RFA-NS-25-018 in fiscal 2026, at 2 institutions. The most were at Vanderbilt University, Columbia Univ New York Morningside.
Who has won Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders grants before?
The largest recipients over five fiscal years were The Johns Hopkins University, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, The University of Iowa. The program made 2,231 awards worth $2.1 billion in that time.
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- Investigator Initiated Clinical Trials of Complementary and Integrative Interventions Delivered Remotely or via mHealth (R01 Clinical Trial Required)
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