Well Told Grants

Federal grant programs / Department of Health and Human Services

Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders (93.853)

Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders (Assistance Listing 93.853) is run by the National Institutes of Health, part of the Department of Health and Human Services. It awarded $9.1 billion in 8,641 grants from fiscal 2021 to 2025, about $1.0 million per award on average. 104 funding opportunities are open or forecast now.

The typical award was $684,451. Half of the 8,639 awards fell between $270,000 and $1.6 million, and they ranged from $0 to $26.5 million.

Key findings

What the program funds

(1) To support extramural research funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) including: basic research that explores the fundamental structure and function of the brain and the nervous system; research to understand the causes and origins of pathological conditions of the nervous system with the goal of preventing these disorders; research on the natural course of neurological disorders; improved methods of disease prevention; new methods of diagnosis and treatment; drug development; development of neural devices; clinical trials; and research training in basic, translational and clinical neuroscience. The Institute is the largest funder of basic neuroscience in the US and supports research on topics including but not limited to: development of the nervous system, including neurogenesis and progenitor cell biology, signal transduction in development and plasticity, and programmed cell death; synapse formation, function, and plasticity; learning and memory; channels, transporters, and pumps; circuit formation and modulation; behavioral and cognitive neuroscience; sensorimotor learning, integration and executive function; neuroendocrine systems; sleep and circadian rhythms; and sensory and motor systems. In addition, the Institute supports basic, translational and clinical studies on a number of disorders of the nervous system including (but not limited to): stroke; traumatic injury to the brain, spinal cord and peripheral nervous system; neurodegenerative disorders; movement disorders; brain tumors; convulsive disorders; infectious disorders of the brain and nervous system; immune disorders of the brain and nervous system, including multiple sclerosis; disorders related to sleep; and pain. Programmatic areas, which are primarily supported by the Division of Neuroscience, are also supported by the Division of Extramural Activities, the Division of Translational Research, the Division of Clinical Research, the Office of Training and Workforce Development, the Office of Programs to Enhance the Neuroscience Workforce, and the Office of International Activities. (2) To expand and improve the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program; to increase private sector commercialization of innovations derived from Federal research and development; to increase small business participation in Federal research and development; and to foster and encourage participation of socially and economically disadvantaged small business concerns and women-owned small business concerns in technological innovation. To utilize the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program; to stimulate and foster scientific and technological innovation through cooperative research and development carried out between small business concerns and research institutions; to foster technology transfer between small business concerns and research institutions; to increase private sector commercialization of innovations derived from Federal research and development; and to foster and encourage participation of socially and economically disadvantaged small business concerns and women-owned small business concerns in technological innovation.

From the federal Assistance Listing. Read the full listing on SAM.gov.

Open and forecast opportunities

79 more opportunities are listed with all open grants from Department of Health and Human Services.

Rules from the program listing

Who can apply

Research Grants: Any public, private, nonprofit, or for-profit institution is eligible to apply. For-profit institutions are not eligible for Institutional National Research Service Awards but are eligible for Individual NRSAs. All proposals are reviewed for scientific merit, for evaluation of the qualifications of the investigators, for adequacy of the research environment, and for significance of the problem. Approved proposals compete for available funds. All Career Development Program awardees, with the exception of awardees of the Pathway to Independence Award (K99/R00), must be citizens or have been admitted to the United States for permanent residence. Candidates must be nominated for the program by a nonfederal public or private nonprofit institution located in the United States, its possessions or territories. To be eligible, postdoctoral NRSA trainees or fellows must have a professional or scientific degree (M.D., Ph.D., D.D.S., D.O., D.V.M., Sc.D., D. Eng., or equivalent domestic or foreign degree). SBIR grants can be awarded only to domestic small businesses (entities that are independently owned and operated for profit, are not dominant in the field in which research is proposed, and have no more than 500 employees). Primary employment (more than one-half time) of the principal investigator must be with the small business at the time of award and during the conduct of the proposed project.

Continue reading on SAM.gov

What the money can and cannot pay for

Research grants may be used to provide salaries, equipment, supplies, travel and other expenses for research. The grantee institution is obliged to expend grant funds prudently for the purposes stated in the application and award document. National Research Service Awards (NRSAs) are made directly to individuals for research training in specified biomedical shortage areas, or to institutions, to enable them to make NRSAs to individuals selected by them. Each individual who receives a NRSA may be obligated upon termination of the award to comply with service and payback provisions. Career Development Awards such as the Independent Scientist Awards (K02) provide support for newly independent scientists with health-related degrees who can demonstrate the need for a period of intensive research focus as a means of enhancing their research careers and facilitating their ability to obtain major NIH research awards. Mentored Clinical Research Scientist Development Awards (K08) provide support for clinically trained health professionals who need an additional period of sponsored research experience as a way to gain expertise in a research area new to the candidate or in an area that would demonstrably enhance the candidate's scientific career.

Continue reading on SAM.gov

Matching requirements

This program has no statutory formula. Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

Award range and average, in the agency's words

Research grants: $22,709 to $7,753,905; $585,282. National Research Service Awards: Institutional $34,076 to $692,757; $193,304. Individual: $5,495 to $90,284; $46,239. SBIR/STTR: Phase 1 not to exceed $150,000; Phase II not to exceed $1,000,000; however with appropriate justification, budget caps for Phase I and Phase II are $225,000 and $1,500,00 respectively

Quoted from the program's federal Assistance Listing. The notice of funding opportunity is the official source for each competition's rules.

Funding history and past recipients

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.

Largest recipients, fiscal 2021 to 2025
RecipientStateAwardsAmount
The General Hospital CorporationMassachusetts203$288 million
The Regents of the University of California, San FranciscoCalifornia248$277 million
The Johns Hopkins UniversityMaryland230$276 million
The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New YorkNew York188$226 million
Regents of the University of MichiganMichigan179$221 million
The Washington UniversityMissouri195$207 million
Yale UnivConnecticut172$192 million
The Leland Stanford Junior UniversityCalifornia170$192 million
The Trustees of the University of PennsylvaniaPennsylvania181$192 million
Northwestern UniversityIllinois156$183 million
University of California, San DiegoCalifornia152$181 million
University of Pittsburgh - of the Commonwealth System of Higher EducationPennsylvania171$169 million
University of California, Los AngelesCalifornia136$168 million
Emory UniversityGeorgia156$143 million
University of FloridaFlorida95$136 million
Regents of the University of MinnesotaMinnesota104$127 million
Duke UniversityNorth Carolina132$122 million
Baylor College of MedicineTexas108$104 million
New York UniversityNew York89$103 million
The University of IowaIowa75$98.6 million

Top states: California ($1.4 billion), New York ($926 million), Massachusetts ($906 million), Pennsylvania ($626 million), Texas ($499 million), Maryland ($435 million), Ohio ($409 million), Illinois ($380 million), Michigan ($312 million), Florida ($282 million).

Who usually wins

Colleges and universities received 76% of the money, nonprofits 16% and small businesses 3.8%.

Recipient typeAwardsAmountShare
Colleges and universities6,678$6.9 billion76%
Nonprofits1,317$1.5 billion16%
Small businesses305$345 million3.8%
Other323$303 million3.4%
Businesses5$8.9 million0.1%
State and local governments11$605,130less than 0.1%
Tribal governments and organizations2$200,0000%

By state

48 states have a page for this program: those that received at least $1 million or 10 awards.

Grants by recipient's state, fiscal 2021 to 2025
StateAwardsAmount
California1,281$1.4 billion
New York841$926 million
Massachusetts827$906 million
Pennsylvania627$626 million
Texas505$499 million
Maryland372$435 million
Ohio322$409 million
Illinois349$380 million
Michigan268$312 million
Florida227$282 million
Missouri234$250 million
Georgia254$230 million
North Carolina264$229 million
Connecticut216$226 million
Minnesota170$206 million
Virginia139$158 million
Washington150$150 million
Tennessee134$120 million
Wisconsin137$120 million
Colorado149$119 million
New Jersey126$106 million
Iowa79$101 million
Oregon117$96.1 million
Utah76$90.6 million
Indiana62$76.4 million
Alabama91$75.3 million
District of Columbia77$73.5 million
Arizona59$65.1 million
Kentucky59$55.6 million
Rhode Island105$48.8 million
South Carolina49$38.1 million
Nebraska30$35.4 million
Louisiana34$27.9 million
New Mexico21$25.5 million
New Hampshire24$24.2 million
Maine22$21.7 million
Kansas16$17.2 million
Nevada18$15.9 million
Oklahoma8$10.8 million
Vermont15$7.5 million
Puerto Rico13$7.2 million
West Virginia8$5.5 million
Montana6$4.0 million
Delaware11$3.7 million
Arkansas8$3.5 million
North Dakota3$3.2 million
Idaho2$1.5 million
Wyoming2$1.4 million
Hawaii3$623,595
Alaska1$414,812
Mississippi4$242,345
South Dakota1$11,525

Award amounts are federal obligations reported to USAspending.gov for fiscal 2021 to 2025; see how our data works.