The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is announcing a forthcoming funding opportunity titled "BRAIN Initiative: Research Opportunities Using Invasive Neural Recording and Stimulating Technologies in the Human Brain" under the U01 cooperative agreement mechanism. This initiative aims to solicit applications for research that investigates fundamental questions in human neuroscience through direct access to the brain, leveraging surgical procedures to explore how the brain senses, perceives, and engages in various cognitive functions. The opportunity encourages collaborative efforts among diverse teams, including clinicians, scientists, and engineers, to propose innovative research plans that could lead to significant insights into nervous system disorders. Interested applicants should prepare for the application process, as the estimated synopsis will be posted on November 28, 2025, with a closing date for applications expected by February 27, 2026. For further inquiries, potential applicants can contact Dr. Hermon R. Gebrehiwet at 240-328-8371 or via email at BRAINResOppHu@ninds.nih.gov.

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), with other NIH Institutes and Centers (ICs) the National Eye Institute (NEI), National Institute on Aging (NIA), National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) and Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR), intends to publish a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to solicit applications for research on investigative neuroscience with intracranial access to recording and manipulating the brain directly. Investigations within the human brain offer revolutionary, but challenging, opportunities for experimental investigation in how the human brain senses, perceives, remembers, plans, makes decisions, registers emotions, engages language, and activates movements. By leveraging surgical procedures with direct access to the brain, there is the opportunity to design experiments specifically about human neuroscience in ways that are both uniquely human and otherwise impossible. Fundamental basic research often provides insights relevant to disorders of the nervous system and enables research targeting disease mechanisms or therapeutics. Applications are not being solicited at this time. Notice is being provided to allow potential applicants sufficient time to develop meaningful collaborations and responsive projects. This NOFO will utilize the U01 activity code. Applications to this NOFO must propose to investigate fundamental questions in human neuroscience. In addition, collaborative investigations from newly formed or established teams, combining expertise of clinicians, scientists, device engineers, mathematicians, statisticians, data scientists, regulatory specialists and/or ethics specialists, as appropriate, to propose innovative research plans will be encouraged and these investigators should also begin considering applying for this application.

BRAIN Initiative: Research Opportunities Using Invasive Neural Recording and Stimulating Technologies in the Human Brain (U01 Basic Experimental Studies with Humans Required)

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