NIH Blueprint Initiative: Tools for Germline Gene Editing in the Nervous System

The National Institutes of Health, through the NIH Blueprint Initiative, is seeking to support a cooperative agreement focused on developing and applying germline and somatic transgenic and gene-editing approaches for neuroscience research. The work centers on experimental systems that model key features of human brain anatomy, circuitry, cognition, behavior, and lifespan, including efforts to build on existing marmoset gene-editing infrastructure and integrate New Approach Methodologies with other models. The initiative places emphasis on advancing and validating human-derived NAMs for cross-species comparisons across development, while requiring that any model used for neuroanatomy, circuit function, cognition, behavior, or lifespan phenotyping be appropriate and clearly justified. The opportunity is listed with an estimated synopsis post date of August 10, 2026, an estimated close date of October 12, 2026, an estimated project start date of July 1, 2027, and a grantor contact email of NIDA_GED_Program@nida.nih.gov; it also indicates up to four awards, an estimated total program funding of $7.2 million, and an award ceiling of $1.2 million.