National Institutes of Health · United States

Innovation Grants to Nurture Initial Translational Efforts (IGNITE)

Full title in the source: Innovation Grants to Nurture Initial Translational Efforts (IGNITE): Development and Validation of Model Systems to Facilitate Neurotherapeutic Discovery (R61/R33 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

Open

National Institutes of Health expects to make awards of up to $750,000 each, from a total budget of $750,000. Applications close on 20 Oct 2027. Eligible applicant types include state governments, independent school districts, nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education and 12 more.

Deadline: 20 Oct 2027 (in 339 days)
Grant amount: Up to $750,000 per project
Funding rate: No mandatory cost sharing stated; funding percentage not stated
Total budget: $750,000
Cost sharing: Not required
Likely applicant types: Public bodies, Non-profits, Universities & research, SMEs / start-ups, Companies From source categories or programme rules; the call decides.
Funder: National Institutes of Health
Reference: PAR-25-060
Assistance listing: 93.853 Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders
Last checked: 13 Nov 2026

Open the official call ↗ Add deadline to calendar

About this call

This funding opportunity announcement (FOA) encourages the development and validation of animal models and human/animal tissue ex vivo systems that recapitulate the phenotypic and physiologic characteristics of a defined neurological or neuromuscular disorder. The goal of this FOA is to promote a significant improvement in the translational relevance of animal models or ex vivo systems that will be utilized to facilitate future development of neurotherapeutics. Ideally, models proposed for this FOA would have the potential to provide feasible and meaningful assessments of efficacy following therapeutic intervention that would be applicable in both preclinical and clinical settings. This FOA is part of a suite of Innovation Grants to Nurture Initial Translational Efforts (IGNITE) Program focused on enabling the exploratory and early stages of drug discovery.

Who can apply

State governments
Independent school districts
Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
For profit organizations other than small businesses
County governments
Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)
Private institutions of higher education
Small businesses
City or township governments
Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
Special district governments
Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities

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.

Applicant categories are a starting point. The official call decides eligibility.

Topics

Health

How to apply

Read the full notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) linked from the official page: eligibility, cost sharing and evaluation criteria.
Make sure your organisation has an active SAM.gov registration and Unique Entity ID (UEI); registration can take several weeks.
For NIH: the organisation and the principal investigator also need eRA Commons accounts; applications are usually submitted through Grants.gov (for example with ASSIST).
Prepare the required forms, narrative, budget and attachments exactly as the NOFO specifies.
Submit before the deadline and keep the tracking number. Check for amendments before you submit.

From the call text

Who can apply: Not stated in the call text we hold — check the official page
Company stage: Not stated in the call text we hold — check the official page
Single applicant or consortium: Not stated in the call text we hold — check the official page
Where applicants must be based: Not stated in the call text we hold — check the official page
Where to apply: Not stated in the call text we hold — check the official page

Contact

National Institutes of Health · grantsinfo@nih.gov · 301-402-2541

Where these facts come from

Fact	Value	How we know	Taken from the source
Deadline	20 October 2027	official data field	15 Nov 2026
Amount per applicant	Up to $750,000	official data field	15 Nov 2026
Total budget	$750,000	official data field	15 Nov 2026
Funding rate	No mandatory cost sharing stated; funding percentage not stated	read from the official text	15 Nov 2026
Who can apply	State governments; Independent school districts; Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education; Public and State controlled institutions of higher education;…	official data field	15 Nov 2026
Where to apply	Unknown — not stated in the source we hold	unknown	—

Official sources

Official call page · Funder's programme page

Facts on this page come from the funder’s official data, taken on 13 Nov 2026. The funder's own documents, including later amendments, always take precedence.