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National Institutes of Health · United States

BRAIN Initiative: Exploratory Research Opportunities Using Invasive Neural… (R61 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

Full title in the source: BRAIN Initiative: Exploratory Research Opportunities Using Invasive Neural Recording and Stimulating Technologies in the Human Brain (R61 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

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National Institutes of Health expects to make 5 awards of up to $700,000 each, from a total budget of $6 million. Applications close on 11 Feb 2027. Eligible applicant types include city or township governments, nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, independent school districts and 12 more.

About this call

Invasive surgical procedures in humans offer the unique opportunity to intracranially record and stimulate neuronal activity within precisely localized brain structures, enabling high-impact human neuroscience investigations. This NOFO seeks exploratory research projects, from newly formed or established multi-disciplinary teams, to understand how dynamic activity of single cells and ensembles of neurons in spatially organized networks gives rise to the internal states we experience as sensations, perceptions, emotions, thoughts, and memories, and to observable motor and social behaviors. The research should be proposed as exploratory research and planning activities to establish feasibility and early-stage development that, if successful, would support, enable, and/or lay the groundwork for a potential, subsequent research project grant applications using invasive neural recording and stimulation technologies in the human brain. Projects should maximize opportunities to conduct innovative in vivo human neuroscience research made available by direct access to the brain from invasive surgical procedures. Projects should employ approaches guided by specified theoretical constructs and by quantitative, mechanistic models where appropriate.

Who can apply

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

Refer to Section III. Eligibility Information in the NOFO for additional information on eligibility.Foreign Organizations/International Collaborations:Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations) are not eligible to apply.Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are not eligible to apply.Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed.

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

Topics

Health

How to apply

1. Read the full notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) linked from the official page: eligibility, cost sharing and evaluation criteria.
2. Make sure your organisation has an active SAM.gov registration and Unique Entity ID (UEI); registration can take several weeks.
3. For NIH: the organisation and the principal investigator also need eRA Commons accounts; applications are usually submitted through Grants.gov (for example with ASSIST).
4. Prepare the required forms, narrative, budget and attachments exactly as the NOFO specifies.
5. 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 · BRAINeROH@ninds.nih.gov · 301-402-2541

Where these facts come from

Official sources

Official call 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.

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