Notice of Intent to Publish a Funding Opportunity Announcement for BRAIN Initiative: Foundations of Non-Invasive Human Brain Imaging and Neuro-Recording Techniques (R01) and Participation by the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council

Notice Number: NOT-MH-15-022

Key Dates
Release Date: July 21, 2015
Estimated Publication Date of Announcement: October 2015
First Estimated Application Due Date: December 2015
Earliest Estimated Award Date: June 2016
Earliest Estimated Start Date: June 2016

Related Announcements
RFA-MH-16-750

Issued by
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
National Eye Institute (NEI)
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
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 Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)
Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)

Purpose

The NIMH, with other NIH Institutes and Centers (ICs) that are part of the BRAIN Initiative, intends to promote a new initiative by publishing a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) to solicit applications for research on the foundations of non-invasive human brain imaging and neuro-recording techniques. The goal of this FOA will be to support integrative, multidisciplinary efforts that will revolutionize our understanding of the meaning of the data collected from non-invasive human brain imaging and functional evaluation techniques.

This Notice is being provided to allow potential applicants sufficient time to develop meaningful collaborations and responsive projects.

The FOA is expected to be published in fall 2015 with an expected application due date in winter 2015.

This FOA will utilize the R01 activity code.

Research Initiative Details

This Notice encourages investigators with expertise and insights into this area of non-invasive human brain imaging and neuro-recording to begin to consider applying for this new FOA. Studies supported by this new FOA will move beyond simply observing the signal collected using non-invasive imaging and recording techniques to a level that more directly informs our understanding of the cellular- and circuit-bases of these signals. Such studies would greatly improve our knowledge of dynamic brain function in both normal and pathological conditions.

In addition, collaborative investigations combining expertise in physics, computational and information science, engineering, biology, neuroscience, clinical science, and behavioral science will be encouraged and investigators with such expertise should also begin considering applying for this application.

The NIH Institutes and Centers that are part of the NIH BRAIN Initiative announce a new partnership, formalized by a letter of agreement, with the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) to support the involvement of Australian researchers in specific NIH BRAIN Initiative programs. Both the NIH and the NHMRC believe that the ambitious goals of the BRAIN Initiative can best be attained by collaborating across disciplinary boundaries as well as geographic boundaries. Details about NHMRC application procedures, funding rules, and eligibility requirements will be available on the NHMRC website.

Foreign institutions will be permitted to submit applications for the FOA described in this Notice either by submitting applications directly or as subcontractors in an application from a domestic institution.

In addition to providing funds, representatives of the NHMRC will join those of the National Science Foundation, the Food and Drug Administration, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Agency in meetings of the BRAIN Multi-Council Working Group (http://braininitiative.nih.gov/Brain_multi_council_working_group.htm).

APPLICATIONS ARE NOT BEING SOLICITED AT THIS TIME.

Inquiries

Please direct all inquiries to:

Gregory K. Farber, Ph.D.
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Telephone: 301-435-0778
Email: farberg@mail.nih.gov

Ned Talley, Ph.D.
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Telephone: 301-496-1917
Email: talleye@mail.nih.gov

National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)
Telephone: +61 2 6217 9450
Email: brain@nhmrc.gov.au