National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)

• NINDS highly recommends interested applicants reach out to their current program officer as listed on the Notice of Award for the most recent parent award to discuss whether a supplement request would be appropriate.
• NINDS prioritizes funding supplement requests with at least one year remaining on the parent award and that include a strong justification for why it is not possible to re-budget within existing funds.
• For mentored research and training supplements, NINDS prioritizes applications that justify the need, explain how it will advance the candidate’s development (including, as appropriate, submission of an individual application), demonstrate their intellectual contribution, and show strong mentor and institutional commitment.

• Supplements are considered on a rolling basis with requests received after July 1st considered in the next fiscal year.
• Contact the program officer listed on the Notice of Award for the most recent parent award to discuss timing considerations.

• Contact the program officer listed on the Notice of Award for the most recent parent award.

NINDS supports high quality scientific conferences that are relevant to the NINDS mission and to public health.

NINDS typically supports awards in the range of $5,000 to $20,000 and is intended to provide partial support for the conference. Some appropriate uses of NINDS R13 funding include:
•    Supporting the dissemination of the proceedings
•    Web-casting or web-archiving
•    Supporting students or junior investigators to attend or participate

•    It is critical that applicants follow the meeting date and submission timing guidelines in the table below as awards cannot be made after the meeting has concluded
•    If your organization is new to NIH funding, even more advance time may be needed for required registrations.

•    NINDS generally only accepts R13 applications for a single year of support.
•    In exceptional circumstances, NINDS may support multi-year applications that have a demonstrated history of yearly funding success and that meet NINDS mission objectives.
•    It is highly recommended to contact program staff in advance if you wish to apply for multiple years of support.
 

Applicants are encouraged to use NIH Matchmaker to find an NINDS Program Officer, or

NINDS Referral Team
[email protected]

NINDS prioritizes applications for funding that: 

• Justify the need for a mentored career development award (CDA) through a clear, feasible career development plan that addresses specific training gaps. 
• Demonstrate that the plan will support progress toward the next career stage and research independence. 
• Show intellectual ownership of the proposed project by the candidate. 
• Document appropriate institutional support. 
• Prepare the candidate to submit an R01 or other major research application in 3-5 years for advanced postdocs and faculty. 

For clinician-scientist career development awards, NINDS prioritizes for funding applications from human health care professionals who are licensed to practice in the US and will have a faculty position at the time of award. Applicants that are beyond 5 years post clinical training (i.e. post consecutive residency and clinical fellowship training) are encouraged to contact the Office of Training & Workforce Development prior to applying, to discuss program priorities. 

• NINDS supports project periods up to 5 years.  
• For clinician-scientists, NINDS prioritizes applications proposing project periods of 4 – 5 years to allow time to develop research projects and skills. 
• NINDS recipients may receive a maximum of 8 years of mentored CDA support (up to 5 years of CDA funding subsequent to up to 3 years of prior institutional CDA support).  

NINDS will provide salary support as follows:

• Postdoctoral fellows/mentored positions (non-clinicians): Up to $75,000 per year, plus fringe 
• Mentored practicing clinician-scientists: Up to $125,000 per year, plus fringe 
• Faculty/independent positions: Up to $150,000 per year, plus fringe 

NINDS will provide the following amounts for other program-related expenses: 

• Postdoctoral fellows/mentored positions: research support up to $30,000 per year 
• Mentored practicing clinician-scientists applying for non-transition awards: research support up to $51,000 per year, including $1,000 to attend the annual ANA/NINDS career development symposium 
• Faculty/independent positions: research support up to $75,000 per year 

NINDS expects candidates to commit a minimum of 75% of full-time professional effort to their program of career development, except for neurosurgeons, who may commit a minimum of 50% of full-time professional effort. Time with clinical on-call responsibilities may not be counted as protected time for research. 

NINDS Office of Training and Workforce Development
[email protected]  

NINDS prioritizes fellowship applications for funding that:

• Propose research within the NINDS mission and include a rigorous, well-structured training plan, well-matched to the proposed research, that supports progress toward the next career stage;
• Demonstrate strong mentorship, including a mentor with an active funded research program, a strong record of trainee outcomes, and a clear commitment to the candidate’s successful transition to the next appropriate career stage;
• Show clear intellectual ownership of an original research plan that is consistent with, but not duplicative of, the mentor’s funded research;
• Provide a clear, feasible, milestone-driven career development plan that demonstrates training potential and addresses specific training gaps based on prior education, research, and professional experience.

NINDS does not fund Individual Predoctoral NRSA for M.D./Ph.D. Fellowships (F30) applications from institutions that have NIH-funded institutional predoctoral dual-degree training programs (e.g., MSTP institutions).

NINDS only participates in the NINDS Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Postdoctoral Fellowship.

• F30: minimum 12 months and maximum 5 years.
  • Limited to the first 8 years of dual degree training.
• F31: minimum 12 months and maximum 3 years.
  • Limited to the first 6 years of PhD research training (for MD/PhD candidates, through 8 years from starting the combined MD/PhD program). 
• F32: minimum 12 months and maximum 3 years.
  • Limited to the first 4 years of starting in a given postdoctoral laboratory

Current NRSA stipends, tuition/fees, and budgetary levels apply.

• The Office of Training and Workforce Development: [email protected] 

NINDS encourages Institutional Career Development applications in each of the following medical specialties: child neurology, neurosurgery, and emergency medicine to support the development of physician-scientists pursuing research in areas within the NINDS mission.  

NINDS will support one national program in each specialty for mentored career development and training of physicians specializing in child neurology, neurosurgery, and emergency medicine at institutions nationwide. NINDS encourages institutions to propose programs designed to 

• increase the cadre of physician-scientists trained to conduct outstanding research into neurological disorders, taking advantage of their clinical training and expertise.  

• promote high quality, novel, creative research and innovative investigation by these cohorts of individuals who possess unique clinical knowledge and experience.  

• prepare each scholar to develop a successful, individual, well-funded research program, which they will combine with their clinical career to advance the understanding and treatment of neurological disorders. 

Applications are prioritized for January and May Advisory Council review. 

• The maximum project period for NINDS-supported Institutional Career Development programs is 5 years.   

• Scholars may receive financial support from an NINDS Institutional Career Development program for up to 3 years. 

Personnel Costs: 

• PD/PI salary and fringe up to 1.2 person-months (10% effort cap shared between PDs/PIs) for designing, directing and implementing the program  
• Up to 1.2 person-months salary for a leadership position if coordination is needed to meet the goals of the program  
• Up to 2.4 person-months salary for administrative staff budgeted as indirect costs 

Scholar Costs: 

• Up to $115,000 for salary plus fringe per scholar per year 
• Up to $50,000 per scholar per year for research expenses 

• Consultant costs, equipment, supplies, travel for key persons, and other program-related expenses may be included if justified as specifically required by the proposed program and must not duplicate items generally available at the applicant institution.  
• Up to $65,000 per year to support the annual program meeting.  
• Honoraria and funds for travel may be requested for members of the National Advisory Committee who review grants and attend the annual program meeting.  
• Site visits and attendance of visiting faculty to the annual program meeting to provide special expertise via workshops or presentations. 

NINDS expects candidates to commit a minimum of 75% of full-time professional effort to their program of career development, except for neurosurgeons, who may commit a minimum of 50% of full-time professional effort. Time with clinical on-call responsibilities may not be counted as protected time for research. 

NINDS Office of Training and Workforce Development:  
[email protected]   

NINDS encourages institutions to propose programs that fall into one of the following three categories: 

1. Advanced T32 and 2) Translational T32 

• Provide 1-2 years of support; 
• Support dissertation-stage predoctoral students (3rd/4th year), postdoctoral fellows, and/or fellowship-stage clinicians; 
• Have clear goals advancing the NINDS mission. 
• Advanced programs develop participants’ research expertise in a defined area 
• Translational programs train participants in translating basic neuroscience discoveries into clinical applications or bringing clinical insights to basic research questions

3. NIH Blueprint Jointly Sponsored NIH Predoctoral Training Program in the Neurosciences (JSPTPN T32; managed by an NIH-wide steering committee with one member from each of the participating institutes) 

• Provides support during the first 2 years of PhD training; 
• Provides broad and fundamental research training in the neurosciences; 
• Includes a curriculum that provides a strong foundation in experimental design, statistical methodology and quantitative reasoning; 
• Includes laboratory rotations that allow students to explore different research areas, scientific approaches, and laboratory cultures. 

NINDS priorities for all training programs include: 

• Strong rationale for and demonstrated feasibility of delivering the training experience 
• Training tailored to the participants’ needs and their stated career goals 
• Clear educational principles and evaluation 
• Cohesive training plans that include a focus on scientific rigor, strong mentorship, and professional development 
• Engagement with state-of-the-art pedagogical approaches and current challenges, such as the responsible use of generative AI in graduate and postdoctoral education 

NINDS prioritizes funding for the following trainees: 

• Advanced T32 and Translational T32: dissertation-stage predoctoral students (3rd/4th year), postdoctoral fellows, and/or fellowship-stage clinicians.  
• NIH Blueprint Jointly Sponsored NIH Predoctoral Training Program in the Neurosciences (JSPTPN T32): 1st and 2nd year predoctoral students 

NINDS only considers applications during January Advisory Council review. 

Advanced T32 and Translational T32 

• Awards will typically be made for a maximum of 4 trainee slots per year, with rare exceptions for up to 8 slots (contact NINDS with questions). 
• Travel costs up to $2,000 per trainee per year 
• Additional travel expenses of up to $1,000 per year per trainee to travel to the NINDS T32 Annual Meeting (required) 
• Additional travel expenses up to $1,500 per year for total training staff (not per individual) to travel to the NINDS T32 Annual Meeting. Training staff include PDs/PIs and coordinators 

NIH Blueprint Jointly Sponsored NIH Predoctoral Training Program in the Neurosciences (JSPTPN T32) 

• NINDS supports travel costs up to $750 per predoctoral trainee per year.  

NINDS Office of Training and Workforce Development 
[email protected]  

NINDS sponsors education grants for short courses, summer and year-round research experiences and mentoring networks. In addition to any NINDS Highlighted Topics related to Research Training, interest areas include:

Summer Research Experiences that provide high quality research experiences during the summer academic break (at least 8 weeks).

Year-round Research Experiences that provide full-time summer research (at least 8 weeks) and part-time academic year research experiences to prepare undergraduates and post-baccalaureates to transition into rigorous, research-focused doctoral degree programs in biomedical fields, prioritizing programs at Resource-Limited Institutions (RLIs).

Short courses that provide an intensive hands-on experience that is not available on a local level or through other formal NIH-supported training programs. NINDS also participates in short courses supported by the NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience Research.

Mentoring networks that prepare graduate level and above participants from a national or regional pool to progress in their careers and transition to their next career stage. These networks may increase participants’ awareness of and interest in the neurosciences, develop participants scientific knowledge and research skills, and equip them with professional development and leadership skills. Does not support single institution mentoring initiatives.

NINDS prioritizes applications with

• A strong rationale and need for the program
• Clear goals that advance the NINDS mission 
• Customized or individualized program components geared toward improving participant’s specific knowledge and/or skills
• Clearly identified educational goals and methodologies, and program evaluation and assessments
• Demonstrated feasibility that leverages and extends institutional strengths.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to consult NINDS staff before submitting an application. 

• Research Experiences applications are prioritized for October Advisory Council review.
• Short Courses and Mentoring Networks are prioritized for January Advisory Council review.

• Other
  • Summer Research Experiences: high school and undergraduate students; high school science teachers
  • Year-round Research Experiences: undergraduate students, post-baccalaureates
  • Short Courses and Mentoring Networks: graduate/medical students, postdoctoral researchers, early-stage and established faculty, from a national/regional pool (i.e., not all participants come from a single institution).

• The maximum project period for NINDS-supported Research Education programs is 5 years.

• Summer Research Experiences: Up to $150,000 direct cost per year
• Year-round Research Experiences: Up to $250,000 direct cost per year 
  • NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience Research - supported programs are limited to $400,000-$450,000/year
• Short Courses: Up to $250,000 direct cost per year 
  • NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience Research - supported short courses up to $270,000
• Mentoring Networks: Up to $250,000 direct cost per year

• Summer Research Experiences: Up to $50,000 combined salary, administrative, clerical or other staff associated with designing, directing and administering the research experience program 
• Year-round Research Experiences: 
  • Personnel – up to 3.6 months' salary support for PI(s)/PD(s)
  • Participants – Salary support for undergraduate students and post-baccalaureates employed by their institutions
  • Other: Program – related expenses (e.g., travel for key persons, consultants, supplies, etc.) 
• Short Courses: 
  • Personnel – Salary and fringe for individuals designing, directing and implementing the program appropriate for the person months devoted to the program 
  • Participants – costs consistent with educational level/career status; funds to defray partial tuition or education-related expenses; per diem with strong justification
  • Other: Program – related expenses (e.g., travel for key persons, consultants, supplies, etc.)
• Mentoring Networks: 
  • Personnel – Up to $75,000 for administering the program including salary and fringe for individuals designing, directing and implementing the program
  • Other – Program-related expenses (e.g., housing, registration, travel for key persons, consultants, supplies, equipment, etc.) 

• The Office of Training and Workforce Development: [email protected]

NINDS utilizes the SBIR and STTR programs to enable the commercial development of tools and technologies that serve the NINDS mission space. Priority is given to proposals with the greatest potential to advance the NINDS mission. 

NINDS is especially interested in the following, in no preferential order:

1. Novel and innovative technologies that address significant unmet needs 
2. Technologies in development for their first indication or initial market opportunity
3. Technologies with a compelling need for federal support, such as those at a stage of development requiring de-risking to attract private investment, New Approach Methodologies (NAMs), and those addressing underserved markets including rare and pediatric disease indications
4. Under-resourced technologies, indications, markets, and geographical regions within the NINDS SBIR/STTR portfolio and mission space
5. New applicants pursuing their first SBIR/STTR-funded technology
6. Applicants with a demonstrated track record of advancing technologies through commercialization milestones
7. For continuation applications, applicants who have achieved intended outcomes under prior funding
8. Applications demonstrating robust rigor in their approach and preliminary data

NINDS deprioritizes:

1. Incremental advances over existing technologies 
2. Technologies being developed for secondary indications without significant additional technological innovation
3. Applications lacking rigor in their approach and/or preliminary data
4. Direct-to-Phase 2 and continuation applications lacking rigor in their preliminary data
5. Applicants with substantial prior funding and/or a poor track record of commercialization progress
6. Applicants lacking focus on or expertise in the NINDS mission space

A. In vivo animal testing required for therapeutics and diagnostics development.    
B. Drug and biologics preclinical discovery and development activities to support regulatory approval, such as lead identification/optimization, preclinical efficacy testing, IND-enabling studies, and manufacturing for clinical trials.    
C. Device preclinical discovery and development activities to support regulatory approval, such as hardware prototyping, device/software verification, biocompatibility/sterilization testing, pre-clinical efficacy testing, large animal GLP safety testing, and preparing material/devices for human testing.   
D. Clinical testing of therapeutics (drugs, devices, or biologics), diagnostics, clinical and rehabilitation tools (i.e., intraoperative technologies, rehabilitation devices and programs, and brain monitoring systems), and technologies for clinical research. This would include clinical research studies to test scientific hypothesis that are not feasible or practical to conduct in animal models but would inform a final device design.  
E. In vivo animal testing of technologies for animal research and development of animal models for drug development and neuroscience research.   
F. Research that requires special facilities to contain hazardous or infectious materials.    
G. Development and validation of biomarkers and the technologies and approaches for measuring them. Biomarkers may include diagnostic, prognostic, monitoring, pharmacodynamic/response, risk, safety, and predictive biomarkers.    
 

Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative   
H. Development of research tools and technologies to understand the dynamic activity of neural circuits.   
I. Development of novel tools and technologies to facilitate the detailed analysis of complex circuits to provide insights into cellular interactions that underlie brain function.   
J. Development of invasive and non-invasive devices for recording and modulation in the human central nervous system.   

NINDS Small Business Program
[email protected]   

Applicants are encouraged to submit a one-page overview of their proposed project at least one month before application submission to confirm alignment with NINDS interests.