JOINT NSF/NIH INITIATIVE TO SUPPORT COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH IN COMPUTATIONAL 
NEUROSCIENCE (CRCNS) NSF 02-018

Release Date:  December 6, 2001

NOTICE:  NOT-MH-01-014 (see replacement NOT-NS-04-003)

National Science Foundation
 (http://www.nsf.gov)
    Directorate for Biological Sciences
    Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering
    Directorate for Engineering
    Directorate for Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences
National Institutes of Health
 (http://www.nih.gov)
    National Institute of Mental Health
     (http://www.nimh.nih.gov)
    National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
     (http://www.ninds.nih.gov)
    National Institute on Drug Abuse
     (http://www.nida.nih.gov)
    National Institute on Aging
     (http://www.nia.nih.gov)
    National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
     (http://www.nidcd.nih.gov)
    National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
     (http://www.niaaa.nih.gov)
    National Eye Institute
     (http://www.nei.nih.gov)

Letter of Intent Receipt Date:        December 14, 2001
Proposal (Application) Receipt Date:  February 4, 2002

This Notice announces a joint initiative between the National Science 
Foundation (NSF) and seven participating National Institute of Health 
(NIH) Institutes (released by NSF as NSF 02-018, 
http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?nsf02018) to support 
interdisciplinary research in computational neuroscience.  Both 
agencies recognize the need for research that focuses on integrating 
computational models and methods with neuroscience.  This solicitation 
is designed to encourage new and existing collaborations at this 
interface.  Appropriate scientific areas of investigations are those 
that are currently supported by NSF and NIH, or related to the missions 
of the two agencies.

Computational neuroscience provides a theoretical foundation and set of 
technological approaches that may enhance our understanding of nervous 
system function by providing analytical and modeling tools that 
describe, traverse and integrate different levels of organization, 
spanning vast temporal and spatial scales.  Computational approaches 
for comprehensive analysis and interpretation of complex datasets in 
the study of neuroscience have become increasingly important.  
Collaborations among computer scientists, engineers, mathematicians, 
theoreticians and neurobiologists are imperative to advance our 
understanding of the nervous system. 

The computational research that will be supported under this initiative 
must impact on, and relate to biological processes, and optimally 
provide hypotheses testable in biological studies.  It is expected 
that, (1) proposals (applications) will include collaborations between 
computational and/or modeling experts, and neuroscientists, (2) 
collaboration will involve a dynamic and, possibly, a protracted period 
of model development and refinement and intense interaction between 
computational and theoretical modelers and experimentalists, and (3) 
the development and testing of new models will provide a framework for 
the design of experiments and the generation of new hypotheses that can 
help reveal mechanisms underlying disease states of the nervous system.

AWARD INFORMATION 
 
It is estimated that approximately $7.0 Million ($3.0 Million from NSF 
and $4.0 Million from NIH) will be available for this competition.  
Award sizes are expected to range from $100,000 to $500,000 per year 
with durations of 3-5 years.  Estimated program budget, number of 
awards and average award size/duration are subject to the availability 
of funds. 
 
PROPOSAL PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS 
 
Letters of Intent (Required) should be sent from the prospective 
Principal Investigator (PI) via email to [email protected], and should 
contain the PI"s and the co-PI"s names, a list of possible 
participating institutions, a possible title, and not more than 500 
words to describe the work in sufficient detail to permit intelligent 
assessment of expertise needed for the review.  Letters of Intent will 
not be evaluated or used to decide on funding.  They are requested to 
assist NSF and NIH in planning the review process.  The submission of 
letters of intent enables NSF to begin choosing review panelists before 
the proposal (application) submission deadline. 
 
Proposals (applications) submitted in response to this program 
announcement/solicitation should be prepared and submitted in 
accordance with the general guidelines contained in the NSF Grant 
Proposal (Application) Guide (GPG).  The complete text of the GPG is 
available electronically on the NSF Web Site at 
http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?gpg.  
Paper copies of the GPG may be obtained from the NSF 
Publications Clearinghouse, telephone (301) 947-2722 or by e-mail from 
[email protected]. 
 
INQUIRIES

Written and telephone inquiries are encouraged.  Please see the NSF 
program announcement for names and contact information for each of the 
participating NSF Directorates and/or NIH Institutes at 
http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?nsf02018.

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