Notice Number: NOT-NS-19-002
Key Dates
Release Date:October 17, 2018
None
Issued by
NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience Research ( http://neuroscienceblueprint.nih.gov)
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke ( NINDS)
National Eye Institute ( NEI)
National Institute on Aging ( NIA)
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism ( NIAAA)
National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering ( NIBIB)
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development ( NICHD)
National Institute on Dental and Craniofacial Research ( NIDCR)
National Institute on Drug Abuse ( NIDA)
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences ( NIEHS)
National Institute of Mental Health ( NIMH)
National Institute of Nursing Research ( NINR)
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health ( NCCIH)
Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research ( OBSSR)
Purpose
The National Institutes of Health Blueprint for Neuroscience Research (Blueprint) is a collaboration among 14 participating NIH Institutes, Centers and Offices to support cross-cutting funding programs to advance research on the nervous system. This Request for Information (RFI) seeks input from the scientific community on future Blueprint activities. Responses to this RFI should suggest how best to have the broadest possible impact for the neuroscience community, ideally, in a value-added fashion over the current activities of the participating Institutes, Centers and Offices. Recommendations should serve the interests of many of the Blueprint Institutes listed above. The Blueprint invites input from all interested stakeholders. Organizations are encouraged to submit a single representative response.
Background
Neuroscience research is a unifying theme across many NIH Institutes and Centers. Sixteen participating Institutes and Centers launched the Blueprint in 2004 to provide a framework for coordinating research and developing tools and resources that broadly advance neuroscience research. By pooling resources and expertise, the NIH Blueprint is taking advantage of economies of scale, confronting challenges too large for any single NIH Institute or Center (IC), and harmonizing related efforts across multiple ICs.
The following website provides an overview of previous and current NIH Blueprint Activities: http://www.neuroscienceblueprint.nih.gov/.
Information RequestedThe Blueprint is considering how best to advance neuroscience in the future. With the establishment and funding of the BRAIN Initiative, which focuses on development and application of innovative technologies for interrogating circuit activity in the nervous system, the Blueprint hopes to identify non-duplicative areas of broad interest to the neuroscience community that will have the highest potential to advance neuroscience via investment in cross-cutting research, training, infrastructure and/or workforce development.
Keeping in mind that the Blueprint is interested in ideas that are broadly relevant across multiple missions of the 14 participating NIH Institutes and Centers, comments to the RFI can include but are not limited to the following areas:
- Please submit specific suggestions for how the NIH Blueprint could enhance neuroscience training and workforce diversity going forward.
- Please submit suggestions for infrastructure or research resources needs that cut across all NIH neuroscience Institutes and Centers that would be best serviced by a Blueprint program.
In addition to training and diversity efforts, Blueprint has previously supported programs to address cross-cutting issues such as:
- computational neuroscience research,
- dissemination of neuroscience tools to advance science,
- supporting core facilities
- Please identify specific scientific areas of neuroscience research or specific research topics that are not currently be being supported by the BP Institutes, Centers and Offices that would be of broad interest or impact. Please suggest what level of budgetary investment would be needed to make a significant difference in that research area over a five-year period.
- Please identify other specific impediments to advancing our understanding of neuroscience that a Blueprint supported program could solve.
How to Submit a Response
All comments must be submitted electronically to: NIH-Blueprint-Responses. Responses to this RFI will be accepted through November 26, 2018. You will receive an electronic confirmation acknowledging receipt of your response but will not receive individualized feedback on any suggestions.
Disclaimer
This RFI is for information and planning purposes only and should not be construed as a solicitation or as an obligation on the part of the Federal Government, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), or individual NIH Institutes and Centers. The NIH does not intend to make any awards based on responses to this RFI or pay for the preparation of any information submitted or for the Government's use of such information. No basis for claims against the U.S. Government shall arise as a result of a response to this request for information or from the Government’s use of such information.
NIH will use the information submitted in response to this RFI at its discretion and will not provide comments to any responder’s submission. However, responses to the RFI may be reflected in future planning activities and funding opportunity announcements. The information provided will be analyzed and may appear in reports. Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your response. The Government reserves the right to use any non-proprietary technical information in any resultant solicitation(s).
Inquiries
Please direct all inquiries to:
Meghan Mott, Ph.D.
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke ( NINDS)
Telephone: 301-596-4470
Email: [email protected]
and Human Services (HHS)
