Part 1. Overview Information

Key Dates

All applications are due by 5:00 PM local time of applicant organization. 

Applicants are encouraged to apply early to allow adequate time to make any corrections to errors found in the application during the submission process by the due date.

No late applications will be accepted for this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO).

It is critical that applicants follow the instructions in the Research (R) Instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide, except where instructed to do otherwise (in this NOFO or in a Notice from NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts).

Conformance to all requirements (both in the How to Apply - Application Guide and the NOFO) is required and strictly enforced. Applicants must read and follow all application instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide as well as any program-specific instructions noted in Section IV. When the program-specific instructions deviate from those in the How to Apply - Application Guide, follow the program-specific instructions.

Applications that do not comply with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review.

There are several options available to submit your application through Grants.gov to NIH and Department of Health and Human Services partners. You must use one of these submission options to access the application forms for this opportunity.

1. Use the NIH ASSIST system to prepare, submit and track your application online.
2. Use an institutional system-to-system (S2S) solution to prepare and submit your application to Grants.gov and eRA Commons to track your application. Check with your institutional officials regarding availability.
   
   
3. Use Grants.gov Workspace to prepare and submit your application and eRA Commons to track your application.



Table of Contents
Part 1. Overview Information
Key Dates
Part 2. Full Text of Announcement
Section I. Notice of Funding Opportunity Description
Section II. Award Information
Section III. Eligibility Information
Section IV. Application and Submission Information
Section V. Application Review Information
Section VI. Award Administration Information
Section VII. Agency Contacts
Section VIII. Other Information

Part 2. Full Text of Announcement

Section I. Notice of Funding Opportunity Description

The NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience Research is a collaborative framework through which 14 NIH Institutes, Centers and Offices jointly support neuroscience-related research, with the aim of accelerating discoveries and reducing the burden of nervous system disorders (for further information, see http://neuroscienceblueprint.nih.gov/.) The purpose of this NOFO is to establish the NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience Research Coordination Center for Interoception Research (BPCCIR) to promote multidisciplinary interoception research and bridge the gap between brain and body studies through a U24 cooperative agreement funding mechanism. Interoception, for the purpose of this NOFO, encompasses the processes by which an organism senses, interprets, integrates, and regulates internal bodily signals.  Interoception research is critical for health promotion, offering insights into stress regulation, hunger, and emotional well-being —factors essential for preventing chronic diseases and mental health disorders. Impaired interoception is linked to conditions like obesity, diabetes, anxiety, depression, and substance use disorders, which significantly impact the nation's healthcare burden. Advancing interoception research may also lead to innovative strategies for disease prevention and treatment of complex diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, autism, chronic pain, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), fibromyalgia, and cardiovascular diseases.

Aligned with the NIH Director's priorities, this NOFO focuses on improving population health through innovative research and collaboration by breaking traditional biomedical research boundaries that typically focus on one organ system at a time. The key objectives are to:

1. Establish, foster, and maintain a multidisciplinary team of interoception researchers to guide BPCCIR activities, ensuring academic freedom and fostering innovative approaches.
2. Develop digital communication platforms to facilitate networking, collaborations, and information dissemination, promoting research safety and transparency.
3. Plan, organize, and host at least one scientific meeting per year, involving NIH-funded interoception researchers, trainees, and other stakeholders to enhance collaboration and knowledge sharing.
4. Identify challenges and future opportunities in interoception research, develop common terminology, data standards, and common data elements to ensure reproducibility and rigor.
5. Generate metrics of success and plans to ensure the sustainability and consideration of future research directions of the interoception research community, focusing on long-term improvements in population health.

Background on Interoception Research and Its Importance

Interoception refers to the process by which the nervous system senses, integrates, interprets, and regulates information about the internal states of the body. Advancing interoception research is essential to health promotion, as it provides critical insights into how individuals can better regulate stress, hunger, and emotional well-being—key factors in preventing chronic diseases and mental health disorders.

Enhanced or dysregulated awareness and processes have been linked to conditions such as obesity, diabetes, anxiety, depression, and substance use disorders, all of which contribute significantly to the nation’s health care burden. Additionally, interoception plays a vital role in how the body detects and responds to environmental toxins, pollutants, and other external stressors that can trigger inflammation, autoimmune disorders, and metabolic dysregulation. A deeper understanding of interoception may pave the way for innovative, science-based, and data-driven strategies to strengthen mind-body awareness, improve disease prevention, and enhance resilience against environmental and lifestyle-related health challenges as well as providing mechanistic insight into the processes of maintaining homeostasis. Moreover, interoception research holds growing potential for understanding and treating other complex diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, autism, chronic pain, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other psychiatric disorders, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), fibromyalgia, and cardiovascular diseases.

Significant advancements in interoception research have the potential to transform health care by shifting from reactive treatment to proactive self-awareness, self-regulation, and preventative strategies that empower individuals to take charge of their health. With deeper insights into interoception, we can build a healthier, more resilient society, where people are equipped with the tools to improve their well-being, reduce disease risk, and enhance overall quality of life.

Recent Progress in Interoception Research

Although interoception has been explored for more than 150 years, recent efforts led by the NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience Research have revitalized the field, marking a new era of scientific inquiry and discovery. In April 2019, the Blueprint Interoception Program organized and supported the inaugural NIH workshop, which laid the groundwork for focused interoception research. Subsequently, the 2020 Blueprint Request for Applications (RFA), dedicated over $18 million to fund seven R01 grant awards aimed at mapping neural circuits of interoception in mammalian models. A special issue on Interoception published in Trends in Neuroscience at the end of 2020, originating from the inaugural workshop, highlights challenges and opportunities in this area. 

The Blueprint Interoception Program has also generated strong interest across various NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices (ICs), including the National Cancer Institute (NCI); National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI); National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK); and the Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH). Several ICs, including the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), NCCIH, and NCI, have incorporated interoception-related research into their funding opportunities. Additionally, interoception research has gained support from the NIH Common Fund through the Pioneer Awards, Transformative R01 Awards, and New Innovator Awards, as well as through initiatives like the Brain Research Through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies® (BRAIN) Initiative and the Helping to End Addiction Long-term® (HEAL) Initiative. The Trans-NIH Interoception Research Working Group has further reinforced this progress through a Notice of Special Interest to support broad interest in interoception research across many NIH ICs.

Since 2022, the Blueprint Interoception Program has successfully organized three annual NIH investigator meetings, attracting substantial participation and highlighting the latest research in interoception. These meetings have been instrumental in fostering community engagement and providing platforms for emerging scientists to present their research and collaborate with experts in the field.

Key Challenges in Advancing Interoception Research

Despite the achievements, discussions at the NIH investigator meetings have highlighted several key barriers that must be addressed to further advance interoception research. Two are described below:

• Community Building – There is a need for an organized an investigator-initiated research community that integrates the wide array of biomedical disciplines involved in interoception research. While the Blueprint interoception workshop and investigator meetings have been instrumental in convening researchers, a sustained and structured platform for ongoing scientific exchange and collaboration is needed to support long-term progress.
• Coordination Across NIH ICs – The growing interest in interoception research across multiple NIH ICs, including both Blueprint and non-Blueprint ICs, presents an administrative challenge. Leveraging this widespread enthusiasm requires better coordination to align research priorities and funding opportunities, ensuring an integrated approach to interoception research within NIH.

Objectives, Requirements, and Scope

To address and overcome the barriers described above and foster interdisciplinary collaboration, this NOFO will support one proposed BPCCIR to accomplish the following objectives with the five required components:

1. Governance Body: Establish and maintain a multidisciplinary team of interoception researchers to guide BPCCIR activities, ensuring academic freedom and fostering innovative approaches. 
   • A governing board, chaired by the program director/principal investigators PD/PI(s), is required and must consist of a select group of multidisciplinary interoception researchers with established research and mentoring records as well as assigned NIH scientific and program staff as part of the official board members with voting rights as appropriate. It should consist of a group of 5 to 7 established investigators with broad scientific interests in basic, pre-clinical, and clinical research, and prior multidisciplinary training affiliations with clear organizational structure to facilitate transparent decision-making processes and operational efficiency.
   • The governing board will be responsible for: 
     • Assigning working group members;
     • Establishing a network of interoception researchers;
     • Developing objective criteria, key performance indicators (KPIs), and feedback mechanisms to measure BPCCIR success and impact as well as assess effectiveness and improvement strategies to ensure all NOFO objectives are completed in alignment with project milestones; and
     • Setting up a sustainability plan for long-term funding, institutional support, and/or community buy-in.
   • A description of the governing board must be included in the grant application; however, board members should not be named but rather only the specific expertise the board would be comprised of to prevent the creation of additional conflicts of interest in peer review. The application should describe how the PD/PI(s) proposes to achieve the composition of the governing boarding, as well as how the governing board will provide oversight and guidance within the BPCCIR. Following notice of award (NOA) issuance, NIH program staff must approve the composition of the governing board, including the individuals’ names, expertise, current affiliation, and prior training affiliations, as well as their roles and responsibilities and other relevant information.
2. Investigator Meeting(s): Plan, organize, and host at least one scientific meeting per year, involving NIH-funded interoception researchers, trainees, and other stakeholders, to enhance collaboration and knowledge sharing.
   • A required element of this notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) is the planning, organizing, and hosting of at least one investigator meeting that includes NIH-funded interoception researchers, at the minimum, once a year. Additional conferences, workshops, symposia, interest group meetings, and collaborative matching -activities are also highly encouraged if feasible.
   • The PD/PI(s), along with the governing board, will organize this meeting at least annually. A structured process for identifying themes, speakers, and key discussion topics that are on interoception research and are aligned with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), NIH, and NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience missions and priorities in biomedical research, brain-body interactions, and interoception-related health outcomes (e.g., mental health, chronic diseases, child health, pain management, and responses to environmental toxins) should be clearly described.
   • Relevant NIH ICs, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and other appropriate Federal agencies should be engaged for strategic input.
   • The objectives of the investigator meetings should be:
     1. Prioritize interdisciplinary approaches that bridge neuroscience, physiology, psychology, and clinical applications;
     2. Highlight innovative technologies and novel insights and theories in interoception research; and
     3. Encourage the translation of cutting-edge findings and technologies in fundamental science into clinical applications for the diagnosis and treatment of chronic diseases and mental health, particularly during childhood development, and/or through non-pharmacological approaches. . 
   • The BPCCIR should encourage all NIH-funded interoception investigators and trainees to attend the investigator meeting. The BPCCIR should also incorporate a mechanism to support the participation of NIH-funded early-career interoception researchers and trainees at the investigator meeting.
   • A plan for meeting evaluation and impact assessment must be included.
3.  Major coordination center publications to identify challenges and opportunities, common terminology, data standards, common data elements (CDEs), emerging technologies and methodologies, and data repository and retrieval resources for interoception research and to ensure reproducibility and rigor. A plan to support the requisite publications from BPCCIR is required.
   • A plan to support the requisite publications from BPCCIR is required. 
   • The requisite publication topics must include, at the minimum, the following areas:
     1. Challenges and opportunities in interoception research;
     2. Common terminologies, data standards, and CDEs to support interoception research, preferably enabling future artificial intelligence (AI)-based data mining and analysis;
     3. Emerging and/or innovative technologies and methodologies to support the collections and translations of high-quality data in interoception research, for both animal model and human subject research; and
     4. A list of data repositories and databases suitable for interoception research, including animal model and human subject studies, and/or a plan to develop AI-enabled data repository (or repositories) and database(s) to support interoception research. 
4. Coordinating and networking activities to foster interactions, collaborations, community engagement, and information dissemination as well as to promote research safety and transparency.
   • A centralized communication hub, such as a dedicated website, forum, or platform to share updates, information about investigator meetings, research findings, training, funding opportunities, and other related opportunities or resources, is required. 
   • Additional dynamic communication and collaborative infrastructures, such as virtual collaboration tools as well as project and workflow management software, may be desired. 
   • A plan to engage academic, industry, and community stakeholders in research activities should be included to support the impact and sustainability of the interoception research community, focusing on long-term improvements in population health. Existing or potential public-facing resources, such as open-access publications, webinars, blogs, and newsletters to share findings with a broader audience, should be incorporated. 
5.  A clear and logistical plan with realistic milestones and timeline that explains how and when activities will occur within the coordinating center along with metrics of success.

Required Elements:

1. Applications must cover a wide range of brain and body organ systems as well as broad topics in disease and health outcomes.
2. Applications must include: 1) a description of a governing body/board; 2) plans for investigator meetings, with evaluations and impact assessments; 3) a plan to support the requisite publications; 4) a plan to build at least one centralized communication hub; and 5) a plan with milestones, timeline, and metrics of success.

Nonresponsive Criteria:

1. Applications missing any of the five required components described above will be deemed nonresponsive and will be withdrawn without review.
2. Applications that are specific to a particular disease topic or a narrowly focused set of disease topics will be nonresponsive.
3. Applications proposing to conduct traditional investigator-initiated and highly focused research projects (e.g., those best supported by the R01, R21, R34, R61/R33, P01 and other activity codes) on interoception will be deemed nonresponsive and withdrawn without review.

Potential applicants are encouraged to reach out to the Scientific Contacts listed in this NOFO at least 30 days prior to submission. 

See Section VIII. Other Information for award authorities and regulations.

Section II. Award Information

NIH grants policies as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement will apply to the applications submitted and awards made from this NOFO.

Section III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

Higher Education Institutions - Includes all types

• Public/State Controlled Institutions of Higher Education
• Private Institutions of Higher Education

Nonprofits Other Than Institutions of Higher Education

• Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institutions of Higher Education)
• Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institutions of Higher Education)

For-Profit Organizations

• Small Businesses
• For-Profit Organizations (Other than Small Businesses)

Local Governments

• State Governments
• County Governments
• City or Township Governments
• Special District Governments
• Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Federally Recognized)
• Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized)

Federal Governments

• Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government
• U.S. Territory or Possession

Other

• Independent School Districts
• Public Housing Authorities/Indian Housing Authorities
• Native American Tribal Organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
• Faith-based or Community-based Organizations
• Regional Organizations

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 Organizations

Applicant organizations must complete and maintain the following registrations as described in the How to Apply - Application Guide to be eligible to apply for or receive an award. All registrations must be completed prior to the application being submitted. Registration can take 6 weeks or more, so applicants should begin the registration process as soon as possible. Failure to complete registrations in advance of a due date is not a valid reason for a late submission, please reference NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 2.3.9.2 Electronically Submitted Applications for additional information

• System for Award Management (SAM) – Applicants must complete and maintain an active registration, which requires renewal at least annually. The renewal process may require as much time as the initial registration. SAM registration includes the assignment of a Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code for domestic organizations which have not already been assigned a CAGE Code.
  • NATO Commercial and Government Entity (NCAGE) Code – Foreign organizations must obtain an NCAGE code (in lieu of a CAGE code) in order to register in SAM.
  • Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) - A UEI is issued as part of the SAM.gov registration process. The same UEI must be used for all registrations, as well as on the grant application.
• eRA Commons - Once the unique organization identifier is established, organizations can register with eRA Commons in tandem with completing their Grants.gov registrations; all registrations must be in place by time of submission. eRA Commons requires organizations to identify at least one Signing Official (SO) and at least one Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) account in order to submit an application.
• Grants.gov – Applicants must have an active SAM registration in order to complete the Grants.gov registration.

Program Directors/Principal Investigators (PD(s)/PI(s))

All PD(s)/PI(s) must have an eRA Commons account.  PD(s)/PI(s) should work with their organizational officials to either create a new account or to affiliate their existing account with the applicant organization in eRA Commons. If the PD/PI is also the organizational Signing Official, they must have two distinct eRA Commons accounts, one for each role. Obtaining an eRA Commons account can take up to 2 weeks.

Any individual(s) with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research as the Program Director(s)/Principal Investigator(s) (PD(s)/PI(s)) is invited to work with their organization to develop an application for support. 

For institutions/organizations proposing multiple PDs/PIs, visit the Multiple Program Director/Principal Investigator Policy and submission details in the Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded) Component of the How to Apply - Application Guide.

2. Cost Sharing

This NOFO does not require cost sharing as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 1.2 Definition of Terms.

3. Additional Information on Eligibility

Number of Applications

Applicant organizations may submit more than one application, provided that each application is scientifically distinct.

The NIH will not accept duplicate or highly overlapping applications under review at the same time, per NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 2.3.7.4 Submission of Resubmission Application. This means that the NIH will not accept:

• A new (A0) application that is submitted before issuance of the summary statement from the review of an overlapping new (A0) or resubmission (A1) application.
• A resubmission (A1) application that is submitted before issuance of the summary statement from the review of the previous new (A0) application.
• An application that has substantial overlap with another application pending appeal of initial peer review (see NIH Grants Policy Statement 2.3.9.4 Similar, Essentially Identical, or Identical Applications).

Section IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Requesting an Application Package

The application forms package specific to this opportunity must be accessed through ASSIST, Grants.gov Workspace or an institutional system-to-system solution. Links to apply using ASSIST or Grants.gov Workspace are available in Part 1 of this NOFO. See your administrative office for instructions if you plan to use an institutional system-to-system solution.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

It is critical that applicants follow the instructions in the Research (R) Instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide except where instructed in this notice of funding opportunity to do otherwise. Conformance to the requirements in the How to Apply - Application Guide is required and strictly enforced. Applications that are out of compliance with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review.

Letter of Intent

Although a letter of intent is not required, is not binding, and does not enter into the review of a subsequent application, the information that it contains allows NIH reviewstaff to estimate the potential review workload and plan the review.

By the date listed in Part 1. Overview Information, prospective applicants are asked to submit a letter of intent that includes the following information:

• Descriptive title of proposed activity
• Name(s), address(es), and telephone number(s) of the PD(s)/PI(s)
• Names of other key personnel
• Participating institution(s)
• Number and title of this funding opportunity

The letter of intent should be sent to:

[email protected]. 

Page Limitations

All page limitations described in the How to Apply – Application Guide and the Table of Page Limits must be followed.

The following section supplements the instructions found in the How to Apply – Application Guide and should be used for preparing an application to this NOFO.

SF424(R&R) Cover

All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed.

SF424(R&R) Project/Performance Site Locations

All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed.

SF424(R&R) Other Project Information

All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed.

SF424(R&R) Senior/Key Person Profile

All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed.

R&R Budget

All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed.

R&R Subaward Budget

All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed.

PHS 398 Cover Page Supplement

All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed.

PHS 398 Research Plan

All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions:

The Specific Aims page clearly indicates the inclusion of the five required components as described in the Funding Opportunity Description.

The Research Strategy section should clearly describe the plans to achieve the five required components within the page limit.  

Resource Sharing Plan: Individuals are required to comply with the instructions for the Resource Sharing Plans as provided in the How to Apply - Application Guide.

Other Plan(s): 

All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions:

• All applicants planning research (funded or conducted in whole or in part by NIH) that results in the generation of scientific data are required to comply with the instructions for the Data Management and Sharing Plan. All applications, regardless of the amount of direct costs requested for any one year, must address a Data Management and Sharing Plan.

Appendix: Only limited Appendix materials are allowed. Follow all instructions for the Appendix as described in the How to Apply - Application Guide.

• No publications or other material, with the exception of blank questionnaires or blank surveys, may be included in the Appendix.

PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information

When involving human subjects research, clinical research, and/or NIH-defined clinical trials (and when applicable, clinical trials research experience) follow all instructions for the PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information form in the How to Apply - Application Guide, with the following additional instructions:

If you answered “Yes” to the question “Are Human Subjects Involved?” on the R&R Other Project Information form, you must include at least one human subjects study record using the Study Record: PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information form or Delayed Onset Study record.

Study Record: PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information

All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed.

Delayed Onset Study

Note: Delayed onset does NOT apply to a study that can be described but will not start immediately (i.e., delayed start). All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed.

PHS Assignment Request Form

All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed.

3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM)

See Part 2. Section III.1 for information regarding the requirement for obtaining a unique entity identifier and for completing and maintaining active registrations in System for Award Management (SAM), NATO Commercial and Government Entity (NCAGE) Code (if applicable), eRA Commons, and Grants.gov

4. Submission Dates and Times

Part I. contains information about Key Dates and times. Applicants are encouraged to submit applications before the due date to ensure they have time to make any application corrections that might be necessary for successful submission. When a submission date falls on a weekend or Federal holiday, the application deadline is automatically extended to the next business day.

Organizations must submit applications to Grants.gov (the online portal to find and apply for grants across all Federal agencies). Applicants must then complete the submission process by tracking the status of the application in the eRA Commons, NIH’s electronic system for grants administration. NIH and Grants.gov systems check the application against many of the application instructions upon submission. Errors must be corrected and a changed/corrected application must be submitted to Grants.gov on or before the application due date and time.  If a Changed/Corrected application is submitted after the deadline, the application will be considered late. Applications that miss the due date and time are subjected to the NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 2.3.9.2 Electronically Submitted Applications.

Applicants are responsible for viewing their application before the due date in the eRA Commons to ensure accurate and successful submission.

Information on the submission process and a definition of on-time submission are provided in the How to Apply – Application Guide.

5. Intergovernmental Review (E.O. 12372)

This initiative is not subject to intergovernmental review.

6. Funding Restrictions

All NIH awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and other considerations described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

Pre-award costs are allowable only as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 7.9.1 Selected Items of Cost.

7. Other Submission Requirements and Information

Applications must be submitted electronically following the instructions described in the How to Apply - Application Guide. Paper applications will not be accepted.

Applicants must complete all required registrations before the application due date. Section III. Eligibility Information contains information about registration.

For assistance with your electronic application or for more information on the electronic submission process, visit How to Apply – Application Guide. If you encounter a system issue beyond your control that threatens your ability to complete the submission process on-time, you must follow the Dealing with System Issues guidance. For assistance with application submission, contact the Application Submission Contacts in Section VII.

Important reminders:

All PD(s)/PI(s) must include their eRA Commons ID in the Credential field of the Senior/Key Person Profile form. Failure to register in the Commons and to include a valid PD/PI Commons ID in the credential field will prevent the successful submission of an electronic application to NIH. See Section III of this NOFO for information on registration requirements.

The applicant organization must ensure that the unique entity identifier provided on the application is the same identifier used in the organization’s profile in the eRA Commons and for the System for Award Management. Additional information may be found in the How to Apply - Application Guide.

See more tips for avoiding common errors.

Upon receipt, applications will be evaluated for completeness and compliance with application instructions by the Center for Scientific Review and responsiveness by components of participating organizations, NIH. Applications that are incomplete, non-compliant and/or nonresponsive will not be reviewed.

Recipients or subrecipients must submit any information related to violations of federal criminal law involving fraud, bribery, or gratuity violations potentially affecting the federal award. See Mandatory Disclosures, 2 CFR 200.113 and NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 4.1.35.

Send written disclosures to the NIH Chief Grants Management Officer listed on the Notice of Award for the IC that funded the award and to the HHS Office of Inspector Grant Self Disclosure Program at [email protected]. 

Post Submission Materials

Applicants are required to follow the instructions for post-submission materials, as described in the policy

Section V. Application Review Information

1. Criteria

Only the review criteria described below will be considered in the review process.  Applications submitted to the NIH in support of the NIH mission are evaluated for scientific and technical merit through the NIH peer review system.

For this particular NOFO, note the following:

The NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience Research Coordination Center for Interoception Research (BPCCIR), under this NOFO, prioritized several key issues to ensure the successful establishment and operation of the BPCCIR. Firstly, the multidisciplinary nature of the research team is crucial; applicants should demonstrate a strong team with broad expertise across various fields of interoception, encompassing both brain and body studies. Secondly, the effectiveness and innovation of the digital communication platforms proposed for fostering networking and collaboration should be rigorously assessed. These platforms should be user-friendly, widely accessible, and capable of facilitating seamless interaction and data sharing among researchers. Thirdly, the quality and feasibility of the plans to organize and host annual scientific meetings should be evaluated. Fourthly, the ability to identify and address key challenges and future opportunities in interoception research is essential. Applicants should present a clear vision for advancing the field, including the development of common terminology, data standards, and common data elements. Finally, the proposed metrics of success and sustainability plans should be thoroughly reviewed to ensure that the center can maintain its impact and relevance over time. This includes detailed plans for evaluating progress, securing ongoing funding, and adapting to the evolving needs of the interoception research community.

Reviewers will provide an overall impact score to reflect their assessment of the likelihood for the project to exert a sustained, powerful influence on the research field(s) involved, in consideration of the following review criteria and additional review criteria (as applicable for the project proposed).

Reviewers will consider each of the review criteria below in the determination of scientific merit and give a separate score for each. An application does not need to be strong in all categories to be judged likely to have major scientific impact. For example, a project that by its nature is not innovative may be essential to advance a field.

As applicable for the project proposed, reviewers will evaluate the following additional items while determining scientific and technical merit, and in providing an overall impact score, but will not give separate scores for these items.

As applicable for the project proposed, reviewers will consider each of the following items, but will not give scores for these items, and should not consider them in providing an overall impact score.

2. Review and Selection Process

Applications will be evaluated for scientific and technical merit by (an) appropriate Scientific Review Group(s) convened by the Center for Scientific Review, in accordance with NIH peer review policies and practices, using the stated review criteria. Assignment to a Scientific Review Group will be shown in the eRA Commons.

As part of the scientific peer review, all applications will receive a written critique.

Applications may undergo a selection process in which only those applications deemed to have the highest scientific and technical merit (generally the top half of applications under review) will be discussed and assigned an overall impact score.

Appeals of initial peer review will not be accepted for applications submitted in response to this NOFO.

Applications will be assigned to NCCIH as the primary administering IC. Applications will compete for available funds with all other recommended applications submitted in response to this NOFO. Following initial peer review, recommended applications will receive a second level of review by the appropriate national Advisory Council or Board. The following will be considered in making funding decision

• Scientific and technical merit of the proposed project as determined by scientific peer review.
• Availability of funds.
• Relevance of the proposed project to program priorities.

If the application is under consideration for funding, NIH will request "just-in-time" information from the applicant as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 2.5.1. Just-in-Time Procedures. This request is not a Notice of Award nor should it be construed to be an indicator of possible funding.

Prior to making an award, NIH reviews an applicant’s federal award history in SAM.gov to ensure sound business practices. An applicant can review and comment on any information in the Responsibility/Qualification records available in SAM.gov.  NIH will consider any comments by the applicant in the Responsibility/Qualification records in SAM.gov to ascertain the applicant’s integrity, business ethics, and performance record of managing Federal awards per 2 CFR Part 200.206 “Federal awarding agency review of risk posed by applicants.”  This provision will apply to all NIH grants and cooperative agreements except fellowships.

3. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates

After the peer review of the application is completed, the PD/PI will be able to access his or her Summary Statement (written critique) via the eRA Commons. Refer to Part 1 for dates for peer review, advisory council review, and earliest start date.

Information regarding the disposition of applications is available in the NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 2.4.4 Disposition of Applications.

Section VI. Award Administration Information

1. Award Notices

A Notice of Award (NoA) is the official authorizing document notifying the applicant that an award has been made and that funds may be requested from the designated HHS payment system or office. The NoA is signed by the Grants Management Officer and emailed to the recipient’s business official.

In accepting the award, the recipient agrees that any activities under the award are subject to all provisions currently in effect or implemented during the period of the award, other Department regulations and policies in effect at the time of the award, and applicable statutory provisions.

Recipients must comply with any funding restrictions described in Section IV.6. Funding Restrictions. Any pre-award costs incurred before receipt of the NoA are at the applicant's own risk.  For more information on the Notice of Award, please refer to the NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 5. The Notice of Award and NIH Grants & Funding website, see Award Process.

Institutional Review Board or Independent Ethics Committee Approval: Recipient institutions must ensure that protocols are reviewed by their IRB or IEC. To help ensure the safety of participants enrolled in NIH-funded studies, the recipient must provide NIH copies of documents related to all major changes in the status of ongoing protocols.

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

The following Federal wide and HHS-specific policy requirements apply to awards funded through NIH:

• The rules listed at 2 CFR Part 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards.
• All NIH grant and cooperative agreement awards include the NIH Grants Policy Statement as part of the terms and conditions in the Notice of Award (NoA). The NoA includes the requirements of this NOFO. For these terms of award, see the NIH Grants Policy Statement Part II: Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart A: General and Part II: Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart B: Terms and Conditions for Specific Types of Grants, Recipients, and Activities.

All federal statutes and regulations relevant to federal financial assistance, including those highlighted in NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 4 Public Policy Requirements, Objectives and Other Appropriation Mandates.

Recipients are responsible for ensuring that their activities comply with all applicable federal regulations.  NIH may terminate awards under certain circumstances.  See 2 CFR Part 200.340 Termination and NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 8.5.2 Remedies for Noncompliance or Enforcement Actions: Suspension, Termination, and Withholding of Support. 

Pursuant to the Cybersecurity Act of 2015, Div. N, § 405, Pub. Law 114-113, 6 USC § 1533(d), the HHS Secretary has established a common set of voluntary, consensus-based, and industry-led guidelines, best practices, methodologies, procedures, and processes.

Successful recipients under this NOFO agree that:

When recipients, subrecipients, or third-party entities have:

1. ongoing and consistent access to HHS owned or operated information or operational technology systems; and
2. receive, maintain, transmit, store, access, exchange, process, or utilize personal identifiable information (PII) or personal health information (PHI) obtained from the awarding HHS agency for the purposes of executing the award.

Recipients shall develop plans and procedures, modeled after the NIST Cybersecurity framework, to protect HHS systems and data. Please refer to NIH Post-Award Monitoring and Reporting for additional information. 

The following special terms of award are in addition to, and not in lieu of, otherwise applicable U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) administrative guidelines, HHS) grant administration regulations at 2 CFR Part 200, and other HHS, Public Health Service (PHS, and NIH grant administration policies.

The administrative and funding instrument used for this program will be the cooperative agreement, an "assistance" mechanism (rather than an "acquisition" mechanism), in which substantial NIH programmatic involvement with the recipients is anticipated during the performance of the activities. Under the cooperative agreement, the NIH purpose is to support and stimulate the recipients' activities by involvement in and otherwise working jointly with the recipients in a partnership role; it is not to assume direction, prime responsibility, or a dominant role in the activities. Consistent with this concept, the dominant role and prime responsibility resides with the recipients for the project as a whole, although specific tasks and activities may be shared among the recipients and NIH as defined below.

The PD(s)/PI(s) will have the primary responsibility for:

• Recipients will retain custody of and have primary rights to the data and software developed under these awards, subject to Government rights of access consistent with current HHS, PHS, and NIH policies.
• Designating investigators to serve as members on the governance board and other subcommittees or working groups, as appropriate.
• Organizing governance board meetings at least quarterly or more frequently in consultation with the NIH Program Staff.
• Agreeing to accept close coordination, cooperation, and management of the project with NIH, including those outlined below in the NIH Staff section. The PD(s)/PI(s) will be expected to maintain close communications with the NIH Project Scientist(s) or subject matter experts and, where appropriate, the Program Officer(s). The Project Scientist(s) and subject matter experts will have substantial scientific involvement that is above and beyond the normal stewardship role in awards.
• Cooperating in the reporting of the study progress and findings. Where warranted by appropriate participation, plans for joint publication with NIH of the results and conclusions are to be developed by the PD(s)/PI(s) or Governance Board, as applicable. NIH policies governing possible coauthorship of publications with NIH staff will apply in all cases. In general, to warrant coauthorship, NIH staff must have contributed to the following areas: (a) design of the concepts or experiments being tested; (b) performance of significant portions of the activity; and (c) preparation and authorship of pertinent manuscripts.
• Overseeing the overall budget, activities, and performance of the cooperative agreement.
• Sharing data, resources, and software as appropriate and consistent with achieving the goals of the program and the approved sharing policies for NIH.
• Planning, organizing, and hosting all investigator meetings in consultation with the NIH staff.

NIH staff have substantial programmatic involvement that is above and beyond the normal stewardship role in awards, as described below:

• NIH will review and approve the Governance Board members during the first few months of the first award year.
• NIH will assign a Project Scientist(s) or a subject matter expert(s) as the point of contact to work with the PD(s)/PI(s) and participate in the Governance Board as official members to ensure the objectives of the program are being met.  The assigned NIH scientific and program staff will serve as part of the official board members and will share one vote in support of the project. The primary responsibility for the program resides with the recipient, although specific tasks and activities will be shared among the recipient and the NIH Project Scientist(s) and/or Subject Matter Expert(s).
• NIH will assign a Program Officer(s) who will be responsible for retaining overall programmatic responsibility for the award and will clearly specify to the recipient the name(s) and role(s) of any additional individuals with substantial involvement in the project and the lines of reporting authority. The Program Officer(s) will approve the selections of Governance Board members, organizational structure, agendas for investigator meetings, and other required documents and publications.
• NIH will serve as a resource with respect to other ongoing NIH activities that may be relevant to the program to facilitate compatibility and avoid unnecessary duplication of effort.
• NIH staff will interact with the PD(s)/Pl(s) on a regular basis to monitor progress. Monitoring may include regular communication with the PD(s)/Pl(s) and his/her staff.
• NIH staff will provide input, expert advice, and suggestions in the design, development, and coordination and implementation of the program objectives.
• NIH reserves the right to suspend and/or terminate or curtail the award (or an individual component of the award) in the event of inadequate progress or data reporting.
• NIH staff will make recommendations for continued funding based on: a) overall study progress, including sufficient patient and/or data accrual; b) cooperation in carrying out the research (e.g., attendance at Governance Board meetings, implementation of group decisions, compliance with the terms of award and reporting requirements); and/or c) maintenance of a high quality of research, which will allow comparisons across multiple cooperative agreement awards.
• Additionally, an agency program official or Institute or Center (IC) program director will be responsible for the normal scientific and programmatic stewardship of the award and will be named in the award notice.

Areas of Joint Responsibility include:

• Establishing a Governance Board consisting of PD(s)/PI(s) and other scientists as deemed necessary, NIH Project Scientists/Subject Matter Experts, and additional designees of NIH for awards funded under this RFA to coordinate and manage collaborations among required activities post award and to promote harmonization activities and reduce duplication of efforts. The NIH Program Officer(s) will serve as ex officio member(s) of the Governance Board.
• Selecting a Governance Board Chair.  A Chair will be elected every 12 months from among the Governance Board members by the Board. An individual may continue serving as Chair for more than one year if all Board members agree. NIH staff cannot serve as Governance Board Chair.
• Organizing and participating in quarterly (or more) virtual Governance Board meetings as well as in-person investigators meetings.
• Ensuring that sites and investigators as well as NIH and other research partners fully comply with Federal regulatory requirements.

Dispute Resolution:

Any disagreements that may arise in scientific or programmatic matters (within the scope of the award) between recipients and NIH may be brought to Dispute Resolution. A Dispute Resolution Panel composed of three members will be convened: a designee of the Governance Board chosen without NIH staff voting, one NIH designee, and a third designee with expertise in the relevant area who is chosen by the other two; in the case of individual disagreement, the first member may be chosen by the individual recipient. This special dispute resolution procedure does not alter the recipient's right to appeal an adverse action that is otherwise appealable in accordance with PHS regulation 42 CFR Part 50, Subpart D and HHS regulation 45 CFR Part 16.

3. Data Management and Sharing

Consistent with the 2023 NIH Policy for Data Management and Sharing, when data management and sharing is applicable to the award, recipients will be required to adhere to the Data Management and Sharing requirements as outlined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement. Upon the approval of a Data Management and Sharing Plan, it is required for recipients to implement the plan as described.

4. Reporting

When multiple years are involved, recipients will be required to submit the Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR) annually and financial statements as required in the NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 8.4.1 Reporting. To learn more about post-award monitoring and reporting, see the NIH Grants & Funding website, see Post-Award Monitoring and Reporting.

A final RPPR, invention statement, and the expenditure data portion of the Federal Financial Report are required for closeout of an award, as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 8.6 Closeout. NIH NOFOs outline intended research goals and objectives. Post award, NIH will review and measure performance based on the details and outcomes that are shared within the RPPR, as described at 2 CFR Part 200.301.

Section VII. Agency Contacts

We encourage inquiries concerning this funding opportunity and welcome the opportunity to answer questions from potential applicants.

eRA Service Desk (Questions regarding ASSIST, eRA Commons, application errors and warnings, documenting system problems that threaten submission by the due date, and post-submission issues)

Finding Help Online: https://www.era.nih.gov/need-help (preferred method of contact)
Telephone: 301-402-7469 or 866-504-9552 (Toll Free)

General Grants Information (Questions regarding application instructions, application processes, and NIH grant resources)
Email: [email protected] (preferred method of contact)
Telephone: 301-480-7075

Grants.gov Customer Support (Questions regarding Grants.gov registration and Workspace)
Contact Center Telephone: 800-518-4726
Email: [email protected]

Wen G. Chen, M.MSc., Ph.D., National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)
Phone: 301-451-3989
Email: [email protected]

Melissa M Ghim, PhD
NIDCR - NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF DENTAL & CRANIOFACIAL RESEARCH
Phone: none
E-mail: [email protected]

Leslie Carol Osborne
NINDS - NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS AND STROKE
Phone: (301) 496-9964
E-mail: [email protected]

Elena K Gorodetsky, M.D., Ph.D.
ORWH - Office of Research on Women's Health
Phone: (301) 402-1770
E-mail: [email protected]

Robert Leoii Barry
NIBIB - NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF BIOMEDICAL IMAGING AND BIOENGINEERING
Phone: 301-827-5814
E-mail: [email protected]

Cheryl Wiggs
NEI - NATIONAL EYE INSTITUTE
Phone: (301) 402-0276
E-mail: [email protected]

Changhai Cui, PhD
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
Telephone: 301-443-1678
Email: [email protected]

Siavash Vaziri, Ph.D.
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Phone: 301-594-2924
Email: [email protected]

Coryse St. Hillaire-Clarke, Ph.D.
National Institute on Aging (NIA) 
Division of Neuroscience 
Phone: 301-827-6944
Email: [email protected]

Jonathan Hollander, PhD
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Telephone: 984-287-3269
Email: [email protected]

Examine your eRA Commons account for review assignment and contact information (information appears two weeks after the submission due date).

Debbie Chen
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)
Phone: 301-594-3788
Email: [email protected]

Gabriel Hidalgo, MBA
NIDCR - NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF DENTAL & CRANIOFACIAL RESEARCH
Phone: 301-827-4630
E-mail: [email protected]

Chief Grants Management Officer
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Email: [email protected]

Judy Fox
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
Telephone: 301-443-4704
Email: [email protected]

Kathleen Moy
National Institute on Aging (NIA) 
Phone: 301.827.2856
E-mail: [email protected]

Jenny Greer
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Telephone: 984-287-3332 or 919-892-4180
Email: [email protected]

Roland Colbert
NEI - NATIONAL EYE INSTITUTE
Phone: 301-451-4714
E-mail: [email protected]

Section VIII. Other Information

Recently issued trans-NIH policy notices may affect your application submission. A full list of policy notices published by NIH is provided in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts. All awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and other considerations described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

Awards are made under the authorization of Sections 301 and 405 of the Public Health Service Act as amended (42 USC 241 and 284) and under Federal Regulations 42 CFR Part 52 and 2 CFR Part 200.