RFA-NS-22-026: BRAIN Initiative: Targeted BRAIN Circuits Projects – Targeted BCP (R01
Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
Description: This FOA solicits applications for research projects that seek to understand how
circuit activity gives rise to mental experience and behavior using innovative, methodologically-
integrated approaches. The goal is to support adventurous projects that can realize a potentially
transformative outcome within 5 years. Applications are expected to address circuit function in the
context of specific behaviors or neural systems, such as sensation, perception, attention,
reasoning, intention, decision-making, emotion, navigation, communication, or homeostasis. Projects
should link theory, data analysis, and/or computational approaches to experimental design and
should produce predictive models (conceptual or quantitative).
Projects should aim to improve the understanding of circuits of the central nervous system by
systematically controlling stimuli and/or behavior while actively recording and/or manipulating
dynamic patterns of neural activity. Diverse species or experimental systems and a cross-
species/comparative approach are welcome and should be chosen based on their power to address the
specific question at hand and to reveal generalizable and fundamental neuroscience principles.
Targeted BRAIN Circuit Project R01 awards will support an individual laboratory or a small
multi-PD/PI team. Projects should reflect the NIH BRAIN Initiative interests of the application of
cutting-edge methodologies to understand central nervous system circuit function and
dynamics at cellular and sub-second levels of resolution in ethologically relevant behaviors of an
organism or a well-defined neural system. Applications should offer specific, feasible, and
potentially transformative research goals as endpoints within a 5-year term
Representative topics include: Innovative approaches to understand network coding of sensory
information and/or multi-sensory integration, at multiple stages of processing, in response to
naturalistic inputs and perceptual contexts.
Letter of Intent due date(s) 30 days prior to the application due date
Application due dates: June 1, 2022; July 1, 2022; October 6, 2022; June 30, 2023; October 4,
2023; June 28, 2024; October 2, 2024
Maximum project period: 5 years
Funding amount: the BRAIN Initiative intends to commit up to an estimated total of $15 M per year
to fund 20 awards.
Information: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-NS-22-026.html