BRAIN Initiative: Integrative Team-Research BRAIN Circuits Program - iTeamBCP (RM1 Clinical Trial Optional)

The National Institutes of Health (NIH), through the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) in collaboration with several other NIH Institutes and Centers, has announced a forecasted funding opportunity titled BRAIN Initiative: Integrative Team-Research BRAIN Circuits Program - iTeamBCP (RM1 Clinical Trial Optional). This program falls under the BRAIN Initiative, which was created to advance fundamental understanding of the human brain and accelerate the development of new tools and approaches in neuroscience. The initiative supports research that can bridge multiple levels of analysis to discover general principles about how the central nervous system functions. The iTeamBCP is designed to support large-scale, interdisciplinary teams that bring together expertise in neuroscience, computation, engineering, and related fields. The purpose of this program is to stimulate integrative team science approaches to study how the nervous system, from cellular components to entire circuits, produces mental experience and behavior. Applicants are required to form teams consisting of three to six project directors or principal investigators, each contributing distinct and complementary expertise. Applications must connect three essential levels of analysis: large-scale data on circuit components such as cell types and connectivity, in vivo central nervous system recordings at fine temporal resolution, and tractable behavioral analyses of organisms or well-defined neural systems. Proposals may also include the development of innovative tools or methods to overcome existing research barriers, provided that such development directly supports integrative circuit-level neuroscience. Funding will be awarded in the form of RM1 research project grants. While the notice does not yet provide specific funding amounts or program funding totals, it emphasizes that the awards will support ambitious, interdisciplinary team projects. The estimated award date is April 1, 2027, with funded projects expected to begin on the same date. The opportunity does not require cost sharing or matching contributions from applicants. However, applicants are encouraged to carefully develop collaborations that reflect the program’s scope and objectives. This opportunity is open to a wide range of eligible organizations. These include state governments, county and city governments, special district governments, public housing authorities, independent school districts, Native American tribal governments (federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (non-federally recognized), public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status, for-profit organizations (including small businesses), as well as U.S. territories and possessions, federal agencies, foreign institutions, and faith-based or community-based organizations. This wide eligibility framework reflects NIH’s intent to attract interdisciplinary teams with diverse perspectives and capabilities. The anticipated timeline begins with an estimated posting of the official funding announcement on February 4, 2026. Applications will be due June 16, 2026, with an award announcement scheduled for April 1, 2027. Projects will also commence on April 1, 2027. As this is a forecasted opportunity, applications cannot be submitted at this time. Instead, the NIH is providing early notice so that teams may form collaborations and develop proposals aligned with the program’s scope. This opportunity is expected to recur as part of NIH’s ongoing BRAIN Initiative funding efforts. Applicants with questions may contact the NIH directly. The listed grantor contact is Karen K. David, PhD, who can be reached by phone at 240-328-3447 or by email at BRAINCircuits@NIH.GOV. Potential applicants are strongly encouraged to reach out during the preparation phase to clarify eligibility, scope, and application expectations. This forecasted notice provides a strategic opportunity for institutions and investigators to prepare strong, collaborative applications for submission when the notice of funding opportunity is formally released.