BRAIN Initiative: Brain-Behavior Quantification and Synchronization Transformative and Integrative Models of Behavior at the Organismal Level (U01 Clinical Trials Not Allowed)

The BRAIN Initiative: Brain-Behavior Quantification and Synchronization – Transformative and Integrative Models of Behavior at the Organismal Level (U01 Clinical Trials Not Allowed) is a funding opportunity offered by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), specifically administered through the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), in collaboration with several other NIH Institutes and Centers. These include the 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 Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), and the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH). This initiative also supports co-funding from the Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR). The purpose of this funding opportunity is to support innovative research that uses non-human animal models to understand behavior as a dynamic and integrative system. Applicants are expected to form transdisciplinary teams to develop and apply cutting-edge tools for high-resolution, minimally invasive measurement of behavior in synchronization with data from the organism's environment. Additionally, researchers should propose new analytic and computational methods to integrate behavioral, neural, and environmental data and develop theoretical models to explain behavior dynamics. Funding supports research aiming to advance methods for capturing behavior across multiple dimensions and timescales. The scope includes development or adaptation of sensing technology, predictive or testable computational models (including AI/ML techniques), and integration of neural activity data. Only applications using non-human animal models are eligible under this NOFO; studies involving human subjects or data must apply to the companion opportunity RFA-DA-24-040. Eligibility is broad and includes higher education institutions, nonprofit and for-profit organizations, small businesses, government entities, public housing authorities, school districts, tribal entities, and foreign organizations. Applications must comply with all NIH registration and submission requirements. The program utilizes a cooperative agreement funding mechanism (U01), with up to $8 million available annually across this and the companion NOFO to fund up to ten awards per year. Applications must be submitted through approved NIH systems like ASSIST or Grants.gov Workspace. Applicants must submit letters of intent 30 days prior to the due date. The next due date for applications is October 9, 2024, with future cycles in 2025 and 2026. Awards will start as early as July of the following year. Applications are reviewed using NIH peer review criteria, with emphasis on significance, innovation, investigator qualifications, approach, and environment. The process includes both scientific peer review and council review before awards are made. Awardees are expected to share resources and participate in collaborative activities such as the BRAIN Initiative Conference. For questions, applicants can contact scientific representatives including Dr. Holly Moore (NIDA), Dr. Elizabeth Powell (NIAAA), Dr. Erin Burke Quinlan (NCCIH), and Dr. Martha C. Flanders (NEI). Peer review and financial contacts are also provided. Award terms include standard NIH policies, adherence to data and resource sharing expectations, and participation in cooperative activities under the BBQS Consortium.