Since the BRAIN Initiative's launch in 2013, FAS Research Development has disseminated information via this newsletter about all of the funding opportunities related to the initiative. We send this newsletter to a targeted list of faculty, including faculty affiliates of the Center for Brain Science (CBS) and the Mind Brain Behavior (MBB) Interfaculty Initiative. This project is being carried out in collaboration with the Center for Brain Science. Please feel free to forward this newsletter to interested colleagues. All Harvard University faculty and administrators may subscribe here, and recipients may unsubscribe at any time. In addition, you may access the Science Division Funding Spotlight here. Harvard affiliates also have access to Pivot, a funding opportunity database, and Harvard Link, a system developed by the Office of the Vice Provost for Advances in Learning (VPAL) to provide personalized suggestions on research funding opportunities. For an archive of past newsletters, or for information about additional Research Development support (finding funding, proposal development resources, etc.), please visit the Research Development website.
A Note from the Research Development Team: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our team will be working remotely. We are available to provide assistance via email, phone, or Zoom conferencing. As circumstances are evolving quickly, please also refer to our FAS RAS website and the OSP website for information about submitting proposals and managing your awards.
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Sponsor Deadline for Letters of Intent (requested): 30 days in advance of the full proposal deadline
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline: 5 business days prior to submission
Sponsor Deadlines for Full Proposals: February 11, 2021; October 19, 2021
Award Information: Application budgets are not limited. The maximum project period is 3 years. NIH intends to commit an estimated total of $10M per year to fund 4 to 6 awards.
This FOA from the NIH Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative is intended to support the development of technologies, production efforts, and dissemination resources for a cell type-specific armamentarium to study brain function across species. The goal is to promote evaluation of molecular or genetic technologies and creation of pilot production and distribution resources for cell type-specific access and manipulation reagents for several vertebrate species, including in human ex vivo tissues or cells. Demonstration projects are sought that would develop reagents that: (1) enable access to molecularly defined neural cell types in a complex brain region or significant brain network of a vertebrate; (2) are easily produced, disseminated, utilized, and stored; and (3) are catalogued for users in a brain atlas. In addition to the above required features, reagents are also sought that exhibit the following qualities: (4) are applicable to both genetically tractable and less tractable vertebrate organisms; (5) exhibit high specificity and efficiency of targeting; (6) show low toxic or perturbative effects; (7) provide flexibility to deliver various reporter, sensor, and effector payloads and are compatible with other methods of access to brain cell types; and (8) are potentially usable in human ex vivo brain tissue or cells. The pilot projects should be scalable in the future. The long-term goal of a potentially scaled-up effort is to achieve near comprehensive, molecular access for monitoring and manipulation reagents in each defined cell type of vertebrate brains relevant to neuroscience research.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to consult the Scientific/Research Contact listed in the RFA to discuss the alignment of their proposed work with the FOA goals. A Technical Assistance teleconference will be held for potential applicants on Tuesday, November 17, 2020, from 1:00-2:00 ET. NIH staff will be available to answer questions related to this FOA. To obtain call-in information, please contact by email the Scientific/Research Contact at least 24 hours prior to the call and specify the RFA number in the subject line or in the body of the email.
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Questions about this newsletter or proposal submission may be directed to:
Jennifer Corby
Research Development Officer
To see previous BRAIN Initiative Funding Newsletters, please visit our email archive.
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