Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA NS 19 002
The BRAIN Initiative: Team-Research BRAIN Circuit Programs (TeamBCP) funding opportunity (RFA-NS-19-002) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) cooperative agreement (U19) designed to support large, integrated, interdisciplinary research programs that investigate how neural circuits give rise to behavior. The emphasis is on team science: multi-component projects that bring together complementary expertise and advanced technologies to produce substantial, meaningful outcomes on a roughly five-year timeline, with the possibility of one competing renewal. The opportunity is framed around understanding core, overarching principles of circuit function, but applicants are expected to ground those principles in specific neural systems tied to major domains of behavior and brain function, such as sensation and perception, emotion and motivation, cognition and decision-making, motor control, communication, and homeostatic regulation.
A central expectation is that projects will use theory- or model-driven experimental design rather than purely exploratory work. Applicants are asked to articulate the theoretical constructs guiding the research and to generate predictive models as concrete deliverables, meaning the work should culminate in models that can make testable predictions about circuit dynamics and behavior. The FOA encourages quantitative and mechanistic modeling approaches where they fit the scientific question, reflecting a strong preference for tight coupling between computational/theoretical frameworks and experimental validation. In practical terms, teams are expected to systematically control stimuli and/or behavior while actively recording and/or manipulating dynamic neural activity patterns, and then measure resulting behavioral or perceptual outcomes. This implies integrated pipelines that connect experimental control, neural measurement and perturbation, and behavioral readouts in ways that allow causal inference about circuit function.
The program is also structured to push the field toward shared and improving infrastructure for data and analysis. Awardees must manage their data and analysis methods within a prototype framework that will be developed and used within the proposed U19 project, and then exchanged with other U19 teams so that the framework can be refined and further developed across the community of awardees. This requirement signals that beyond producing scientific findings, applicants should plan for rigorous, organized, and transferable data/analysis practices, including workflows that can be shared and iterated collaboratively among funded programs.
In terms of scientific scope, the FOA allows a wide range of model systems and explicitly permits using multiple species, from invertebrates through humans, as long as choices are clearly justified by the circuit questions and behavioral phenomena being targeted. This flexibility supports cross-species strategies that can link mechanistic circuit dissection in tractable systems to translational or human-relevant insights where appropriate. Because this is a U19 cooperative agreement and the title specifies "Clinical Trial Required," applicants should also be prepared for an active partnership model with NIH program staff and for meeting the specific expectations that accompany clinical trial involvement when applicable to the proposed research.
Eligible applicants are broad and include many types of domestic organizations and institutions, such as state, county, and local governments; public and private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; independent school districts; special district governments; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations (with or without 501(c)(3) status); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); and small businesses, with additional eligibility details referenced in the full announcement. The sponsoring agency is the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through NIH, and the opportunity is associated with multiple CFDA program numbers (93.173, 93.213, 93.242, 93.273, 93.279, 93.286, 93.313, 93.853, 93.865, 93.866, 93.867), reflecting the multi-institute, multi-program nature often seen in BRAIN Initiative efforts. The FOA anticipated making about five awards. The award ceiling is listed as 0, which typically indicates that a fixed cap is not specified in the summary and that budgets should instead be justified and scaled to the needs of a multi-component, interdisciplinary program.
Budgeting and team composition are expected to match the ambition of a coordinated program rather than a single-lab project. Applications should propose multi-component teams that cross disciplinary boundaries and integrate expertise from areas like neurobiology, statistics, physics, mathematics, engineering, computer science, and data science, as appropriate for the scientific aims and technical approach. Overall, the opportunity is aimed at research programs that combine cutting-edge tools, rigorous experimental control, and strong theoretical grounding to explain how CNS circuits operate dynamically to generate behavior, while also producing transferable models and sharable data/analysis frameworks that can accelerate progress across the broader neuroscience community.Apply for RFA NS 19 002
- The Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health in the education, health, income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BRAIN Initiative: Team-Research BRAIN Circuit Programs - TeamBCP (U19 Clinical Trial Required)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.173, 93.213, 93.242, 93.273, 93.279, 93.286, 93.313, 93.853, 93.865, 93.866, 93.867.
- This funding opportunity was created on Aug 29, 2018.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Oct 30, 2020. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 5 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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FAQs: BRAIN Initiative Team-Research BRAIN Circuit Programs (TeamBCP) (RFA-NS-19-002)
What is this funding opportunity?
This opportunity is the BRAIN Initiative: Team-Research BRAIN Circuit Programs (TeamBCP) funding opportunity announcement (FOA) RFA-NS-19-002. It is an NIH cooperative agreement using the U19 activity code to support large, integrated, interdisciplinary research programs focused on how neural circuits give rise to behavior.
Which agency sponsors this FOA?
The sponsoring agency is the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
What is the award mechanism and what does it imply?
The mechanism is a U19 cooperative agreement. A cooperative agreement generally implies substantial NIH involvement compared with a standard research grant, including an active partnership model with NIH program staff during the project.
What is the main scientific goal of TeamBCP?
The central goal is to investigate how neural circuits generate behavior, with an emphasis on identifying core, overarching principles of circuit function grounded in specific neural systems and behavioral domains.
What kinds of behavioral or brain function domains are in scope?
The FOA highlights major domains of behavior and brain function including sensation and perception, emotion and motivation, cognition and decision-making, motor control, communication, and homeostatic regulation.
Is this opportunity intended for single-lab projects?
No. The FOA emphasizes team science and supports multi-component projects designed as large, integrated, interdisciplinary programs rather than single-laboratory efforts.
How long is the expected project timeline?
The FOA describes a roughly five-year timeline for producing substantial, meaningful outcomes.
Is renewal possible?
Yes. The opportunity notes the possibility of one competing renewal.
What does the FOA mean by "theory- or model-driven" experimental design?
The FOA expects applicants to base experiments on explicit theoretical constructs rather than purely exploratory work. Teams are asked to articulate the theoretical ideas guiding the research and to use those ideas to drive experimental design and interpretation.
Are predictive models required as deliverables?
Yes. A key expectation is that teams will generate predictive models as concrete deliverables, meaning models that culminate in testable predictions about circuit dynamics and behavior.
Does the FOA encourage computational or mechanistic modeling?
Yes. The FOA encourages quantitative and mechanistic modeling approaches when they fit the scientific question and shows a strong preference for tight coupling between computational/theoretical frameworks and experimental validation.
What kinds of experimental approaches does the FOA emphasize?
The FOA emphasizes systematically controlling stimuli and/or behavior while actively recording and/or manipulating dynamic neural activity patterns, followed by measurement of behavioral or perceptual outcomes. This reflects an expectation of integrated pipelines linking experimental control, neural measurement/perturbation, and behavioral readouts to support causal inference about circuit function.
What are the expectations around data and analysis infrastructure?
A central program expectation is that awardees will manage their data and analysis methods within a prototype framework developed and used within the proposed U19 project. That framework is then expected to be exchanged with other U19 teams so it can be refined and further developed across the community of awardees.
Does this FOA require sharing workflows or analysis practices with other awardees?
Yes. The FOA explicitly calls for a prototype data/analysis framework that will be exchanged with other U19 teams, supporting transferable and collaboratively improved workflows and practices among funded programs.
Are multiple species allowed, including humans?
Yes. The FOA allows a wide range of model systems and explicitly permits multiple species from invertebrates through humans, as long as the species choices are clearly justified by the circuit questions and behavioral phenomena being studied.
Is cross-species work encouraged or allowed?
The FOA supports flexibility that can enable cross-species strategies, such as linking mechanistic circuit investigations in tractable systems to translational or human-relevant insights when appropriate to the aims.
Is this a clinical trial opportunity?
The FOA title specifies "Clinical Trial Required." Applicants should be prepared to meet expectations that accompany clinical trial involvement when applicable to the proposed research.
What does "Clinical Trial Required" mean for applicants?
Based on the information provided, it signals that applicants should be prepared for clinical trial-related expectations as applicable to the proposed work, alongside the cooperative agreement partnership model with NIH staff.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad and includes many types of domestic organizations and institutions, including state, county, and local governments; public and private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; independent school districts; special district governments; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations (with or without 501(c)(3) status); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); and small businesses. Additional eligibility details are referenced in the full announcement.
Are for-profit organizations eligible?
Yes. For-profit organizations (other than small businesses) are listed as eligible, and small businesses are also listed as eligible.
How many awards does NIH expect to make?
The FOA anticipated making about five awards.
Is there a maximum funding amount (award ceiling)?
The award ceiling is listed as 0. In the summary context provided, this typically indicates that a fixed cap is not specified and that budgets should be justified and scaled to the needs of a multi-component, interdisciplinary program.
How should applicants think about budgeting for this program?
Budgeting is expected to match the ambition of a coordinated, multi-component program rather than a single-lab project. The summary indicates budgets should be justified based on program needs, consistent with the absence of a fixed ceiling in the listing.
What kind of team composition is the FOA looking for?
The FOA emphasizes multi-component teams that cross disciplinary boundaries and integrate complementary expertise. It specifically mentions areas such as neurobiology, statistics, physics, mathematics, engineering, computer science, and data science, as appropriate to the scientific aims and technical approach.
What outcomes is TeamBCP trying to produce beyond scientific findings?
In addition to advancing understanding of dynamic CNS circuit function and behavior, the FOA emphasizes producing transferable predictive models and sharable data/analysis frameworks that can be exchanged and iteratively improved across the community of funded programs.
What CFDA program numbers are associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is associated with multiple CFDA program numbers: 93.173, 93.213, 93.242, 93.273, 93.279, 93.286, 93.313, 93.853, 93.865, 93.866, 93.867. This reflects a multi-institute, multi-program BRAIN Initiative structure.
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