Key Dates
None.
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
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 on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)
The Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies®(BRAIN) Initiative intends to promote a new initiative by publishing a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to solicit applications for research on the development and preclinical testing of novel sensors and bioelectronics that will improve our understanding of human and animal behavior as part of the Brain Behavior Quantification and Synchronization Program. This Notice is being provided to allow potential applicants sufficient time to develop meaningful collaborations and responsive projects.
The NOFO is expected to be published in Fall 2024, with an anticipated application receipt date in late Spring 2025.
This NOFO will utilize the U01 activity code. Details of the planned NOFO are provided below.
This Notice encourages investigators with expertise and insights into novel sensors and bioelectronics to consider applying for this new NOFO. Research teams should have multidisciplinary expertise, including but not limited to engineers, material scientists, computational neuroscientists, neurophysiologists, psychologists, behavioral experts/neuroethologists, psychiatrists, neurosurgeons, data scientists, and informatics experts.
In addition, novel sensors and bioelectronics will be next-generation with design at the micro- or nanoscale, and may include but are not limited to electrochemical, micromechanical, optical, fiber-optic, electromagnetic, radiation, temperature, inertial, acoustic and ultrasound modalities, remote sensing (Doppler radar, LiDAR etc.), and quantum systems.
Applicants to this NOFO should propose technologies or devices with superior performance and reliability to achieve real-time data acquisition of physiologic, physical, chemical, or electrical data. The proposed projects should demonstrate the potential to achieve as many of the following goals as possible. Applicants must address goals 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6:
GOALS (Required 1-6):
1. Next-generation and compactness in design, with the expectation that this will contribute to very low or zero power consumption. Proposed sensors/devices must not consume more power than current sensors/devices.
2. High reliability and repeatability in performance and accuracy of measurement beyond what has been previously demonstrated.
3. Sensor design with stability in battery power, and long-term performance greater than 48h, to be able to capture naturalistic behavior in real time from human or animal subjects.
4. Collection of data in real time.
5. Biocompatibility should be high and toxic effects of sensors (either noninvasive or invasive) to cells, tissues, and organisms are quantitatively low.
6. Demonstration of synchronization of the sensor(s) data with brain recordings, including surface or intracranial recordings.
7. Intracranial recordings to be included wherever possible within the research team.
8. Energy harvesting capability.
9. Combinations of multiple sensors or bioelectronics into a single compact design.
10. Devices that are easily produced and could be widely disseminated in the engineering and scientific community.
11. Development of computational models of behavior using all data, including sensor data.
Funding Information
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
Private Institution of Higher Education
Nonprofit with 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institution of Higher Education)
Small Business
For-Profit Organization (Other than Small Business)
State Government
Indian/Native American Tribal Government (Federally Recognized)
County governments
Independent school districts
Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities
Indian/Native American Tribally Designated Organization (Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
U.S. Territory or Possession
Indian/Native American Tribal Government (Other than Federally Recognized)
Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entity (Foreign Organization)
Regional Organization
Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government
Applications are not being solicited at this time.
Inquiries
Please direct all inquiries to:
Yvonne Bennett, Ph.D.
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Telephone: 301-222-7094
Email: yvonne.bennett@nih.gov
and Human Services (HHS)
