The National Institutes of Health has issued a notice of intent for a forthcoming funding opportunity titled "BRAIN Initiative Connectivity across Scales (BRAIN CONNECTS): Specialized Projects for Scalable Technologies (U01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)." This notice, coded NOT-NS-24-130, signals the reissuance of a previous Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), RFA-NS-22-049. The intent behind this advance notice is to give prospective applicants adequate time to form meaningful collaborations and prepare well-developed, responsive applications. It belongs to the discretionary category of funding opportunities and will be issued under a cooperative agreement funding instrument.

The BRAIN Initiative is an ambitious research effort aimed at revolutionizing our understanding of the human brain through the development of innovative neurotechnologies. The upcoming funding opportunity will emphasize specialized projects that advance scalable technologies capable of mapping brain connectivity across different spatial and temporal scales. These projects are expected to play a crucial role in advancing the initiative's goals by enabling comprehensive, multi-scale investigations of brain architecture and function.

The opportunity will not allow clinical trials, consistent with its focus on technology development and research rather than therapeutic interventions. The NIH anticipates the new NOFO to be published in March 2025, with an estimated application due date in June 2025. Award notices and project start dates are expected to follow in March 2026. Specific funding amounts and the number of expected awards have not yet been disclosed.

The forecasted opportunity will support a broad range of applicant organizations. These include state and local governments, educational institutions, tribal organizations, nonprofit and for-profit organizations, and independent school districts. The inclusive eligibility list suggests NIH’s intention to draw from a diverse range of institutional expertise.

Submission details including required forms, documents, and procedural guidelines are not yet available, as the formal NOFO is pending. However, interested parties are encouraged to begin forming collaborations and preparing preliminary concepts that align with the goals of the BRAIN Initiative.

Evaluation criteria and detailed application questions will be disclosed once the NOFO is officially published. Until then, potential applicants should monitor updates and prepare by reviewing the previously issued NOFO, RFA-NS-22-049, for reference.