Federal · forecast · RFA-NS-28-005 · ALN 93.853, 93.372

Limited Competition: BRAIN Initiative: Promoting Health for All Through BRAIN Technology Partnerships

National Institutes of Health · HHS

Your odds: program 93.853

Mostly repeat grantees: only 4% of awards go to new applicants. Apply with a strong track record or a partner who has won before.

Based on 2,734 new awards in FY2023–25. Organizations under $1M in revenue won 1% of the awards that went to nonprofits. The median award is $460,625. Expect about 168 days between posting and deadline.

First-time winners
4%
of new 93.853 awards
Nonprofit share
15%
of awards
Median award
$461K
FY2025
New awards, FY2025
809
2,734 in 3 years
Typical window
168 d
usually posts Jun
Under-$1M orgs
1%
of nonprofit awards

Full history for 93.853 Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders: past winners, past rounds, where the money goes

Est. deadline
Jun 17, 2027
Expected awards
4
Posted
Sep 10, 2026
Cost sharing
Not required

About this grant

The Brain Research Through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies® (BRAIN) Initiative, a collaboration of Federal and non-Federal partners led by NIH, intends to publish a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to solicit applications to accelerate the scientific impact and broad research adoption of BRAIN Initiative-relevant neurotechologies at institutions with limited NIH Research Project Grant funding. This opportunity will enable the integration of these neurotechnologies into the research and/or training programs of investigators at institutions with limited NIH Research Project Grant funding, while expanding the dissemination of BRAIN-initiative technologies. It is expected that these awards will support two-way knowledge transfer between the investigator and the BRAIN disseminator to enable novel, sustained integration of the neurotechnology into broader research practice. Applications are not being solicited at this time. Notice is being provided to allow potential applicants sufficient time to develop meaningful collaborations and responsive projects. Investigators with expertise and insights into this area of neuroscience resource dissemination are encouraged to begin to consider applying for this new NOFO. In addition, collaborative investigations combining expertise in dissemination and training in new technologies at institutions with limited NIH Research Project Grant funding will be encouraged, and these investigators should also begin considering applying for this NOFO. This is a Forecast for a Limited Competition that will invite application(s) from eligible organization(s) to apply. Please see Eligibility Section for additional information. In accordance with NIH standard peer-review processes, the application(s) will be peer-reviewed, and only meritorious application(s) will be considered for funding.

Who can apply

Special district governmentsIndependent school districtsPublic & Indian housing authoritiesPublic & state-controlled collegesNative American tribal organizationsFor-profit organizationsCity or township governmentsFederally recognized tribal governments501(c)(3) nonprofitsOthers (see eligibility text)Private colleges & universitiesCounty governmentsState governmentsNonprofits without 501(c)(3) statusSmall businesses

Other Eligible ApplicantsIndian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized);Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government;U.S. Territory or Possession;Faith-based or Community-based Organizations;Regional Organizations;Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions). This funding opportunity announcement is limited to institutions of higher education that:1) award undergraduate (B.S. or B.A.) and/or graduate degrees in biomedical sciences; and2) at the time of the application, have received no more than $7.5 million dollars per year (total costs) from NIH Research Project Grants (RPGs) in four of the last seven preceding fiscal years, calculated using NIH RePORTER

What it funds

How to apply

Read the full announcement on Grants.gov before you start. Federal applications are submitted through Grants.gov (or the agency's own system) and require a Unique Entity ID from SAM.gov. Registration can take several weeks, so start early. Contact: The BRAIN Initiative Dissemination Programs · BRAIN_Dissemination@mail.nih.gov · Please contact via e-mail.

View on Grants.gov

What are the odds for a first-time applicant?

Mostly repeat grantees: only 4% of awards go to new applicants. Apply with a strong track record or a partner who has won before. Based on 2,734 new awards in FY2023–25. Organizations under $1M in revenue won 1% of the awards that went to nonprofits. The median award is $460,625. Expect about 168 days between posting and deadline.

Who can apply for Limited Competition: BRAIN Initiative: Promoting Health for All Through BRAIN Technology Partnerships?

Eligible applicants: Special district governments; Independent school districts; Public & Indian housing authorities; Public & state-controlled colleges; Native American tribal organizations; For-profit organizations; City or township governments; Federally recognized tribal governments; 501(c)(3) nonprofits; Others (see eligibility text); Private colleges & universities; County governments; State governments; Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status; Small businesses. Other Eligible ApplicantsIndian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized);Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government;U.S. Territory or Possession;Faith-based or Community-based Organizations;Regional Organizations;Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions). This funding opportunity announcement is limited to institutions of higher education that:1) award un

When is the deadline?

Applications are due Jun 17, 2027. Always confirm the time and time zone in the official announcement.

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