Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA NS 22 048
The BRAIN Initiative Connectivity across Scales (BRAIN CONNECTS): Comprehensive Centers for Mouse Brain (UM1 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) funding opportunity (RFA-NS-22-048) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) cooperative agreement designed to build large, integrated research centers focused on creating next-generation methods for mapping how the mouse brain is wired. The central aim is not simply to generate more data, but to develop and validate end-to-end technologies and workflows that can realistically scale up to brain-wide connectivity atlases. In practical terms, NIH is looking for centers that can prove they can map neuron-to-neuron connections at very fine detail, reaching at least synaptic-level resolution, while also demonstrating that the approach can be expanded beyond a small pilot region toward comprehensive, whole-brain applications.
A major emphasis of this FOA is building complete pipelines that cover data collection, data processing and analysis, and data sharing in a way that the broader neuroscience community can use. Applicants are expected to establish robust, repeatable workflows that show feasibility and quality at scale, rather than one-off demonstrations. The centers should be able to acquire connectivity data from mouse brain tissue, process and analyze it to extract cell-to-cell wiring information, and disseminate those results along with the associated tools, standards, and documentation needed for other researchers to interpret and reuse the outputs. Because this is a cooperative agreement (UM1), awardees should expect substantial coordination with NIH program staff and active participation in broader network activities, milestones, and shared objectives.
While the long-term vision is brain-wide wiring diagrams, the FOA also requires each center to demonstrate scientific value in a concrete way by focusing on a specific central nervous system (CNS) sub-volume. Within that selected brain region, centers are expected to test explicit hypotheses linking circuit structure to circuit function. That requirement is important: the program is not only about producing maps, but about showing that these maps can answer meaningful neuroscience questions, and that the technological approach generates insights that justify scaling it up.
Another key piece is interoperability and integration across scales and modalities. These centers are expected to include toolsets and infrastructure that can combine connectivity data collected separately in smaller volumes and merge or relate it to other kinds of neuroscience datasets. That could include integration across different imaging approaches, tracing methods, molecular or cell-type annotations, or other complementary modalities that help interpret connectivity in biological context. Just as importantly, the FOA stresses community interaction: the data products should not sit in a silo. Centers are expected to enable other scientists to explore, query, and mine the resulting datasets, supporting new questions beyond those originally posed by the center itself.
Awardees funded under this announcement will become part of the coordinated BRAIN CONNECTS Network, alongside projects funded through companion announcements. The network structure reflects NIHs intent to drive standardization, shared benchmarks, compatible data formats, and complementary coverage across projects, with the collective goal of producing wiring diagrams that span entire brains across multiple spatial scales. In other words, an individual center is expected to be excellent on its own, but also to function as a contributing node in a larger, coordinated national effort.
Administratively, this opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding using the cooperative agreement mechanism. The activity category listed for the opportunity is Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services, and the CFDA numbers associated with NIH neuroscience and related programs are provided (93.173, 93.213, 93.242, 93.273, 93.279, 93.286, 93.853, 93.865, 93.866, 93.867). The FOA specifies UM1 Clinical Trial Not Allowed, meaning the proposed work must not include clinical trials; the program is focused on mouse brain connectivity and enabling technologies rather than human interventional studies.
Eligibility is broad and includes many common applicant types such as public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (with or without 501(c)(3) status), for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), small businesses, and multiple levels of government (state, county, city/township, special district), along with independent school districts and public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities. It also explicitly highlights additional eligible applicants such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, AANAPISI institutions, Hispanic-serving institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), tribal governments and organizations (including those other than federally recognized in the list provided), U.S. territories or possessions, regional organizations, eligible federal agencies, faith-based or community-based organizations, and even non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations). The original closing date listed in the source information is 2023-06-13, and the opportunity was created on 2022-02-22. The award ceiling and expected number of awards are not specified in the provided source excerpt.
Taken together, the FOA is best understood as a center-scale, technology-and-infrastructure-driven program with a strong deliverables mindset: build scalable synapse-resolution connectivity mapping capabilities in mice, prove they work in a defined brain region by testing structure-function hypotheses, create usable pipelines and community-facing resources, and coordinate tightly with other awardees to push the field toward standardized, whole-brain wiring diagrams across scales.Apply for RFA NS 22 048
- The National Institutes of Health in the education, health, income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BRAIN Initiative Connectivity across Scales (BRAIN CONNECTS): Comprehensive Centers for Mouse Brain (UM1 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" 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, 93.853, 93.865, 93.866, 93.867.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2022-02-22.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-06-13. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- 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.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the BRAIN Initiative Connectivity across Scales (BRAIN CONNECTS) Comprehensive Centers for Mouse Brain opportunity?
This funding opportunity (RFA-NS-22-048) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) cooperative agreement (UM1) to support large, integrated research centers that create next-generation methods for mapping how the mouse brain is wired. The focus is on building and validating scalable, end-to-end technologies and workflows that can realistically grow into brain-wide connectivity atlases.
What is the main goal of the program?
The central goal is to develop and validate complete connectivity-mapping pipelines that can reach very fine detail (at least synaptic-level resolution) and demonstrate a credible path from a smaller pilot effort to comprehensive, whole-brain applications. The emphasis is not simply generating more data, but creating repeatable, scalable methods and infrastructure.
What does NIH mean by "connectivity across scales" in this FOA?
Based on the description provided, "across scales" refers to creating toolsets and infrastructure that can connect information collected in smaller volumes and relate or merge it into broader brain-wide frameworks. It also includes integration with other neuroscience datasets and modalities to interpret connectivity in biological context.
What kind of resolution is expected for the connectivity maps?
Centers are expected to demonstrate neuron-to-neuron connectivity mapping at very fine detail, reaching at least synaptic-level resolution, while showing that the approach can be expanded beyond a limited region toward whole-brain use.
Is the program primarily about producing datasets?
No. The FOA explicitly emphasizes that the aim is not just to produce more data. Instead, NIH is prioritizing end-to-end technologies, validated workflows, and scalable pipelines that can produce brain-wide connectivity atlases and be used by the broader community.
What is meant by an "end-to-end" pipeline in this opportunity?
An end-to-end pipeline in this FOA spans data collection, data processing and analysis, and data sharing. The expectation is that centers will build complete, robust workflows that acquire mouse brain connectivity data, process and analyze it to extract cell-to-cell wiring information, and disseminate both results and the supporting resources needed for others to reuse the outputs.
What deliverables or components are applicants expected to include?
Applicants are expected to establish robust, repeatable workflows that demonstrate feasibility and quality at scale. The FOA highlights pipelines for: (1) collecting connectivity data from mouse brain tissue, (2) processing and analyzing data to extract wiring information, and (3) sharing data products along with tools, standards, and documentation so other researchers can interpret and reuse the outputs.
Does the FOA require a scientific use case, or is it purely technology development?
It requires a concrete scientific demonstration. Each center must focus on a specific central nervous system (CNS) sub-volume and test explicit hypotheses linking circuit structure to circuit function within that selected region. This requirement is meant to show the resulting maps can answer meaningful neuroscience questions and justify scaling the approach.
Do applicants have to study the entire mouse brain?
The long-term vision is brain-wide wiring diagrams, but the FOA also requires each center to focus on a defined CNS sub-volume for hypothesis-driven structure-function testing. The center must also demonstrate that its approach can expand beyond a small pilot region toward comprehensive whole-brain applications.
What types of integration or interoperability does NIH expect?
The FOA emphasizes interoperability and integration across scales and modalities. This includes toolsets and infrastructure that can combine connectivity data collected separately in smaller volumes and merge or relate it to other neuroscience datasets, potentially including different imaging approaches, tracing methods, and molecular or cell-type annotations, or other complementary modalities.
What expectations are there around data sharing and community access?
The FOA stresses that data products should not remain siloed. Centers are expected to disseminate results and provide associated tools, standards, and documentation, and to enable other scientists to explore, query, and mine the resulting datasets to support new questions beyond those originally posed by the center.
What is a UM1 cooperative agreement, and how does it affect project management?
UM1 is a cooperative agreement mechanism. Under this FOA, awardees should expect substantial coordination with NIH program staff and active participation in broader network activities, milestones, and shared objectives. The cooperative structure signals an expectation of ongoing collaboration and alignment with NIH-led coordination.
Will funded centers operate independently or as part of a larger program?
Funded centers will become part of the coordinated BRAIN CONNECTS Network, alongside projects funded through companion announcements. The network structure is intended to drive standardization, shared benchmarks, compatible data formats, and complementary coverage across projects.
What is the BRAIN CONNECTS Network trying to achieve collectively?
Collectively, the network aims to produce wiring diagrams that span entire brains across multiple spatial scales, with coordinated standardization and compatibility across projects to accelerate progress toward comprehensive brain-wide connectivity resources.
Are clinical trials allowed under this FOA?
No. The FOA is listed as "UM1 Clinical Trial Not Allowed." The described scope is focused on mouse brain connectivity and enabling technologies rather than human interventional studies.
What organisms or biological systems are the focus of this opportunity?
The focus is on mapping how the mouse brain is wired, using mouse brain tissue to acquire connectivity data and develop scalable mapping workflows.
What is the funding mechanism and how is this opportunity categorized?
This opportunity is discretionary funding using the cooperative agreement mechanism (UM1). The activity category listed is Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services.
What CFDA numbers are associated with this NIH opportunity?
The CFDA numbers listed in the provided information are: 93.173, 93.213, 93.242, 93.273, 93.279, 93.286, 93.853, 93.865, 93.866, and 93.867.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad and includes: public and private institutions of higher education; nonprofits (with or without 501(c)(3) status); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); small businesses; state, county, city/township, and special district governments; independent school districts; and public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities.
Are minority-serving institutions and tribal entities eligible?
Yes. The FOA explicitly highlights additional eligible applicants including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, AANAPISI institutions, Hispanic-serving institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), and tribal governments and organizations (including those beyond the federally recognized list referenced in the description).
Can non-U.S. organizations apply?
Yes. The eligibility list explicitly includes non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations).
Are U.S. territories and regional organizations eligible?
Yes. The eligibility list includes U.S. territories or possessions and regional organizations, as well as eligible federal agencies and faith-based or community-based organizations.
What is the original closing date and the creation date provided for this opportunity?
The opportunity creation date provided is 2022-02-22, and the original closing date listed is 2023-06-13.
Is the award ceiling or expected number of awards stated in the provided information?
No. The provided source excerpt notes that the award ceiling and expected number of awards are not specified.
What distinguishes a strong application conceptually, based on the FOA description?
Based on the provided description, strong concepts would emphasize: scalable synapse-resolution mapping; validated, repeatable end-to-end workflows; clear plans for processing, analysis, and sharing; interoperability across scales and modalities; community-facing access and reuse; hypothesis-driven structure-function work in a defined CNS sub-volume; and readiness to coordinate closely with NIH and the broader BRAIN CONNECTS Network around shared milestones, benchmarks, and standards.
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