BRAIN Initiative Cell Census Network (BICCN) Scalable Technologies and Tools for Brain Cell Census (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | RFA MH 21 140

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA MH 21 140

This funding opportunity, issued by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) under RFA-MH-21-140, supports R01 research projects aimed at advancing the BRAIN Initiative Cell Census Network (BICCN) by developing and deploying scalable technologies and tools for brain cell census work. It is a reissue of an earlier announcement (RFA-MH-19-148) and is specifically focused on accelerating the integration, standardization, and practical use of next-generation methods that can enable a fast, comprehensive survey of brain cell types and neural circuits. The emphasis is not just on inventing new approaches, but on making them scalable and usable in ways that meaningfully expand the volume, quality, and interpretability of brain cell census data produced by the field and by BICCN-aligned efforts.

At its core, the FOA is looking for technology platforms, analytical tools, and enabling resources that directly address clear limitations in existing cell census methods. Applicants are expected to treat current state-of-the-art tools as a benchmark and to explain, in measurable terms, what gaps remain and how the proposed approach improves on them. The announcement highlights key dimensions where improvements are especially valued: throughput (how many cells, regions, or samples can be processed), sensitivity (ability to detect low-abundance features), selectivity (precision in targeting specific cell populations or signals), scalability (ability to expand without performance collapse or prohibitive cost), spatiotemporal resolution (capturing where cells are and how they change over time or state), and reproducibility (robust performance across runs, labs, or conditions). In practice, strong applications are likely to define performance metrics, validation strategies, and comparison studies that clearly show why the proposed technology is a step forward rather than a marginal tweak.

A major expectation is that funded projects will be aligned with the broader goals of the BICCN and will enable the generation of a substantial amount of brain cell census data. That can happen either by using the proposed technology directly within the project to produce significant datasets, or by positioning the technology so it can be adopted through collaboration with the BICCN to generate data at scale. This signals that the NIH is prioritizing tools that are not only innovative but also ready to drive real-world production, integration, and sharing of cell census results, helping move the field toward more complete and systematic maps of brain cell diversity and circuitry.

The award mechanism is an NIH grant (R01), and the announcement explicitly states "Clinical Trial Not Allowed," meaning the proposed research should not include clinical trial activities as defined by NIH policy. The activity categories attached to the opportunity span education, health, and related social service areas, and the listing includes multiple CFDA numbers (93.173, 93.213, 93.242, 93.273, 93.279, 93.286, 93.853, 93.865, 93.866, 93.867), reflecting the NIH’s broad program authorities that can support BRAIN-related research and tool development.

Eligibility is broad and includes many standard applicant types such as state, county, city or township governments, special district governments, independent school districts, public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, federally recognized Native American tribal governments, tribal organizations (including those other than federally recognized tribal governments), public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, nonprofits (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)), for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), and small businesses, among others. The FOA also explicitly calls out additional eligible groups, including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (other than federally recognized), and non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations). This wide eligibility reflects an intent to attract diverse technical capabilities and to broaden participation in building foundational tools for brain cell mapping.

Key administrative details provided include an original closing date of March 10, 2021, and a creation date of October 21, 2020. The excerpt does not specify an award ceiling or the expected number of awards, so applicants would typically need to consult the full FOA text for budget guidance, project period expectations, and review criteria. Overall, the opportunity is best understood as a targeted NIH push to remove practical bottlenecks in brain cell census science by funding tool and platform development that is demonstrably better than current options and capable of producing large-scale, high-quality datasets that fit into the BICCN’s coordinated mapping goals.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health, income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BRAIN Initiative Cell Census Network (BICCN) Scalable Technologies and Tools for Brain Cell Census (R01 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 2020-10-21.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-03-10. (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.

Apply for RFA MH 21 140

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