Basic Neurodevelopmental Biology of Circuits and Behavior (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | PAR 22 066

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 22 066

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity titled "Basic Neurodevelopmental Biology of Circuits and Behavior (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" (Funding Opportunity Number PAR-22-066) supports basic neuroscience research that connects how brain circuits mature with how behavior emerges and changes over development. This announcement is a reissue of an earlier program (PAR-19-027) and is centered on building a strong mechanistic foundation for understanding typical neurodevelopment, especially how interactions within and across brain regions evolve from prenatal through postnatal stages. The emphasis is on explaining developmental change rather than simply describing it, with the long-term aim of clarifying how cognitive, affective, and social behaviors arise as neural circuits become established and refined.

Projects are expected to focus on neurodevelopmental trajectories in rodents or non-human primates and to directly measure neural activity in vivo in awake, behaving animals. In practice, this means applications should pair developmental questions with real-time circuit-level readouts during behavior, rather than relying only on ex vivo assays or purely anatomical snapshots. The program is looking for studies that can illuminate dynamic circuit mechanisms across time, such as how connectivity, communication between regions, and functional coordination reorganize as the animal matures, and how those changes map onto developmental milestones in behavior.

This FOA uses the R01 grant mechanism, which generally aligns with multi-year, hypothesis-driven projects that have a well-developed approach and clear aims. The announcement also notes that there is a companion opportunity using the R21 mechanism, intended for shorter, potentially higher-risk ideas, while this R01 track is aimed at more established, comprehensive projects. As stated in the title, clinical trials are not allowed under this FOA, reinforcing that it is intended for basic preclinical research rather than human intervention studies.

Eligibility is broad and includes a wide range of domestic applicants such as state, county, and local governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; small businesses and other for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); and nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education). It also includes Native American tribal governments (federally recognized) as well as tribal organizations and tribal governments that are not federally recognized. The FOA explicitly highlights additional eligible applicants, including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, U.S. territories or possessions, and non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations) and regional organizations, signaling an intent to include a diverse range of institutions and research settings.

From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary grant opportunity in the health category, listed under CFDA 93.242. The opportunity was created on 2021-11-16, and the original closing date provided is 2025-01-07. The listed award ceiling is $500,000, which indicates the maximum amount expected under the ceiling figure provided in the source data. The opportunity does not list the expected number of awards in the provided excerpt, but it is clearly framed as a standard NIH R01 research project grant competition focused on fundamental neurodevelopmental circuit biology tied to behavior.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Basic Neurodevelopmental Biology of Circuits and Behavior (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): 93.242.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2021-11-16.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-01-07. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $500,000.00 in funding.
• 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 PAR 22 066

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: