BRAIN Initiative: Reagent Resources for Brain Cell Type-Specific Access to Broaden Distribution of Enabling Technologies for Neuroscience (U24 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

Updated Oct 20, 2026

Cooperative agreement from the National Institutes of Health, open to small businesses. Closes Jun 15, 2027, 238 days left.

Opportunity number	RFA-MH-26-120
Agency	National Institutes of Health
Funding type	Cooperative agreement
Field	Education, Health, Income security and social services
Cost sharing or matching	Not required
Assistance listing	93.173, 93.213, 93.242, 93.273, 93.279, 93.286, 93.853, 93.865, 93.866, 93.867
Posted	Sep 25, 2024
Closes	Jun 15, 2027 (238 days left)
Add the deadline to	Google Calendar

Who can apply

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 and Indian housing authorities
Native American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments)
Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status, other than institutions of higher education
Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status, other than institutions of higher education
Private institutions of higher education
For-profit organizations other than small businesses
Small businesses
Others (see the eligibility notes)

Other Eligible Applicants include the following: Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions; Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs); Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government; Faith-based or Community-based Organizations; Hispanic-serving Institutions; Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs); Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized); Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations); Regional Organizations; Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs) ; U.S. Territory or Possession; Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations) are not eligible to apply. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are not eligible to apply. Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed.

Description

This Notice of Funding Opportunity Announcement (NOFO) from the NIH Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative is intended to support establishment of facilities at minority-serving institutions (MSIs) and Institutional Development Award (IDeA)-eligible institutions for scaled production and distribution of brain cell type-specific access and manipulation reagents.

Reagents will be initially developed in pilot resource projects for brain cell type-specific access and manipulation across vertebrate species from the BRAIN Initiative Armamentarium project. Awardees under this NOFO will work with the other Armamentarium awardees to manufacture and distribute the resources for use throughout the neuroscience community. It is envisioned that the awardees will work both with the Armamentarium community as well as with the neuroscience research community to optimize the use of new reagents.

The types of reagents to be produced and distributed could include but are not limited to viral vectors, nucleic acid constructs, and nanoparticles designed for selective access to and manipulation of brain cell types. Such reagents will enable neuroscientists to probe circuit function with high precision in experimental animals and ex vivo human tissue and cells. Facilities are needed to contribute to the production and distribution of BRAIN Initiative Armamentarium project reagents broadly to neuroscience users.

Full announcement and how to apply on Grants.gov

Education grants right now

There are 109 open federal grants in education that small businesses may apply for; 7 close within 30 days. The median award ceiling is $424,500. The agencies offering the most are National Institutes of Health and DOC NOAA - ERA Production. Grants in this field stay open a median of 1064 days; this one is open for 993 days.

Who has won this program before

Yale Univ $67.5 million · from Jul 1, 2015
NEW York University $64.3 million · from Jul 7, 2010
University Of North Carolina AT Chapel Hill $49.7 million · from Jul 1, 2007
Baylor College Of Medicine $47.8 million · from Sep 28, 2011
Jackson Laboratory $47.2 million · from Sep 16, 2011

The largest grants and cooperative agreements under assistance listing 93.173, 93.213, 93.242, 93.273, 93.279, 93.286, 93.853, 93.865, 93.866, 93.867 with payments since Oct 1, 2025, from USAspending.gov. Amounts are each award's total.