New Approaches for Measuring Brain Changes Across Longer Timespans (R21 Clinical Trial Optional)

Updated Oct 20, 2026

Grant from the National Institutes of Health, open to small businesses. Closes May 7, 2027, 199 days left.

Opportunity number	PAR-25-272
Agency	National Institutes of Health
Funding type	Grant
Field	Education, Health, Income security and social services
Cost sharing or matching	Not required
Assistance listing	93.396, 93.865, 93.866
Posted	Nov 25, 2024
Closes	May 7, 2027 (199 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.

Description

The purpose of this funding opportunity is to encourage multidisciplinary investigators to submit applications developing exploratory, highly novel new approaches, or innovative applications of existing approaches to measure brain activity, connectivity, genomics, or other aspects across the age spectrum of neurodevelopment. The overarching goal is to extend our understanding of brain development and aging, including studies of the neurodevelopmental origins of later health and disease, by improving repeated measures across longer epochs of the lifespan to better predict outcomes at later ages. .

Research can include healthy human participants of any age, specific clinical groups such those with cognitive, motor, or affective regulation challenges, and/or animal research on these domains of function. The studies can focus on longitudinal neuroanatomical or functional changes at any level, including genetics/genomics, single cells, connectomics, neural population activity patterns, and others.

This funding opportunity is intended to encourage technological and conceptual innovation through this high risk, high reward funding mechanism to develop highly innovative ideas that either lack preliminary data or need additional preliminary data

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 893 days.

Who has won this program before

Duke University $119.4 million · from Jan 1, 1997
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory $76.4 million · from Feb 10, 1997
Georgetown University $53.2 million · from Sep 18, 2014
Baylor College Of Medicine $47.8 million · from Sep 28, 2011
University Of California, Davis $45.7 million · from Sep 16, 2011

The largest grants and cooperative agreements under assistance listing 93.396, 93.865, 93.866 with funding activity since Oct 1, 2025, from USAspending.gov. Amounts are each award's total.