NIH RFA · NIMH · R01
RFA-MH-26-170: BRAIN Initiative: Development and Validation of Novel Tools to Probe Cell-Specific and Circuit-Specific Processes in the Brain (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
Reviewed by Dr. Meng ZhaoLast reviewed October 16, 2026Data refreshed October 16, 2026Editorial standards
The purpose of this Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative is to encourage applications that will develop and validate novel tools to facilitate the detailed analysis of complex circuits and provide insights into cellular interactions that underlie brain function. The new tools and technologies should inform and/or exploit cell-type and/or circuit-level specificity. Plans for validating the utility of the tool/technology will be an essential feature of a successful application. The development of new genetic and non-genetic tools for delivering genes, proteins and chemicals to cells of interest or approaches that are expected to target specific cell…
- NOFO number
- RFA-MH-26-170
- Type
- RFA
- Activity code
- R01
- Primary institute
- NIMH · National Institute of Mental Health
- Clinical trials
- Not Allowed
- Posted
- Nov 15, 2024
- Opens
- Jan 7, 2025
- Expires
- Feb 9, 2027
RFA-MH-26-170 due dates
1 application due date remains before the NOFO expires. Dates marked * are NIH standard due dates. Check the related notices below for changes NIH made after posting.
| Application Due Date(s) | Renewal / Resubmission / Revision (as allowed) | AIDS - New/Renewal/Resubmission/Revision, as allowed | Scientific Merit Review | Advisory Council Review | Earliest Start Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 07, 2025 | February 07, 2025 | Not Applicable | July 2025 | October 2025 | December 2025 |
| October 07, 2025 | October 07, 2025 | Not Applicable | March 2026 | May 2026 | July 2026 |
| June 08, 2026 | June 08, 2026 | Not Applicable | November 2026 | January 2027 | April 2027 |
| February 08, 2027 | February 08, 2027 | Not Applicable | July 2027 | October 2027 | December 2027 |
Projects funded under RFA-MH-26-170
NIH RePORTER lists 2 projects funded under RFA-MH-26-170 in FY2022–FY2026, with $2.8M in award dollars. Counts include each project's later non-competing years, which keep the original NOFO number.
Projects funded
2
Distinct projects, FY2022–FY2026
New awards
2
Type 1 (new project) award records
NIH funding
$2.8M
Award dollars under RFA-MH-26-170, FY2022–FY2026
Funding by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Award records | New awards | Funding |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2022 | 0 | 0 | $0 |
| FY2023 | 0 | 0 | $0 |
| FY2024 | 0 | 0 | $0 |
| FY2025 | 0 | 0 | $0 |
| FY2026 | 2 | 2 | $2.8M |
Institutions with the most funding
- Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ$1.6M · 1 project
- University of California Berkeley$1.2M · 1 project
Funding institutes
- NIMH$2.8M · 2
Activity codes funded
- R012 records
Most recent new awards
- Optical control of deep synaptic signaling (opens NIH RePORTER)
University of California Berkeley · 1R01MH142405-01 · NIMH · Notice Mar 13, 2026
$1.2MR01
- AlphaFold-Assisted Affinity Probe Resource for Scalable Brain Protein Mapping with Reference Datasets (opens NIH RePORTER)
Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ · 1R01MH142410-01 · NIMH · Notice Mar 10, 2026
$1.6MR01
FY2026 closed on September 30, 2026, but NIH keeps posting that year's awards to RePORTER for several weeks. FY2026 figures reflect records available on October 16, 2026 and may rise slightly at the next refresh.
Participating institutes
10 NIH institutes and offices take applications under RFA-MH-26-170. Contact the program officer at the institute that fits your research before applying.
- NIMH · National Institute of Mental Health
- NEI · National Eye Institute
- NIA · National Institute on Aging
- NIAAA · National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
- NIBIB · National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering
- NICHD · Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
- NIDCD · National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
- NIDA · National Institute on Drug Abuse
- NINDS · National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
- NCCIH · National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
Related notices
Mar 31, 2025 · NOT-OD-24-084
This funding opportunity was updated to align with agency priorities. Carefully reread the full funding opportunity and make any needed adjustments to your application prior to submission.April 4, 2024 - Overview of Grant Application and Review Changes for Due Dates on or after January 25,…
Aug 31, 2022 · NOT-OD-22-198
Implementation Changes for Genomic Data Sharing Plans Included with Applications Due on or after January 25, 2023. See Notice NOT-OD-22-198.
Aug 5, 2022 · NOT-OD-22-189
Implementation Details for the NIH Data Management and Sharing Policy. See Notice NOT-OD-22-189.
Award terms
- Application types allowed
- NewRenewalResubmissionRevision The OER Glossary and the How to Apply Application Guide provide details on these application types. Only those application types listed here are allowed for this NOFO.
- Award budget
- Application budgets are not limited but need to reflect the actual needs of the proposed project.
- Project period
- The scope of the proposed project should determine the project period. The maximum project period is 3 years.     NIH grants policies as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement will apply to the applications submitted and awards made from this NOFO.
- Funds available and number of awards
- Issuing IC and partner components intend to commit an estimated total of 8 million to fund 6-9 awards.
Summarized from the NOFO text; the full NOFO governs eligibility, budget, and review.
Related NOFOs
- Reissue of RFA-MH-24-280.
Other open NOFOs for R01
- PAR-25-283Innovative Mental Health Services Research Not Involving Clinical Trials (R01 Clinical Trials Not Allowed)NIMH · next due Feb 5, 2027
- PAR-25-289Navigator Emergency Department Diversion Models for Non-Urgent Mental Health Concerns (R01 Clinical Trial Required)NIMH · next due Feb 5, 2027
- PAR-25-281Mood and Psychosis Symptoms during the Menopause Transition (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)NIMH · next due Feb 5, 2027
- PAR-25-290Utilizing Invasive Recording and Stimulating Opportunities in Humans to Advance Neural Circuitry Understanding of Mental Health Disorders (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)NIMH · next due Feb 5, 2027
- PAR-25-287Neuromodulation/Neurostimulation Device Development for Mental Health Applications (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)NIMH · next due Feb 5, 2027
- PAR-25-136Laboratories to Optimize Digital Health (R01 Clinical Trial Required)NIMH · next due Feb 5, 2027
About this page
GotGrant gathers the NOFO, its participation and change notices, and its NOSIs from the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts, and counts funded projects from NIH RePORTER by the opportunity number each award was made under. Data refreshed October 16, 2026; the NIH Guide is the authoritative source. See our data methodology.