BRAIN Initiative Research Grants

Preclinical Proof of Concept for Novel Recording/Modulation Technologies in Human CNS

Funds preclinical testing for novel neural recording and modulation technologies before clinical transition.

RFA-NS-24-031, issued under the NIH BRAIN Initiative with NINDS as lead Institute, funds R18 research grants for preclinical proof-of-concept studies on novel technologies for recording and modulating neural activity in the human central nervous system. The R18 mechanism is NIH's research demonstration and dissemination instrument, supporting projects that establish a technology's feasibility before it advances to clinical evaluation stages such as the UG3/UH3 neural device track. Applicants are expected to use animal models or in vitro systems to demonstrate that a candidate technology functions as intended and can be translated toward human use.

Eligible applicants are U.S. universities and non-profit research organizations; for-profit entities and individual investigators are excluded as primary recipients. The submission window runs through January 29, 2027, suggesting multiple annual review cycles. Award amounts are not specified in the structured record, but R18 grants under BRAIN neural-device programs are typically multi-year awards designed to cover the cost of rigorous preclinical validation studies.

Competitive applications will define a clear translational hypothesis—identifying a specific recording or modulation capability gap and proposing a technology that closes it—with a preclinical validation plan sufficient to justify advancement to human studies. NINDS review panels will weigh the novelty and safety profile of the technology, the quality of the proposed animal or in vitro model, and the plausibility of the path to a human device application. Teams that include both engineering and neuroscience expertise, and that can articulate regulatory milestones on the path to a clinical device, are most likely to succeed.