Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 25 272
New Approaches for Measuring Brain Changes Across Longer Timespans (R21 Clinical Trial Optional), Funding Opportunity Number PAR-25-272, is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) discretionary grant program designed to spark high-risk, high-reward research that improves how scientists measure brain changes over long periods of time. The core emphasis is on developing exploratory, highly novel methods or creatively repurposing existing tools to capture brain activity, brain connectivity, genomics, and other biological or functional features across broad stretches of the lifespan. The motivation behind the opportunity is practical and scientific: many measures of the brain work well over short intervals, but predicting later outcomes (in adolescence, adulthood, or older age) often requires better repeated measures that remain meaningful across longer epochs of development and aging.
The scientific goal is to deepen understanding of how the brain changes from early neurodevelopment through aging, including how early-life brain features and experiences may shape later health and disease risk. NIH is encouraging applications that can make longitudinal research more powerful by improving measurement stability, sensitivity, and interpretability when data are collected repeatedly across years or decades. In other words, the opportunity is not only about collecting more data, but about advancing the underlying approaches so that changes observed over time can be linked more confidently to later cognitive, emotional, motor, or clinical outcomes.
This announcement is intentionally broad about what kinds of brain-related measures and scales are of interest. Projects may focus on longitudinal neuroanatomical change, functional dynamics, or multilevel biology, ranging from genetics and genomics to single-cell approaches, connectomics, and neural population activity patterns. The solicitation explicitly welcomes multidisciplinary work, reflecting the reality that tracking brain changes across long timespans often requires teams that combine neuroscience, engineering, computational methods, statistics, imaging, molecular biology, clinical expertise, and developmental science. Because this is an R21 mechanism, the program is particularly aimed at early-stage, exploratory concepts that may not yet have extensive preliminary data, or that need additional proof-of-concept data before a larger, confirmatory study is feasible.
In terms of study populations, the opportunity supports a wide range of research designs and subjects. Applications may involve healthy human participants of any age, as well as targeted clinical or at-risk groups, including people who experience cognitive challenges, motor difficulties, or problems with affective regulation. Animal studies are also permitted when they address these domains of function and contribute to the broader aim of understanding longitudinal brain change. The “Clinical Trial Optional” label indicates that applicants can propose clinical trials if appropriate, but a clinical trial is not required; projects can be observational, methodological, technological, or translational depending on the innovation being proposed.
Eligibility is expansive, which aligns with the program’s interest in bringing in new ideas from many sectors. Eligible applicants include a wide range of government entities (state, county, city or township, special district governments), independent school districts, public and state-controlled and private institutions of higher education, and Native American tribal governments (federally recognized) as well as tribal organizations that are not federally recognized. Nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status are eligible, as are public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), and small businesses. The opportunity also highlights additional eligible applicant types such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), along with faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and even non-U.S. (foreign) organizations.
Administrative details from the source information include that the sponsoring agency is the National Institutes of Health, the funding instrument is a grant, and the activity categories fall under Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services. The CFDA numbers associated with the opportunity are 93.396, 93.865, and 93.866. The posting shows an original closing date of 2027-05-07 and a creation date of 2024-11-25. Award ceiling and expected award counts are not specified in the provided data, which is common for some NIH announcements where budgets depend on project scope and institute participation. Overall, the opportunity is aimed at pushing measurement science forward so that the field can track meaningful brain changes across longer timespans and, ultimately, improve the ability to forecast later-life outcomes from earlier-life neurobiological and functional signals.Apply for PAR 25 272
- The National Institutes of Health in the education, health, income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "New Approaches for Measuring Brain Changes Across Longer Timespans (R21 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.396, 93.865, 93.866.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2024-11-25.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2027-05-07.
- 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.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the full name of this grant opportunity?
The opportunity is titled New Approaches for Measuring Brain Changes Across Longer Timespans (R21 Clinical Trial Optional).
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?
The Funding Opportunity Number is PAR-25-272.
Which federal agency is sponsoring this opportunity?
The sponsoring agency is the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
What type of funding instrument is used?
The funding instrument is a grant.
What mechanism does this opportunity use?
This opportunity uses the R21 mechanism, which is intended for early-stage, exploratory research, including high-risk, high-reward concepts and proof-of-concept work that may have limited preliminary data.
Is a clinical trial required?
No. The announcement is labeled Clinical Trial Optional, meaning a clinical trial may be proposed if appropriate, but a clinical trial is not required.
What is the main goal of this funding opportunity?
The core goal is to improve how researchers measure brain changes over long periods of time by developing exploratory, highly novel methods or creatively repurposing existing tools so that repeated measures remain meaningful across years or decades.
What problem is NIH trying to solve with this program?
Many brain measures work well over short intervals, but predicting later outcomes (for example, in adolescence, adulthood, or older age) often requires better repeated measures that stay stable, sensitive, and interpretable across long spans of development and aging.
What kinds of research approaches are encouraged?
Applications are encouraged to propose highly novel measurement strategies or innovative repurposing of tools to capture brain-related features repeatedly over long timespans, with an emphasis on improving measurement stability, sensitivity, and interpretability in longitudinal research.
What types of brain-related measures can a project focus on?
The announcement is broad. Projects may focus on measures such as brain activity, brain connectivity, neuroanatomical change, functional dynamics, genomics, and other biological or functional features across the lifespan.
Does the opportunity specify particular scales or biological levels of analysis?
Yes, it explicitly welcomes work spanning multiple levels, ranging from genetics and genomics to single-cell approaches, connectomics, and neural population activity patterns.
Is this opportunity limited to a particular stage of life?
No. The goal is to understand brain change from early neurodevelopment through aging, and the opportunity is interested in measurement approaches that remain meaningful across broad stretches of the lifespan.
What outcomes or impacts is NIH ultimately trying to enable?
The program aims to make it easier for longitudinal studies to link observed brain changes more confidently to later cognitive, emotional, motor, or clinical outcomes, improving the ability to forecast later-life outcomes from earlier-life signals.
What study populations are allowed?
The opportunity supports a wide range, including healthy human participants of any age and targeted clinical or at-risk groups, such as people experiencing cognitive challenges, motor difficulties, or problems with affective regulation.
Are animal studies allowed?
Yes. Animal studies are permitted when they address relevant functional domains (such as cognitive, motor, or affective regulation) and contribute to the broader aim of understanding longitudinal brain change.
Does NIH encourage multidisciplinary teams?
Yes. The solicitation explicitly welcomes multidisciplinary work, recognizing that measuring brain changes across long timespans often requires combined expertise in areas such as neuroscience, engineering, computation, statistics, imaging, molecular biology, clinical expertise, and developmental science.
Is the opportunity focused on collecting more data or improving measurement methods?
The emphasis is on advancing the underlying approaches for repeated measurement over long timespans, not simply collecting more data. The intent is to strengthen the science of longitudinal measurement so long-term changes can be interpreted more confidently.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is expansive and includes many organization types across government, education, nonprofit, and private sectors, including domestic and foreign organizations, as listed in the announcement summary.
Are state and local government entities eligible?
Yes. Eligible applicants include state governments, and local government entities such as county, city or township, and special district governments.
Are school districts eligible?
Yes. Independent school districts are listed as eligible applicants.
Are universities and colleges eligible?
Yes. Eligible applicants include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education.
Are tribal governments and tribal organizations eligible?
Yes. Eligibility includes Native American tribal governments (federally recognized) and also tribal organizations that are not federally recognized.
Are nonprofits eligible, and does 501(c)(3) status matter?
Yes. Nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status are eligible.
Are for-profit organizations eligible?
Yes. For-profit organizations (other than small businesses) are eligible, and small businesses are also listed as eligible.
Are public housing authorities eligible?
Yes. Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities are eligible.
Are specific institution types highlighted as eligible?
Yes. The opportunity highlights eligibility for organizations such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs).
Are faith-based and community-based organizations eligible?
Yes. Faith-based or community-based organizations are listed as eligible applicants.
Are federal agencies eligible to apply?
Yes. Eligible federal agencies are listed among eligible applicant types.
Are U.S. territories eligible?
Yes. U.S. territories or possessions are listed as eligible.
Are non-U.S. (foreign) organizations eligible?
Yes. The eligibility list includes non-U.S. (foreign) organizations.
What activity categories are associated with this opportunity?
The activity categories listed are Education, Health, and Income Security and Social Services.
What CFDA numbers are associated with this opportunity?
The CFDA numbers associated with this opportunity are 93.396, 93.865, and 93.866.
What is the closing date shown in the posting?
The posting shows an original closing date of 2027-05-07.
What is the creation date shown for the opportunity?
The creation date shown is 2024-11-25.
Is the award ceiling specified?
No. The provided information states that the award ceiling is not specified.
Is the expected number of awards specified?
No. The provided information states that the expected award count is not specified.
Why might award ceiling and award counts be missing?
The provided information notes that this can be common for some NIH announcements where budgets depend on project scope and institute participation.
What kinds of project designs could fit under this opportunity?
Based on the description, projects can be observational, methodological, technological, or translational, depending on the innovation being proposed, and may include a clinical trial if appropriate.
What is the intended advantage of improved longitudinal brain measures?
The intended advantage is to make longitudinal research more powerful by enabling repeated measures that remain meaningful over time, helping researchers connect early-life brain features and experiences to later health and disease risk with greater confidence.
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Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (PAR 25 272) also looked into and applied for these:
| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| New Approaches for Measuring Brain Changes Across Longer Timespans (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) Apply for PAR 25 279 Funding Number: PAR 25 279 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Mobile Health: Technology and Outcomes in Low and Middle Income Countries (R21/R33 - Clinical Trial Optional) Apply for PAR 25 242 Funding Number: PAR 25 242 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| HEAL Initiative-Early-Stage Discovery of New Pain Targets Within the Understudied Druggable Proteome (R03 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for PAR 25 154 Funding Number: PAR 25 154 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $100,000 |
| HEAL Initiative: Translating Research to Practice to End the Overdose Crisis (R33 Clinical Trial Optional) Apply for RFA DA 25 077 Funding Number: RFA DA 25 077 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $750,000 |
| HEAL Initiative: Translating Research to Practice to End the Overdose Crisis (R61/R33 Clinical Trial Optional) Apply for RFA DA 25 078 Funding Number: RFA DA 25 078 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| NIH Exploratory/Developmental Research Project Grant (Parent R21 Basic Experimental Studies with Humans Required) Apply for PA 25 307 Funding Number: PA 25 307 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Limited Competition: Data Analysis and Sharing Center (DASC) for the MACS/WIHS Combined Cohort Study (MWCCS) (U01 Clinical Trials Not Allowed) Apply for RFA HL 26 010 Funding Number: RFA HL 26 010 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $2,000,000 |
| Limited Competition: Clinical Research Sites (CRS) for the MACS/WIHS Combined Cohort Study (MWCCS) (U01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for RFA HL 26 009 Funding Number: RFA HL 26 009 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $2,400,000 |
| Leadership and Coordination Center (LACC) for the MACS/WIHS Combined Cohort Study (MWCCS) (U01 Clinical Trials Not Allowed) Apply for RFA HL 26 011 Funding Number: RFA HL 26 011 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $2,000 |
| Single Source: National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult (Add) Health Wave VII (U01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for RFA AG 26 001 Funding Number: RFA AG 26 001 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Blueprint MedTech Translator (UG3/UH3 - Clinical Trial Optional) Apply for PAR 25 383 Funding Number: PAR 25 383 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| BRAIN Initiative: Theories, Models and Methods for Analysis of Complex Data from the Brain (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for RFA DA 27 004 Funding Number: RFA DA 27 004 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
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