Basic Neurodevelopmental Biology of Circuits and Behavior (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | PAR 19 027

FAQs: NIH "Basic Neurodevelopmental Biology of Circuits and Behavior (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" (PAR-19-027)

What is the goal of this NIH funding opportunity?

The opportunity supports basic research that explains how brain circuits develop and how those developing circuits give rise to behavior. The emphasis is on development as a dynamic, mechanistic process and on establishing cause-and-effect links between circuit maturation and measurable behavioral changes over time.

What kinds of behaviors are in scope?

Projects should connect developing neural circuits to the emergence of cognitive, emotional (affective), and social behaviors. The expectation is that behavior is measured and meaningfully integrated with neural circuit development across time.

What is the central scientific theme applicants are expected to address?

Applicants are expected to study how interactions within individual brain regions and across distributed networks change across prenatal and postnatal periods, and how those changing interactions enable increasingly complex behavior to emerge.

Is the focus on describing developmental milestones?

No. The focus is not simply to describe milestones or developmental stages. The stated intent is to uncover mechanistic, cause-and-effect relationships that link circuit development to behavior across time.

Which model systems are expected for projects under this FOA?

Projects are expected to use rodents or non-human primates as the model systems.

Does the FOA expect studies across developmental trajectories or single time points?

The FOA emphasizes neurodevelopmental trajectories rather than isolated snapshots. The work should examine how circuits and behavior change across developmental periods (including prenatal and postnatal windows) instead of focusing on a single age or a single time point.

Are in vivo neural measures required?

A key requirement embedded in the scientific description is the use of in vivo neural measures in awake, behaving animals. This points toward approaches that directly capture neural activity or circuit function while animals engage in relevant behaviors.

Do animals need to be awake and behaving during neural measurement?

Yes. The opportunity points toward in vivo neural measures specifically in awake, behaving animals, aligning neural readouts with behavioral engagement relevant to cognition, affect, or social interaction.

What kinds of approaches fit the "in vivo neural measures" expectation?

The description steers projects toward designs integrating behavior with live neural measurement methods, such as electrophysiology, imaging, or other real-time circuit readouts, as long as they directly capture circuit function while behavior is occurring and are tied to developmental change.

Are purely ex vivo, purely anatomical, or indirect assessments appropriate?

The FOA steers applications away from purely ex vivo, purely anatomical, or heavily indirect assessments when they are not tied to behavior and developmental change. Approaches are expected to connect circuit function to behavior over time, not solely provide static descriptions.

What grant mechanism does this opportunity use?

This FOA uses the NIH R01 grant mechanism, which is generally intended for mature, well-developed projects with clear aims and a strong justification for scope.

How does this R01 relate to the companion R21 mentioned in the opportunity?

The announcement notes a companion R21 opportunity designed for shorter, potentially higher-risk projects. This signals that PAR-19-027 (R01) is meant for substantial research programs with depth and feasibility rather than brief exploratory studies.

What does "Clinical Trial Not Allowed" mean in this FOA?

It means the funded work must remain in basic research and cannot be structured as a clinical trial. In practical terms, it should not be designed to prospectively assign human participants to interventions to evaluate health-related outcomes, and it should align with preclinical, mechanistic studies in animal models.

Does this opportunity support studies in humans?

Based on the description provided, the scientific expectations are centered on animal models (rodents or non-human primates) and on basic mechanistic research rather than human clinical trial structures.

What is the award ceiling for this opportunity?

The listed award ceiling is $500,000 (as provided in the source data), which helps frame the expected scale of projects.

What is the CFDA number and the funding classification?

The CFDA number listed is 93.242. The opportunity is described as a discretionary grant and is classified as health-related.

When was this FOA created, and what is the closing date listed in the provided information?

The FOA was created on 2018-10-17. The original closing date provided is 2022-01-07.

If the closing date listed is in the past, should applicants still rely on it?

No. The provided information indicates the FOA was active during that period, but NIH opportunities are often renewed, modified, or replaced. Applicants should verify the current status and check for any reissued versions if planning a submission now.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is broad and includes many U.S. and non-U.S. organization types. Eligible applicants include state, county, city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; Native American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments); public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education when specified); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and other entities.

Are non-U.S. organizations eligible?

Yes. The FOA explicitly includes non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities/foreign organizations and regional organizations as eligible applicant types.

Are minority-serving institutions and other designated organizations explicitly included?

Yes. The FOA explicitly highlights additional eligible applicant types such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, AANAPISIs, Hispanic-serving Institutions, HBCUs, and TCCUs, as well as faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, and U.S. territories or possessions.

What type of research program is NIH signaling it wants to fund under PAR-19-027?

Taken together, the FOA calls for rigorous, mechanistic developmental neuroscience connecting circuit maturation to emerging behavior using awake, behaving animal models and in vivo neural measures. Competitive applications are expected to explain not just what changes during development, but how and why those changes occur at the level of circuit interactions and how those changes translate into cognitive, affective, and social functions.