Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA MH 19 145
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) released this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), titled "BRAIN Initiative: Data Archives for the BRAIN Initiative (R24 Clinical Trial Optional)" (Funding Opportunity Number RFA-MH-19-145), to support the creation of web-accessible data archives that can capture, store, and curate data generated through BRAIN Initiative activities. The central idea is to build durable, community-facing repositories that make BRAIN-related datasets easier to find, access, understand, and reuse, ultimately accelerating neuroscience research by turning scattered project outputs into well-organized, widely available community resources.
This opportunity is focused specifically on developing the archive infrastructure and the surrounding services needed for high-quality data stewardship. Applicants are expected to create systems that can ingest and manage BRAIN Initiative data, preserve it over time, and curate it so it remains interpretable and useful beyond the original generating lab or project. A key expectation is that the archive will engage with the broader research community so that the archive aligns with real user needs, including the ability for users to analyze and visualize data through tools that the archive can help incorporate or enable. At the same time, the FOA draws a clear boundary around what it will and will not fund: the actual creation of new analysis and visualization tools is not part of this announcement, and neither is the creation of new data standards. Instead, awardees are expected to use appropriate, existing standards to describe and organize the data, and to build an archive that can support the integration of tools and workflows without being primarily a tool-development project.
A major program goal is broad accessibility. The data archives are meant to function as community resources, offering not just raw storage but also the documentation, metadata, and summary information needed for other researchers to understand what the data are, how they were generated, and how they can be responsibly reused. In practice, that implies an emphasis on well-structured metadata, consistent data descriptions, clear user-facing information, and curation processes that improve data quality and interoperability. Because these archives are expected to serve the wider BRAIN ecosystem, they should be designed to scale, support diverse data types, and remain reliable over time as research programs expand and as new datasets are submitted.
The FOA uses the R24 activity code and is marked "Clinical Trial Optional," meaning applicants may propose projects that include a clinical trial component if appropriate, but a clinical trial is not required for eligibility. The funding mechanism is a discretionary grant, and the overall activity category is listed under Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services. Multiple CFDA numbers are associated with this opportunity (93.173, 93.213, 93.242, 93.273, 93.279, 93.286, 93.853, 93.865, 93.866, 93.867), reflecting NIH institute and program connections that may be relevant depending on the specific scientific and infrastructure scope of the proposed archive.
Eligibility is broad and includes many types of organizations that can credibly build and operate a national or international research data resource. Eligible applicants include state, county, and 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 tribal governments; tribal organizations (including those other than federally recognized tribal governments); public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. The FOA also highlights additional eligible applicant categories such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), eligible federal agencies, faith-based or community-based organizations, non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations), regional organizations, Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (other than federally recognized), and U.S. territories or possessions. This breadth signals NIH interest in encouraging participation from a wide range of capable institutions, including those serving underrepresented communities and those outside the continental United States.
Administrative details in the source record indicate the FOA was created on July 17, 2018, with an original closing date of September 6, 2019. The listing does not specify an award ceiling or the expected number of awards in the provided fields, but the intent is clearly to fund the establishment or enhancement of robust, web-based archives that can support BRAIN Initiative data at scale. Overall, the opportunity is best understood as an investment in shared research infrastructure: not a call to invent brand-new standards or build brand-new analysis platforms from scratch, but a call to build dependable, well-curated, standards-aligned data archives that make BRAIN Initiative data broadly usable by the neuroscience community.Apply for RFA MH 19 145
- The National Institutes of Health in the education, health, income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BRAIN Initiative: Data Archives for the BRAIN Initiative (R24 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.173, 93.213, 93.242, 93.273, 93.279, 93.286, 93.853, 93.865, 93.866, 93.867.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2018-07-17.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2019-09-06. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- 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 title and funding opportunity number for this NIH announcement?
The FOA is titled "BRAIN Initiative: Data Archives for the BRAIN Initiative (R24 Clinical Trial Optional)" and the Funding Opportunity Number is RFA-MH-19-145.
What is the main purpose of this funding opportunity?
This opportunity supports the creation of web-accessible data archives that can capture, store, preserve, and curate data generated through BRAIN Initiative activities. The goal is to turn distributed project outputs into durable, community-facing repositories that make BRAIN-related datasets easier to find, access, understand, and reuse.
What kind of resource is NIH trying to create through this FOA?
NIH is aiming to support durable, scalable, community resources (archives/repositories) that provide more than data storage. The archives should include strong metadata, documentation, and user-facing summary information so that researchers beyond the original data-generating lab can responsibly interpret and reuse the data.
What are the expected core functions of the data archive?
Based on the FOA description, applicants are expected to build systems and services that can:
- Ingest BRAIN Initiative data
- Capture and store data in a web-accessible archive
- Preserve data over time (long-term stewardship)
- Curate data so it remains interpretable and useful beyond the original project
- Provide metadata, documentation, and summaries that make datasets understandable and reusable
- Scale to support diverse data types and expanding submission volume
- Remain reliable as BRAIN programs grow and new datasets are added
Is this opportunity focused on building infrastructure or generating new research data?
This opportunity is focused on developing archive infrastructure and surrounding services for high-quality data stewardship. The emphasis is on capturing, managing, curating, and preserving existing BRAIN Initiative-generated data, rather than generating new datasets.
Does the FOA require community engagement?
Yes. A key expectation is that the archive will engage with the broader research community so that the archive aligns with real user needs. This includes supporting ways for users to analyze and visualize data through tools that the archive can help incorporate or enable.
Are analysis and visualization tools funded under this FOA?
No. The FOA draws a clear boundary that the actual creation of new analysis and visualization tools is not part of this announcement. The archive should be able to support integration of tools and workflows, but the project should not be primarily a tool-development effort.
Are applicants expected to create new data standards as part of this project?
No. The FOA states that the creation of new data standards is not part of this announcement. Awardees are expected to use appropriate, existing standards to describe and organize the data.
What does "Clinical Trial Optional" mean for this FOA?
"Clinical Trial Optional" means applicants may propose projects that include a clinical trial component if appropriate, but a clinical trial is not required to apply or to be eligible under this announcement.
What NIH activity code is used for this funding opportunity?
The FOA uses the R24 activity code.
What is the funding mechanism for this opportunity?
The funding mechanism is a discretionary grant.
What overall activity category is associated with the opportunity in the source record?
The overall activity category is listed as Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services.
Which CFDA numbers are associated with this opportunity?
Multiple CFDA numbers are associated with this FOA: 93.173, 93.213, 93.242, 93.273, 93.279, 93.286, 93.853, 93.865, 93.866, and 93.867.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad and includes a wide range of organization types that can credibly build and operate a research data resource. Eligible applicants include:
- State, county, and 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 tribal governments
- Tribal organizations (including those other than federally recognized tribal governments)
- Public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities
- Nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education)
- For-profit organizations other than small businesses
- Small businesses
- Eligible federal agencies
- Faith-based or community-based organizations
- Non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations)
- Regional organizations
- U.S. territories or possessions
Does the FOA specifically encourage applications from institutions serving underrepresented communities?
The FOA highlights additional eligible applicant categories such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, AANAPISIs, Hispanic-serving Institutions, HBCUs, TCCUs, and other organizations. This indicates NIH interest in broad participation, including from institutions that serve underrepresented communities.
Are foreign (non-U.S.) organizations eligible to apply?
Yes. The eligibility list explicitly includes non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations).
What makes these archives "community-facing" according to the FOA description?
The archives are intended to function as community resources with web accessibility, strong metadata and documentation, and summary information that enables other researchers to find, understand, and reuse BRAIN Initiative datasets. The FOA emphasizes aligning the archive with user needs through community engagement.
What does the FOA mean by long-term preservation and stewardship?
In this context, long-term preservation and stewardship means the archive should preserve data over time and curate it so it remains interpretable and useful beyond the original generating lab or project. Reliability and durability are emphasized as BRAIN programs expand and more datasets are submitted.
Does the FOA specify the award ceiling or the expected number of awards?
No. The provided fields in the source record do not specify an award ceiling or the expected number of awards.
When was the FOA created and what was the original closing date?
The source record indicates the FOA was created on July 17, 2018, and the original closing date was September 6, 2019.
What is the overall program goal for these archives?
The overall goal is broad accessibility and reuse of BRAIN Initiative data. By making datasets easier to find, access, understand, and reuse, the archives are intended to accelerate neuroscience research and amplify the value of BRAIN-funded activities.
How should applicants approach standards and interoperability under this FOA?
Applicants are expected to use appropriate, existing standards to describe and organize data, and to implement curation processes that improve data quality and interoperability. The FOA does not fund creating new standards.
Should the proposed archive support different kinds of BRAIN data?
Yes. The FOA emphasizes that archives should be designed to scale and support diverse data types, reflecting the needs of the wider BRAIN ecosystem.
Is this FOA mainly about building new analysis platforms?
No. The opportunity is best understood as an investment in shared research infrastructure for dependable, well-curated, standards-aligned data archives. It is not a call to build brand-new analysis platforms from scratch.
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| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| BRAIN Initiative: Integration and Analysis of BRAIN Initiative Data (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for RFA MH 19 147 Funding Number: RFA MH 19 147 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| BRAIN Initiative: Development Optimization, and Validation of Novel Tools and Technologies for Neuroscience Research (SBIR) (R43/R44 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for PA 18 871 Funding Number: PA 18 871 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| BRAIN Initiative: Development Optimization, and Validation of Novel Tools and Technologies for Neuroscience Research (STTR) (R41/R42 - Clinical Trials Not Allowed) Apply for PA 18 870 Funding Number: PA 18 870 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| BRAIN Initiative: Development of Novel Tools to Probe Cell-Specific and Circuit-Specific Processes in Human and Non-Human Primate Brain (UG3/UH3 Clinical Trial Optional) Apply for RFA MH 19 135 Funding Number: RFA MH 19 135 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| BRAIN Initiative: Research Opportunities Using Invasive Neural Recording and Stimulating Technologies in the Human Brain (U01 Clinical Trial Required) Apply for RFA NS 19 001 Funding Number: RFA NS 19 001 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Developing the Therapeutic Potential of the Endocannabinoid System for Pain Treatment (R01 - Clinical Trial Optional) Apply for PA 18 917 Funding Number: PA 18 917 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| BRAIN Initiative Cell Census Network (BICCN) Specialized Collaboratory on Human and Non-Human Primate Brain Cell Atlases (U01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for RFA MH 19 149 Funding Number: RFA MH 19 149 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| BRAIN Initiative Cell Census Network (BICCN) Scalable Technologies and Tools for Brain Cell Census (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for RFA MH 19 148 Funding Number: RFA MH 19 148 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Opportunities for Collaborative Research at the NIH Clinical Center (U01 Clinical Trial Optional) Apply for PAR 18 951 Funding Number: PAR 18 951 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| Pre-application: Opportunities for Collaborative Research at the NIH Clinical Center (X02 Clinical Trial Optional) Apply for PAR 18 950 Funding Number: PAR 18 950 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| BRAIN Initiative: Research on the Ethical Implications of Advancements in Neurotechnology and Brain Science (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) Apply for RFA MH 19 400 Funding Number: RFA MH 19 400 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $300,000 |
| BRAIN Initiative: Research Resource Grants for Technology Integration and Dissemination (U24 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for RFA NS 19 006 Funding Number: RFA NS 19 006 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Small Research Grants for Analyses of Data for the Gabriella Miller Kids First Data Resource (R03 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for PAR 19 069 Funding Number: PAR 19 069 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| Mentored Research Scientist Development Award (Parent K01 - Independent Basic Experimental Studies with Humans Required) Apply for PA 19 084 Funding Number: PA 19 084 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| HEAL Initiative: Back Pain Consortium (BACPAC) Research Program Technology Research Sites (UH2/UH3 Clinical Trial Optional) Apply for RFA AR 19 028 Funding Number: RFA AR 19 028 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $400,000 |
| HEAL Initiative: Back Pain Consortium (BACPAC) Research Program: Mechanistic Research Centers (U19 Clinical Trial Optional) Apply for RFA AR 19 026 Funding Number: RFA AR 19 026 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| HEAL Initiative: Back Pain Consortium (BACPAC) Research Program Data Integration, Algorithm Development and Operations Management Center (U24 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for RFA AR 19 027 Funding Number: RFA AR 19 027 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $3,600,000 |
| HEAL Initiative: Clinical Devices to Treat Pain (UH3 Clinical Trial Optional) Apply for RFA NS 19 018 Funding Number: RFA NS 19 018 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| HEAL Initiative: Pragmatic and Implementation Studies for the Management of Pain to Reduce Opioid Prescribing (PRISM) (UG3/UH3, Clinical Trials Optional) Apply for RFA AT 19 004 Funding Number: RFA AT 19 004 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| HEAL Initiative: Tissue Chips to Model Nociception, Addiction, and Overdose (UG3/UH3 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for RFA TR 19 003 Funding Number: RFA TR 19 003 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $500,000 |
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