BRAIN Initiative-Related Research Education: Short Courses (R25 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | RFA EY 21 003

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA EY 21 003

The BRAIN Initiative-Related Research Education: Short Courses (R25 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) funding opportunity (RFA-EY-21-003) is an NIH Research Education Program (R25) grant designed to build and strengthen the neuroscience workforce in areas that align with the NIH BRAIN Initiative. The central aim is to support education-focused programs that expand researchers technical and analytical capabilities in BRAIN-relevant methods, while also reinforcing the broader national need for a strong biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research workforce. In practice, this opportunity is meant to fund well-structured short courses and related research education activities that complement existing academic and research training rather than replace degree programs or traditional fellowships.

This FOA prioritizes creative, high-impact educational activities with a primary emphasis on two formats: Courses for Skills Development and Research Experiences. Competitive programs are expected to go beyond lectures by providing hands-on learning, direct engagement with modern tools and techniques, and a solid conceptual foundation that helps participants understand not just how to use a method, but why it works and when it is appropriate. A key expectation is that participants leave with the practical ability to apply suitable analytical approaches to the data generated by these techniques, reflecting the reality that BRAIN-enabled science often depends as much on computational and quantitative skills as on experimental technique.

The educational goals are explicitly tied to the BRAIN 2025: A Scientific Vision roadmap. Applications are encouraged that advance training in cutting-edge neurotechnologies and approaches associated with the initiative, and that incorporate neuroethics where relevant. The FOA also places strong weight on improving diversity in the BRAIN research community, referencing the NIH definition of diversity (NOT-OD-20-031). Programs should be designed and recruited in ways that broaden participation and create accessible pathways into BRAIN-related research areas for individuals from underrepresented backgrounds.

Eligible participants are limited to specific career stages: undergraduate students, graduate or medical students, medical residents, postdoctoral scholars, and early-career faculty. The focus on these groups reflects the goal of shaping near-term and next-generation investigators who can carry BRAIN approaches into their own labs, clinical research settings, and collaborative projects. Another important feature is that programs supported under this FOA must draw participants from a regionally or nationally recruited cohort, meaning the course should not function solely as an internal training activity for one department or institution; it should be structured to attract and serve trainees beyond a purely local pool.

The FOA also highlights the importance of connecting trainees to BRAIN Initiative data resources and workflows, including the BRAIN cell census data hosted through the Brain Initiative Cell Atlas Network (BICAN) portal (https://bicon.org/data). This signals that NIH is looking for programs that train people to work with real, contemporary datasets and community resources, and that help normalize best practices for data analysis, interpretation, and responsible use, including ethical considerations when applicable.

From an eligibility standpoint, NIH allows a broad range of applicant organizations. Eligible applicants include various levels of government (state, county, city/township, special districts), independent school districts, public and private institutions of higher education, tribal governments and tribal organizations, public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (as applicable), for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), and small businesses. The FOA also explicitly calls out additional eligible categories 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 (AANAPISI), as well as faith-based or community-based organizations and regional organizations. At the same time, there are clear restrictions regarding foreign involvement: non-U.S. entities and foreign institutions are not eligible to apply, non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are not eligible, and foreign components (as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement) are not allowed.

Administratively, this is a discretionary grant under the education, health, and related social services funding activity category, with CFDA numbers listed across multiple NIH institutes and centers (93.173, 93.242, 93.273, 93.279, 93.286, 93.853, 93.865, 93.867). The posted award ceiling is $250,000. The original closing date listed is 2024-02-15, and the opportunity was created on 2021-12-10. Finally, the title designation "Clinical Trial Not Allowed" means proposed activities should not include clinical trials as defined by NIH; the emphasis is on research education and training experiences rather than interventional clinical research studies.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health, income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BRAIN Initiative-Related Research Education: Short Courses (R25 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.173, 93.242, 93.273, 93.279, 93.286, 93.853, 93.865, 93.867.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2021-12-10.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-02-15. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $250,000.00 in funding.
• 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.

Apply for RFA EY 21 003

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: