Basic Neurodevelopmental Biology of Circuits and Behavior (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | PAR 22 067

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 22 067

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity PAR-22-067, titled "Basic Neurodevelopmental Biology of Circuits and Behavior (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)," supports early-stage, exploratory research that connects how brain circuits mature with how behavior emerges and changes across development. It is a reissue of PAR-19-028 and is aimed at building a mechanistic foundation for understanding neurodevelopment, especially the shifting interactions within and between brain regions before and after birth. The emphasis is on fundamental biology: how developmental trajectories in the brain give rise to cognitive, emotional (affective), and social behaviors as animals grow.

Projects are expected to focus on neurodevelopmental trajectories in rodents or non-human primates, with a clear requirement that investigators study neural activity in vivo in awake, behaving animals. In practical terms, competitive applications will typically propose approaches that directly measure neural signals during behavior (for example, electrophysiology, calcium or voltage imaging, or other neural recording and monitoring strategies suited to live, awake animals), and use those measurements to explain how circuits reorganize and coordinate across developmental stages. The core scientific goal is not simply to map where things are in the brain, but to explain how circuit function and inter-regional communication change over time in ways that can plausibly account for the emergence and refinement of behavior.

This announcement uses the NIH R21 grant mechanism, which is generally designed for exploratory or developmental projects that can open up new directions, generate proof-of-concept evidence, or produce key preliminary data for larger follow-on studies. The FOA also notes that there is a companion opportunity using the R01 mechanism; in contrast to the R21, R01s typically support more extensive programs of research. Importantly, this specific R21 FOA is labeled "Clinical Trial Not Allowed," meaning the proposed work must not be a clinical trial and should remain in the realm of basic, preclinical neurodevelopmental research rather than interventions tested in humans.

From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary grant in the NIH health funding area (CFDA 93.242). The listed award ceiling is $275,000. The opportunity’s original closing date is January 7, 2025. While the record shows "ExpectedAwards" without a number, applicants should generally assume awards are competitive and dependent on NIH priorities, available funds, and scientific merit.

Eligibility is broad and includes many common applicant types: public and private institutions of higher education; state, county, city, township, and special district governments; independent school districts; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status (outside higher education); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. The FOA also explicitly highlights additional eligible applicants such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, AANAPISI institutions, Hispanic-serving institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), tribal governments that are not federally recognized, eligible federal agencies, faith-based or community-based organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and non-U.S. (foreign) entities and regional organizations. In short, NIH is encouraging a wide range of organizations, including underserved and international institutions, to apply if they can carry out the required animal-based, in vivo developmental neuroscience work.

Overall, the opportunity is best suited for researchers who want to link developing neural circuit dynamics to the unfolding of behavior across pre- and post-natal life in rodents or non-human primates, using awake, behaving in vivo neural measurements to uncover mechanisms rather than purely descriptive developmental snapshots.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Basic Neurodevelopmental Biology of Circuits and Behavior (R21 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): 93.242.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2021-11-19.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-01-07. (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 $275,000.00 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 PAR 22 067

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