Collaborative Opportunities for Multidisciplinary, Bold, and Innovative Neuroscience (COMBINE) (RM1 Clinical Trial Optional)

Background
The Collaborative Opportunities for Multidisciplinary, Bold, and Innovative Neuroscience (COMBINE) program is designed to support integrated efforts of three to six PDs/PIs to pursue a bold, impactful, and challenging goal with defined 5-year outcomes within the scope of this program and the NINDS mission. This defined research goal must only be achievable by an interdisciplinary team approach involving innovative combination of distinct disciplines and/or intellectual viewpoints, synergy in expertise and approaches, and well-managed team interactions.

Grant Details
The COMBINE program encourages ambitious interdisciplinary team efforts to overcome basic, translational, and clinical research challenges within the NINDS mission. The research goal must be well-defined and sufficiently focused so that meaningful outcomes can be accomplished within 5 years. The program will support projects with a single, focused goal instead of multiple aims. The program also requires a Multiple PD/PI (MPI) structure with three to six PD/PIs who will each bring a distinct scientific viewpoint or expertise necessary to pursue the transformative goal.

Eligibility Requirements
Eligible applicants include higher education institutions, nonprofits, for-profit organizations, local governments, state governments, federal government agencies, U.S. territories or possessions, independent school districts, public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments), faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, and eligible agencies of the federal government. Foreign institutions are not eligible to apply.

Period of Performance
Applications may request up to five years of support. The earliest start date is October 20, 2023.

Grant Value
NINDS intends to commit up to $10M per fiscal year to fund 4-6 awards. Application budgets need to reflect the actual needs of the proposed project with most awards anticipated between $500,000-$1.5M direct costs.