New Approaches for Measuring Brain Changes Across Longer Timespans (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)

Background
The National Institutes of Health (NIH), specifically the National Institute on Aging (NIA), National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), and National Cancer Institute (NCI) are issuing this funding opportunity.

The purpose is to encourage multidisciplinary investigators to develop new approaches or apply existing methods in novel ways to measure brain activity, connectivity, genomics, or other aspects across the age spectrum of neurodevelopment. The overarching goal is to extend understanding of brain development and aging, including studies on neurodevelopmental origins of later health and disease.

Grant Details
This funding opportunity encourages research that includes healthy human participants of any age, specific clinical groups with cognitive, motor, or affective regulation challenges, and/or animal research.

Studies may focus on longitudinal neuroanatomical or functional changes at various levels including genetics/genomics, single cells, connectomics, and neural population activity patterns. Applications should develop technological advances to improve repeated measures across longer epochs of the lifespan.

Specific examples include:
- Technological methods to track brain region growth or measure structural/function changes.
- Software tools for harmonizing repeated measurements across the lifespan.
- Modifications to neuroimaging modalities like MEG, EEG, MRI for longitudinal studies.
- Tools for tracking cell types or neurotransmitter systems across life stages.
- Computational models predicting developmental parameters leading to cognitive outcomes.

All projects must include a methods development aim and a hypothesis testing aim with at least two timepoints per participant or animal.

Eligibility Requirements
Eligible applicants include higher education institutions (public/state controlled institutions, private institutions), nonprofits (with or without 501(c)(3) status), for-profit organizations (including small businesses), local/state/county governments, tribal governments, federal agencies, foreign organizations, and community-based organizations. Individuals from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

Period of Performance
The maximum project period is 5 years. The earliest start date for awarded projects is February 5, 2025.

Grant Value
Application budgets are not limited but must reflect the actual needs of the proposed project. The number of awards will depend on NIH appropriations and the submission of meritorious applications.

Place of Performance
The grant can be performed at various locations as specified by the applicant organization.