Cellular and Molecular Biology of Complex Brain Disorders (R01) | PAR 17 309

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 17 309

The Cellular and Molecular Biology of Complex Brain Disorders (R01) funding opportunity (PAR-17-309) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) research grant solicitation that supports projects aimed at understanding how changes linked to complex brain disorders affect the core cellular and molecular machinery that enables neurons to function. In practical terms, the FOA is looking for mechanistic, discovery-oriented studies that connect disorder-associated alterations (for example, genetic variation, molecular pathway disruptions, or other disease-related biological changes) to fundamental neuronal processes at the cellular and molecular level, such as signaling, synaptic function, excitability, gene expression regulation, protein trafficking, metabolism, and other basic substrates of neural activity. The emphasis is on clarifying how these alterations influence neuronal biology in ways that may help explain disease mechanisms, rather than solely describing clinical features or broad associations.

This opportunity uses the NIH R01 mechanism, meaning it is intended for full-scale, hypothesis-driven research projects that typically involve well-developed aims, rigorous experimental approaches, and a clear plan for producing generalizable biological insight. The funding instrument type is a grant, the activity category is health, and the CFDA number associated with the program is 93.242. The announcement was created on June 12, 2017, and the original closing date listed in the source information is August 10, 2020. The provided source data does not specify an award ceiling or the expected number of awards, which usually means applicants need to consult NIH institute- and program-specific guidance and standard R01 budget rules to estimate likely funding levels and competitiveness.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S. organizations and government entities, reflecting NIH’s standard approach to enabling diverse institutions to compete. Eligible applicants include state, county, city/township, and special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; Native American tribal organizations other than federally recognized governments; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education in those nonprofit categories); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and other applicant types. The FOA explicitly highlights additional eligible groups, including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISI), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, tribal governments that are not federally recognized, and non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations). Taken together, the eligibility language signals an intent to encourage participation from a wide range of institutional settings, including international and community-based research environments, as long as the proposed science fits the FOA’s mechanistic focus on neuronal cellular and molecular function in the context of complex brain disorders.

At a high level, an application responsive to this FOA would be expected to clearly define the disorder-relevant alteration(s) under study and then build a rigorous experimental plan to determine how those alterations perturb neuronal cellular or molecular substrates. The core idea is to move from “this change is associated with a disorder” toward “this change disrupts specific neuronal mechanisms in specific ways,” producing insight that can help the field understand disease biology and potentially inform future therapeutic strategies, even if treatment development is not the immediate goal of the project.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Cellular and Molecular Biology of Complex Brain Disorders (R01)" 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 2017-06-12.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2020-08-10. (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.

Apply for PAR 17 309

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