New Approaches for Measuring Brain Changes Across Longer Timespans (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) | PAR 25 279

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 25 279

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity PAR-25-279, titled "New Approaches for Measuring Brain Changes Across Longer Timespans (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)," is a discretionary grant program designed to push the field toward better ways of measuring how the brain changes over long stretches of time. The core aim is to spur multidisciplinary teams to either invent new measurement approaches or adapt existing tools in genuinely new ways so researchers can more accurately track brain activity, connectivity, genomics, and other neural features across the full neurodevelopmental age spectrum, from early life through aging. A central motivation is that many brain-related outcomes, including later mental and physical health conditions, have developmental origins that may only become clear when measurements are repeated and comparable across large portions of the lifespan.

This opportunity emphasizes innovation that makes long-timespan, repeated measurement feasible and more informative. That means applicants are encouraged to think beyond short-term or narrowly timed studies and instead propose approaches that can reliably capture change across longer epochs, where the same person (or animal) might be assessed at multiple timepoints separated by years, not just weeks or months. The NIH is explicitly interested in technological and conceptual advances that make longitudinal inference stronger, including methods that improve cross-age comparability, reduce noise or bias in repeated measures, and increase the ability to predict later outcomes based on earlier markers. The end goal is not measurement for its own sake, but measurement that materially improves understanding of developmental and aging trajectories and strengthens prediction of later functioning, resilience, risk, or disease.

In terms of what research can include, the scope is broad. Studies may involve healthy human participants of any age, targeted clinical populations, or animal models, as long as the work addresses brain development and/or aging and the measurement challenge of tracking brain changes over longer timespans. Clinical groups of interest can include individuals with challenges in cognition, motor function, or affective regulation, among others, which leaves room for research tied to neurodevelopmental conditions, psychiatric symptom dimensions, or neurological disorders where developmental trajectories matter. The "clinical trial optional" designation indicates that projects may include clinical trials if appropriate, but a clinical trial is not required; applicants can propose observational, methodological, or mechanistic longitudinal studies as well.

A distinctive feature of this announcement is its openness to many levels of analysis, reflecting how modern neuroscience spans from molecules to systems. Proposed studies can focus on longitudinal neuroanatomical or functional changes at virtually any scale, including genetics and genomics, single-cell or cellular measures, connectomics, and neural population activity patterns, as well as other modalities that can capture brain structure, function, or biological state over time. This language is meant to invite applications that connect multiple layers of brain organization, or that develop ways to harmonize measurements across those layers so that developmental change can be characterized more completely and consistently.

From an applicant and institutional standpoint, eligibility is expansive. In addition to standard academic and nonprofit entities, the opportunity lists a wide array of eligible applicants: 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; tribal organizations that are not federally recognized; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. The announcement also highlights additional eligible applicant categories, including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, eligible federal agencies, U.S. territories or possessions, and non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations). This breadth signals an intent to attract diverse research teams and settings, including community-connected organizations and institutions serving underrepresented populations, which can be particularly important for lifespan research and generalizable longitudinal measurement.

Administratively, the funding instrument is an NIH R01 research project grant, placing it in the category of substantial, investigator-initiated research programs that typically support multi-year efforts with a clear set of aims. The NIH is the sponsoring agency, and the opportunity is associated with CFDA numbers 93.286, 93.396, 93.865, and 93.866, reflecting the NIH programs and institutes that may be involved in supporting awards under this umbrella. The posting lists an original closing date of 2027-05-07. Some fields such as the award ceiling and the expected number of awards are not specified in the provided source data, which is common for certain NIH announcements where budgets depend on project scope, institute participation, and standard NIH policies rather than a single fixed cap.

Overall, this grant opportunity is best understood as a call for better longitudinal neuroscience: stronger tools, smarter designs, and more durable measures that can be repeated across years and across developmental stages, allowing researchers to map trajectories of brain change and link early-life patterns to later-life outcomes. It welcomes a wide range of populations, species, and measurement scales, but it is unified by one practical scientific challenge: improving the ability to measure brain changes across longer timespans in ways that deepen understanding of development and aging and improve prediction of later health and disease.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health, income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "New Approaches for Measuring Brain Changes Across Longer Timespans (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.286, 93.396, 93.865, 93.866.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-11-25.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2027-05-07.
• 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 25 279

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