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This FOA relates to one of the initiatives of the SPARC (Stimulating Peripheral Activity to Relieve Conditions) Common Fund program titled: Use of Existing Market-Approved Technology for New Market Indications. By establishing effective public-private partnerships, this SPARC initiative allows supported investigators to have access to existing neuromodulation technology to explore new indications. A number of device manufacturers have entered into partnership agreements with the NIH to make their neuromodulation technology, consisting of implantable devices with recording and/or stimulation capabilities, available to SPARC's supported clinical investigators (see Device Portal for a list of companies and available technologies). The specific goal of this FOA is to promote the pre-clinical development of these technologies, in support of a new market indication, towards enabling an Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) submission for a future pilot clinical study. Awarded projects of this FOA that fully reach their pre-clinical testing milestones will be eligible for further support, subject to a subsequent FOA, to conduct a pilot clinical study. The expectation is that these pilot clinical studies will provide the initial proof-of-principle demonstrations in humans that will motivate the additional studies needed in pursuing FDA approval as a labeled indication.

This FOA relates to one of the initiatives of the SPARC (Stimulating Peripheral Activity to Relieve Conditions) Common Fund program titled: Use of Existing Market-Approved Technology for New Market Indications. By establishing effective public-private partnerships, this SPARC initiative allows supported investigators to have access to existing neuromodulation technology to explore new indications. A number of device manufacturers have entered into partnership agreements with the NIH to make their neuromodulation technology, consisting of implantable devices with recording and/or stimulation capabilities, available to SPARC's supported clinical investigators (see Device Portal for a list of companies and available technologies). The specific goal of this FOA is to promote the pre-clinical development of these technologies, in support of a new market indication, towards enabling an Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) submission for a future pilot clinical study. Awarded projects of this FOA that fully reach their pre-clinical testing milestones will be eligible for further support, subject to a subsequent FOA, to conduct a pilot clinical study. The expectation is that these pilot clinical studies will provide the initial proof-of-principle demonstrations in humans that will motivate the additional studies needed in pursuing FDA approval as a labeled indication.

A central goal of the BRAIN Initiative is to understand how electrical and chemical signals code information in neural circuits and give rise to sensations, thoughts, emotions and actions. Available technologies for recording and manipulating neural circuit activity in human and animal experiments are not sufficient to accomplish this goal. Non-invasive technologies are low resolution and/or provide indirect measures such as blood flow, which are imprecise. Invasive technologies can provide information at the level of single neurons producing the fundamental biophysical signals, but they can only be applied to tens or hundreds of neurons, out of a total number in the human brain estimated at 85 billion. Previous BRAIN FOAs sought to develop novel technology (RFA-NS-15-003) or to optimize existing technology ready for in-vivo proof-of-concept testing and collection of preliminary data (RFA-NS-15-004). This FOA seeks applications for technology at an even earlier stage of development. It seeks new and untested ideas that are in the very earliest stages. The support provided might enable calculations, simulations, computational models, or other mathematical approaches for demonstrating that the signal sources and/or measurement technologies are theoretically capable of meeting the demands of large-scale recording or manipulation of circuit activity. The support might also be used for building and testing phantoms, prototypes, in-vitro or other bench-top models in order to validate underlying theoretical assumptions in preparation for future FOAs aimed at testing in animal models. Invasive or non-invasive approaches are sought that will ultimately enable or reduce the current barriers to large-scale recording or manipulation of neural activity, and that would be compatible with experiments in humans or behaving animals. Applications are encouraged from any qualified individuals, including physicists, engineers, theoreticians, and scientists, especially those no

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) intends to accelerate the integration and use of scalable technologies and tools to enhance and reinvigorate brain cell census research, including the development of technology platforms and/or resources that will enable a swift and comprehensive survey of brain cell types and circuits. Of particular interest are those that will (a) improve technology and resource platforms to remove limitations and bottlenecks in the current pipeline of brain cell census data generation; (b) integrate experimental and computational methods to enhance capabilities of cell census data generation and analysis and to reduce barriers to hypothesis-driven research; (c) generate a substantial amount of spatiotemporal cell census data and/or resources to demonstrate the utility of the improved technology and resource platforms; and (d) conduct comparative studies by using proper criteria to evaluate and benchmark quality of biospecimen, performance of cell census tools/technologies, and effectiveness of computational approaches. The projects funded under this FOA will align with the overarching goals of the BRAIN Initiative Cell Census Network (BICCN) and are expected to generate a substantial amount of cell census data using the proposed technologies or via collaboration with the BICCN.

Understanding the dynamic activity of neural circuits is central to the NIH BRAIN Initiative. Although invention and proof-of-concept testing of new technologies are a key component of the BRAIN Initiative, to achieve their potential these technologies must also be optimized through feedback from end-users in the context of the intended experimental use. This FOA seeks applications for the optimization of existing and emerging technologies and approaches that have potential to address major challenges associated with recording and manipulating neural activity, at or near cellular resolution, at multiple spatial and temporal scales, in any region and throughout the entire depth of the brain. This FOA is intended for the iterative refinement of emergent technologies and approaches that have already demonstrated their transformative potential through initial proof-of-concept testing, and are appropriate for accelerated development of hardware and software while scaling manufacturing techniques towards sustainable, broad dissemination and user-friendly incorporation into regular neuroscience practice. Proposed technologies should be compatible with experiments in behaving animals, and should include advancements that enable or reduce major barriers to hypothesis-driven experiments. Technologies may engage diverse types of signaling beyond neuronal electrical activity for large-scale analysis, and may utilize any modality such as optical, electrical, magnetic, acoustic or genetic recording/manipulation. Applications that seek to integrate multiple approaches are encouraged. Applications are expected to integrate appropriate domains of expertise, including where appropriate biological, chemical and physical sciences, engineering, computational modeling and statistical analysis. Also listed under R01

A central goal of the BRAIN Initiative is to understand how electrical and chemical signals code information in neural circuits and give rise to sensations, thoughts, emotions and actions. While currently available technologies can provide some understanding, they may not be sufficient to accomplish this goal. For example, non-invasive technologies are low resolution and/or provide indirect measures such as blood flow, which are imprecise; invasive technologies can provide information at the level of single neurons producing the fundamental biophysical signals, but they can only be applied to tens or hundreds of neurons, out of a total number in the human brain estimated at 85 billion. Other BRAIN FOAs seek to develop novel technology (RFA-NS-16-006) or to optimize existing technology ready for in-vivo proof-of-concept testing and collection of preliminary data (RFA-NS-16-007) for recording or manipulating neural activity on a scale that is beyond what is currently possible. This FOA seeks applications for unique and innovative technologies that are in an even earlier stage of development than that sought in other FOAs, including new and untested ideas that are in the initial stages of conceptualization.

A central goal of the BRAIN Initiative is to understand how electrical and chemical signals code information in neural circuits and give rise to sensations, thoughts, emotions and actions. While currently available technologies can provide some understanding, they may not be sufficient to accomplish this goal. For example, non-invasive technologies are low resolution and/or provide indirect measures such as blood flow, which are imprecise; invasive technologies can provide information at the level of single neurons producing the fundamental biophysical signals, but they can only be applied to tens or hundreds of neurons, out of a total number in the human brain estimated at 85 billion. Other BRAIN FOAs seek to develop novel technology (RFA-NS-17-003) or to optimize existing technology ready for in-vivo proof-of-concept testing and collection of preliminary data (RFA-NS-17-004) for recording or manipulating neural activity on a scale that is beyond what is currently possible. This FOA seeks applications for unique and innovative technologies that are in an even earlier stage of development than that sought in other FOAs, including new and untested ideas that are in the initial stages of conceptualization.

The McKnight Endowment Fund for Neuroscience supports innovative research designed to bring science closer to the day when diseases of the brain can be accurately diagnosed, prevented, and treated. To that end, the McKnight Endowment Fund for Neuroscience invites Letters of Intent for its 2018 McKnight Technological Innovations in Neuroscience awards. The program encourages and supports scientists working on the development of novel and creative approaches to the understanding of brain function. McKnight is interested in how a new technology may be used to monitor, manipulate, analyze, or model brain function at any level, from the molecular to the entire organism. Technology may take any form, from biochemical tools to instruments to software and mathematical approaches. Because the program seeks to advance and enlarge the range of technologies available to the neurosciences, research based primarily on existing techniques will not be considered. A goal of the Technological Innovations awards is to foster collaboration between the neurosciences and other disciplines; therefore, collaborative and cross-disciplinary applications are explicitly invited.

The McKnight Endowment Fund for Neuroscience supports innovative research designed to bring science closer to the day when diseases of the brain can be accurately diagnosed, prevented, and treated. To that end, the McKnight Endowment Fund for Neuroscience invites Letters of Intent for its 2018 McKnight Technological Innovations in Neuroscience awards. The program encourages and supports scientists working on the development of novel and creative approaches to the understanding of brain function. McKnight is interested in how a new technology may be used to monitor, manipulate, analyze, or model brain function at any level, from the molecular to the entire organism. Technology may take any form, from biochemical tools to instruments to software and mathematical approaches. Because the program seeks to advance and enlarge the range of technologies available to the neurosciences, research based primarily on existing techniques will not be considered. A goal of the Technological Innovations awards is to foster collaboration between the neurosciences and other disciplines; therefore, collaborative and cross-disciplinary applications are explicitly invited.

The purpose of this FOA is to invite innovative research pre-applications from applicants who have an interest in submitting an application to "Stimulating Peripheral Activity to Relieve Conditions (SPARC): Technologies to Understand the Control of Organ Function by the Peripheral Nervous System (OT2)", companion announcement RFA-RM-16-003.  This NIH Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) solicits pre-applications to develop new and/or enhance existing tools and technologies to be used to elucidate the neurobiology and neurophysiology underlying autonomic control of organs in health or disease, which will ultimately inform next generation neuromodulation therapies. These two-year projects will facilitate technology development for neural mapping activities through the NIH SPARC Common Fund program.

The purpose of this FOA is to invite innovative research pre-applications from applicants who have an interest in submitting an application to "Stimulating Peripheral Activity to Relieve Conditions (SPARC): Technologies to Understand the Control of Organ Function by the Peripheral Nervous System (OT2)", companion announcement RFA-RM-16-003.  This NIH Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) solicits pre-applications to develop new and/or enhance existing tools and technologies to be used to elucidate the neurobiology and neurophysiology underlying autonomic control of organs in health or disease, which will ultimately inform next generation neuromodulation therapies. These two-year projects will facilitate technology development for neural mapping activities through the NIH SPARC Common Fund program.

The purpose of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to invite Cooperative Agreement (U01) applications for the development of enabling informatics technologies to improve the acquisition, management, analysis, and dissemination of data and knowledge across the cancer research continuum including cancer biology, cancer treatment and diagnosis, cancer prevention, cancer control and epidemiology, and/or cancer health disparities. As a component of the NCI's Informatics Technology for Cancer Research (ITCR) Program, this FOA focuses on early-stage development from prototyping to hardening and adaptation. Early-stage development is defined for the purpose of this FOA as the initial development or the significant modification of existing tools for new applications. The central mission of ITCR is to promote research-driven informatics technology across the development lifecycle to address priority needs in cancer research. In order to be successful, proposed development plans must have a clear rationale on why the proposed technology is needed and how it will benefit the cancer research field.

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) encourages applications that will develop novel technologies and/or tools for the isolation and characterization of extracellular vesicles (EVs) of Central Nervous System (CNS) origin. The primary focus of the technology development includes robust and reproducible CNS-EV isolation methods. Specifically, there is a need to establish technologies for the isolation and purification of CNS-EVs from peripheral samples and the characterization of CNS-EV types, cargos, and origin, as well as to validate these methods for further analyses. Validation of these technologies may include the analysis of the full range of EV composition such as RNA, proteins, lipids, and metabolites.

Although invention and proof-of-concept testing of new technologies is a key component of the BRAIN Initiative, to achieve their potential these technologies must also be optimized through feedback from end-users in the context of the intended experimental use. In this FOA we seek applications for the optimization of existing and emerging technologies and approaches that have potential to address major challenges associated with recording and manipulating neural activity, with cellular resolution, at multiple spatial and temporal scales, in any region and throughout the entire depth of the brain. This FOA is intended for the iterative refinement of emergent technologies and approaches that have already demonstrated their transformative potential through initial proof-of-concept testing, and are appropriate for accelerated engineering development with an end-goal of broad dissemination and incorporation into regular neuroscience practice.

As "The Army's Sensor Developer," NVESD researches and develops cutting edge technology, with the goal of exceeding U.S. Soldier requirements, and allowing an asymmetrical advantage in changing battlefield environments. This BAA solicits proposals against a broad range of night vision technologies which support the Warfighter and challenges of Asymmetric Warfare. The technologies have been divided into three (3) sections: Science and Technology; Ground Combat Systems; and Modeling and Simulation.

The purpose of this Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to encourage the transfer of new technologies and new data analysis techniques into a research laboratory.  One of the key goals of the BRAIN Initiative is to develop new technologies to improve our understanding of the brain.  In order for those technologies to be useful, they need to be broadly disseminated beyond the laboratory or company where they originated.  This FOA promotes this goal by providing funds to enable the incorporation of new technologies or data analysis techniques into research programs that further the aims of the BRAIN initiative.

The purpose of this funding opportunity announcement (FOA) is to support the development of novel tools and technologies through the through the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program to advance the field of neuroscience research, including 1) tools to facilitate the detailed analysis of complex circuits and provide insights into cellular interactions that underlie brain function, 2) proof-of-concept testing and development of new technologies and novel approaches for large scale recording and manipulation of neural activity, at or near cellular resolution, at multiple spatial and/or temporal scales, in any region and throughout the entire depth of the brain, and 3) iterative refinement of such tools and technologies with the end-user community with an end-goal of scaling manufacture towards reliable, broad, sustainable dissemination and incorporation into regular neuroscience practice.     

The Technology Validation and Start-Up Fund (the "Program") provides grants to transition technology from Ohio research institutions into the marketplace through Ohio start-up companies. Ohio research institutions may apply for funding for validation (e.g. viability testing, prototyping, etc.) of their unlicensed technologies. Ohio start-up companies may apply for funding to advance towards commercialization a technology they intend to license from an Ohio research institution.

These awards encourage and support scientists working on the development of novel and creative approaches to understanding brain function. The fund supports efforts to examine how a new technology may be used to monitor, manipulate, analyze, or model brain function at any level, from the molecular to the entire organism. Technology may take any form, from biochemical tools to instruments to software and mathematical approaches. Because the program seeks to advance and enlarge the range of technologies available to the neurosciences, research based primarily on existing techniques will not be considered.

These awards encourage and support scientists working on the development of novel and creative approaches to understanding brain function. The fund supports efforts to examine how a new technology may be used to monitor, manipulate, analyze, or model brain function at any level, from the molecular to the entire organism. Technology may take any form, from biochemical tools to instruments to software and mathematical approaches. Because the program seeks to advance and enlarge the range of technologies available to the neurosciences, research based primarily on existing techniques will not be considered.

The purpose of this funding opportunity announcement (FOA) is to support the development of novel tools and technologies through the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program to advance the field of neuroscience research. This FOA specifically supports the development of novel neurotechnologies as well as the translation of technologies developed through the BRAIN initiative or through other funding programs, towards commercialization. Funding can support the iterative refinement of these tools and technologies with the end-user community, with an end-goal of scaling manufacture towards reliable, broad, sustainable dissemination and incorporation into regular neuroscience practice.

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) intends to accelerate the use of scalable technologies and tools to enhance brain cell census research, including the development of technology platforms and/or resources and the generation of spatiotemporal cell census data and/or resources. Applications are expected to address limitations and gaps of existing technologies/tools as a benchmark against which the improvements or competitive advantages of the proposed ones will be measured. The improvements include throughput, sensitivity, selectivity, scalability, spatiotemporal resolution and reproducibility in cell atlas analyses. The projects funded under this FOA will align with the overarching goals of the BRAIN Initiative Cell Census Network (BICCN) and are expected to enable the generation of a large amount of cell census data using the proposed technologies or via collaboration with the BICCN.

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) intends to accelerate the integration and use of scalable technologies and tools to enhance brain cell census research, including the development of technology platforms and/or resources that will enable a swift and comprehensive survey of brain cell types and circuits. Applications are expected to address limitations and gaps of existing technologies/tools as a benchmark against which the improvements or competitive advantages of the proposed ones will be measured.