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The intent of the FY18 ERP LRFA is to support a large-scale, prospective, longitudinal epidemiological research study that is relevant to the characterization of PTE. The work must be related to the ERP's mission (see Section II.A, Program Description). Applications should describe how the association of TBI and subsequent PTE will be assessed or characterized. This would include a description of the nature of the TBIs in the cohort. Studies that evaluate the feasibility of using combinations of outcomes (e.g., neuropsychological assessments, imaging, and genomics) are encouraged. Therefore, interdisciplinary research teams or consortia are also encouraged. Note that applicants will be required to submit a Preproposal Narrative. Due to the intent of this mechanism, preliminary data are required. In addition, expedited access to an already identified, suitable study cohort that will support the proposed hypothesis or hypotheses is required. As part of the application process, all applicants are required to provide a Longitudinal Studies Research Statement that addresses the longitudinal aspects of the project. Applicants will also be required to provide a statistical plan and identify appropriate personnel to support the statistical plan as part of the full application.

This FOA solicits new theories, computational models, and statistical tools to derive understanding of brain function from complex neuroscience data. Proposed tools could include the creation of new theories, ideas, and conceptual frameworks to organize/unify data and infer general principles of brain function; new computational models to develop testable hypotheses and design/drive experiments; and new mathematical and statistical methods to support or refute a stated hypothesis about brain function, and/or assist in detecting dynamical features and patterns in complex brain data. It is expected that the tools developed under this FOA will be made widely available to the neuroscience research community for their use and modification. Investigative studies should be limited to validity testing of the tools being developed.

This FOA solicits new theories, computational models, and statistical tools to derive understanding of brain function from complex neuroscience data. Proposed tools could include the creation of new theories, ideas, and conceptual frameworks to organize/unify data and infer general principles of brain function; new computational models to develop testable hypotheses and design/drive experiments; and new mathematical and statistical methods to support or refute a stated hypothesis about brain function, and/or assist in detecting dynamical features and patterns in complex brain data. It is expected that the tools developed under this FOA will be made widely available to the neuroscience research community for their use and modification. Investigative studies should be limited to validity testing of the tools being developed.

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified statistical relationships between tens of thousands of common single nucleotide variants and over a thousand traits. Due to the correlated nature of nearby genetic variants, GWAS implicate regions of the genome and do not necessarily pinpoint the causal variant(s), gene(s) or mechanism(s) underlying the trait association. The purpose of this funding opportunity announcement is to support systematic fine-mapping of genome-wide significant risk loci associated with serious mental illnesses through robust statistical genetic and functional genomic approaches.

The Jointly Sponsored NIH Predoctoral Training Program in the Neurosciences (JSPTPN) is an institutional program that supports broad and fundamental research training in the neurosciences. In addition to a broad education in the neurosciences, a key component will be a curriculum that provides a strong foundation in experimental design, statistical methodology and quantitative reasoning. JSPTPN programs are intended to be 2 years in duration and students may only be appointed to this training grant during the first 2 years of their graduate research training. The primary objective is to prepare students to be outstanding scientists equipped to pursue careers in neuroscience.

This FOA invites applications that will combine multiple cohorts in order to improve statistical power and clarify risk and protective factors for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (AD/ADRD).

The Jointly Sponsored NIH Predoctoral Training Program in the Neurosciences (JSPTPN) is an institutional program that supports broad and fundamental research training in the neurosciences. In addition to a broad education in the neurosciences, a key component will be a curriculum that provides a strong foundation in experimental design, statistical methodology and quantitative reasoning. . JSPTPN programs are intended to be two years in duration, and students may only be appointed to this training grant during the first 2 years of their graduate research training. The primary objective is to prepare individuals for careers in neuroscience that will have a significant impact on our understanding of nervous system function and the health-related research needs of the nation.

NIH's $40M fiscal year 2014 investment in the BRAIN Initiative will focus on nine areas of research. The vision for the initiative is to combine these areas of research into a coherent, integrated science of cells, circuits, brain and behavior. Generate a census of brain cell types Create structural maps of the brain Develop new, large-scale neural network recording capabilities Develop a suite of tools for neural circuit manipulation Link neuronal activity to behavior Integrate theory, modeling, statistics and computation with neuroscience experiments Delineate mechanisms underlying human brain imaging technologies Create mechanisms to enable collection of human data for scientific research Disseminate knowledge and training

This funding opportunity announcement, in support of the NIH Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative aims to pilot classification strategies to generate a systematic inventory/cell census of cell types in the brain. Pilot projects are sought that would 1) provide cell census data in the whole brain, a brain region, or a significant functional circuit in the vertebrate nervous system; 2) integrate molecular identity of cell types with connectivity, morphology, and location; 3) apply statistical methods for creating a taxonomy of cell types based on molecular identity and connectivity; 4) provide realistic estimates on the number/percentage of defined cell types in specific region(s) and/or circuit(s); and 5) provide a basis to map cell types based on molecular identity and connectivity onto a reference brain atlas. These pilot projects and methodologies should be designed to demonstrate their utility and scalability to ultimately complete a comprehensive cell census of the human brain in the future.

Professional services are required to develop and evaluate techniques for analyzing anatomical and functional brain data using deformable shape and appearance volume models (Metamorphs/Active Volume Models), stretching open active contours (SOAX), and advanced classification methods, including deep learning.  These methods will be investigated and state-of-the-art tools developed for the segmentation of brain MRI and diffusion imaging data and the analysis of fMRI data, with the aim of supporting research into understanding functional brain circuits and their anatomical correlations. Functional-anatomical atlases will be developed to facilitate comparisons across individuals and for statistical modeling.  The required work is projected to be a multi-year effort, with the first year concentrating on feasibility and prototype development.  Subsequent two-year work, if justified by first-year results, will concentrate on the  development and further evaluation of the prototypes as mature tools that contribute to the wider national research initiative to accurately model functioning of the human brain.

Invasive surgical procedures provide the unique ability to record and stimulate neurons within precisely localized brain structures in humans. Human studies using invasive technology are often constrained by a limited number of patients and resources available to implement complex experimental protocols and are rarely aggregated in a manner that addresses research questions with appropriate statistical power. Therefore, this RFA seeks applications to assemble diverse, integrated, multi-disciplinary teams that cross boundaries of interdisciplinary collaboration to overcome these fundamental barriers and to investigate high-impact questions in human neuroscience. Projects should maximize opportunities to conduct innovative in vivo neuroscience research made available by direct access to brain recording and stimulating from invasive surgical procedures.

Invasive surgical procedures provide the unique ability to record and stimulate neurons within precisely localized brain structures in humans. Human studies using invasive technology are often constrained by a limited number of patients and resources available to implement complex experimental protocols and are rarely aggregated in a manner that addresses research questions with appropriate statistical power. Therefore, this RFA seeks applications to assemble diverse, integrated, multi-disciplinary teams that cross boundaries of interdisciplinary collaboration to overcome these fundamental barriers and to investigate high-impact questions in human neuroscience. Projects should maximize opportunities to conduct innovative in vivo neuroscience research made available by direct access to brain recording and stimulating from invasive surgical procedures. Projects should employ approaches guided by specified theoretical constructs and quantitative, mechanistic models where appropriate. Awardees will join a consortium work group, coordinated by the NIH, to identify consensus standards of practice, including neuroethical considerations, to collect and provide data for ancillary studies, and to aggregate and standardize data for dissemination among the wider scientific community.

The purpose of this FOA is to provide support for institutional research training programs in areas relevant to the NINDS mission. These institutional research training programs should produce well-trained neuroscientists who leave the program with the research skills and scientific knowledge to make a significant contribution to neuroscience research. Programs should be designed to enhance the breadth and depth of training in NINDS mission areas by incorporating didactic, research and career development components in the context of a defined scientific theme. Programs may support basic, clinical and/or translational research. Critical components of programs supported by this FOA include mechanisms to ensure a thorough understanding of experimental design, strong statistics and analytical skills, and skills for communicating science, both orally and in writing, to a wide variety of audiences. Regardless of theme, programs should provide opportunities and activities that will foster the development of quantitative literacy and the application of quantitative approaches to the trainees' research. NINDS institutional training programs are intended to be 1-2 years in duration and support training of one or more of the following groups: dissertation stage predoctoral students in their 3rd and/or 4th year of graduate school, postdoctoral fellows and fellowship-stage clinicians. (NINDS does not support first or second year graduate students under this PAR).

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

This FOA encourages applications for multi-site exploratory and confirmatory clinical trials focused on promising interventions, as well as biomarker-or outcome measure validation studies that are immediately preparatory to trials in stroke prevention, treatment, and recovery.  Successful applicants will collaborate and conduct the trial within the NIH StrokeNet.  Following peer review, NINDS will prioritize trials among the highest scoring to be conducted in the NIH StrokeNet infrastructure. The NIH StrokeNet National Coordinating Center (NCC) will work with the successful applicant to implement the proposed study efficiently and the National Data Management Center (NDMC) will provide statistical and data management support.  The NIH StrokeNet Regional Coordinating Centers (RCCs) and their affiliated clinical sites will provide recruitment/retention support as well as on-site implementation of the clinical protocol.

Ohio is home to approximately 26,000 individuals living with paralysis as a result of a Spinal Cord Injury (SCI). According to the National SCI Statistical Center 66% of those individuals remain unemployed with each expected to manage lifetime healthcare costs of $1-3M. This represents a significant cost to the state and also imposes a severe burden on the quality of life for those living with this impairment. While there is research in pursuit of improved treatments to ameliorate the effects of paralysis, the field is significantly underfunded relative to similarly sized patient populations or disease with similar lifetime healthcare costs. While the scientific disciplines of neuroscience and biomedical engineering are making progress toward the development of new treatments, there is a lack of systematic and especially localized effort to guide these advances representative of the various stakeholders. The research funded through this process is specifically targeted to advance and accelerate the development of innovative treatments, product innovation and rehabilitative efforts that lead to the functional improvement of people living with spinal cord injuries. Research topics may include, but are not limited to, discovery science, pharmaceutical development, medical device design and implementation, and the development of novel rehabilitative approaches and techniques.

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) encourages applications to develop valid markers to assess the activity of fundamental aging mechanisms in humans that may influence the risk and progression of multiple aging conditions. Projects are encouraged that focus on selected mechanism(s) that may regulate aging changes, assess multiple possible markers for these mechanisms, test methods to improve their measurement properties, characterize their variability among individuals of differing ages and within the same age cohort, and assess their relationships in humans to in vivo functions influenced by the mechanism(s) under study. It is strongly encouraged that each project includes an interdisciplinary research team with expertise, as needed, in the biology of their selected mechanism(s), biomedical aging research, clinical pathology including laboratory assays, imaging methods, human cohort studies, tissue banking, biorepository resources, and statistics. Though the principal focus of the initiative is on development of markers in humans, studies in laboratory animals may also be conducted when necessary for the development of human markers, and potential development of parallel laboratory animal markers of a given mechanism.

This FOA encourages applications for exploratory clinical trials of investigational agents (drugs, biologics, surgical therapies or devices) that may contribute to the justification for and provide the data required for designing a future trial, for biomarker validation studies, or for proof of mechanism clinical studies. Diseases chosen for study should be based on the NINDS' strategic plan and clinical research interests (www.ninds.nih.gov/funding/areas/index.htm). Successful applicants will be given access to the NeuroNEXT infrastructure. Following peer review, NINDS will prioritize and order trials that are given access to the NeuroNEXT infrastructure. The NeuroNEXT Clinical Coordinating Center (CCC) will work with the successful applicant to efficiently implement the proposed study. The NeuroNEXT Data Coordinating Center (DCC) will provide statistical and data management support. The NeuroNEXT clinical sites will provide recruitment/retention support as well as on-site implementation of the clinical protocol.

Reissue of PAR-17-096. The Jointly Sponsored NIH Predoctoral Training Program in the Neurosciences (JSPTPN) is an institutional program that supports broad and fundamental research training in the neurosciences. In addition to a broad education in the neurosciences, a key component will be a curriculum that provides a strong foundation in experimental design, statistical methodology and quantitative reasoning. JSPTPN programs are intended to be 2 years in duration and students may only be appointed to this training grant during the first 2 years of their graduate research training. The primary objective is to prepare students to be outstanding scientists equipped to pursue careers in neuroscience.

The Administrator of the Administration for Community Living establishes a priority for the funding of a National Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Model Systems Data Center that advances medical rehabilitation by increasing the rigor and efficiency of scientific efforts to longitudinally assess the experience of individuals with TBI. This Data Center must maintain the national longitudinal database for data submitted by each of the TBIS Model Systems Centers. This Data Center must also ensure collection of high quality data and support rigorous research by the model system centers by monitoring data quality, providing training in collecting TBI Model Systems data, and providing methodological consultation to these centers.