BRAIN Initiative Cell Census Network (BICCN) Comprehensive Center on Mouse Brain Cell Atlas (U19) | RFA MH 17 225

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA MH 17 225

The BRAIN Initiative Cell Census Network (BICCN) Comprehensive Center on Mouse Brain Cell Atlas (U19) grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number RFA-MH-17-225) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) cooperative agreement designed to stand up a coordinated set of large, high-capacity research centers focused on building a comprehensive, three-dimensional reference atlas of brain cell types in the mouse. The core idea is to move beyond small, isolated datasets and instead create a standardized, scalable, and community-usable “brain cell census” that captures what cell types exist in the mouse brain, where they are located, how they are wired and function, and how they can be targeted experimentally.

This FOA specifically emphasizes forming “Comprehensive Centers” that can operate at scale. Applicants are expected to adopt mature technology platforms and streamlined, reproducible workflows so that data collection is not a one-off effort, but a high-throughput pipeline capable of mapping many brain regions and cell populations in a consistent way. The atlas is intended to integrate multiple layers of annotation, including molecular profiles (for example, gene expression or other molecular signatures that define cell types), anatomical context (where those cells sit in 3D space across brain regions and circuits), and physiological characteristics (how cells behave functionally, such as electrophysiological properties or activity-related features). In practice, the opportunity is about building an integrated reference framework that links “what a cell is” molecularly with “where it is” anatomically and “what it does” physiologically.

A major additional thrust in the announcement is the incorporation of genetic and other advanced cell-specific targeting approaches and tools. In other words, the centers are not only expected to classify and map cell types, but also to help enable follow-on research by developing or integrating methods that allow scientists to label, access, manipulate, or otherwise target specific cell types reliably. That tooling component is important because a cell atlas becomes far more valuable when researchers can use it to design experiments that precisely address defined neuronal and non-neuronal cell populations.

The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement (U19), which generally signals a substantial, multi-component program with active NIH involvement and coordination expectations, rather than a standard investigator-initiated research grant where the government role is more hands-off. The FOA notes that this effort is part of a coordinated set of initiatives (it references three companion FOAs), all aligned around the central goal of building a broadly useful brain cell census resource for the wider research community. That “community resource” framing implies strong expectations around data standardization, interoperability, sharing, and the production of reference-quality datasets that can be reused by other labs, not just the funded teams.

In terms of who can apply, eligibility is broad and includes many government entities (state, county, city/township, special districts), independent school districts, public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, federally recognized Native American tribal governments, and tribal organizations that are not federally recognized. It also includes public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, nonprofits both with and without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education in those categories), for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), and small businesses. In addition, the FOA explicitly highlights a range of “other eligible applicants,” including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), 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, and even non-U.S. (foreign) organizations. Taken together, this indicates NIH was aiming to attract a diverse applicant pool and enable participation from many types of institutions that can contribute to building a large-scale reference atlas and associated tools.

Administrative details from the source include the original closing date of January 23, 2017, and a creation date of October 19, 2016. The opportunity is listed under multiple CFDA numbers (93.173, 93.213, 93.242, 93.273, 93.279, 93.286, 93.853, 93.865, 93.866, 93.867), reflecting NIH’s cross-institute alignment and the broad relevance of the BRAIN Initiative and brain cell census work across neuroscience and mental health research portfolios. The award ceiling and expected number of awards are not specified in the provided source, but the “Comprehensive Center” structure and U19 mechanism typically imply relatively large, multi-project awards designed to support coordinated teams, shared cores, and resource-generation activities.

Overall, this FOA is best understood as NIH’s push to fund a small number of high-capability centers that can industrialize the process of brain cell type identification and mapping in mouse, integrate molecular-anatomical-physiological information into a coherent 3D atlas, and deliver both data and enabling tools so that the resulting brain cell census becomes a foundational reference used broadly across the neuroscience community.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health, income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BRAIN Initiative Cell Census Network (BICCN) Comprehensive Center on Mouse Brain Cell Atlas (U19)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.173, 93.213, 93.242, 93.273, 93.279, 93.286, 93.853, 93.865, 93.866, 93.867.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2016-10-19.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2017-01-23. (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 RFA MH 17 225

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