Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 24 160
New Approaches for Measuring Brain Changes Across Longer Timespans (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) is an NIH grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number PAR-24-160) designed to push the field toward better ways of tracking how the brain changes over long stretches of time, from early development through aging. The central idea is that many of the most important questions in neuroscience, mental health, and neurological disease depend on being able to measure the same underlying brain processes repeatedly and reliably across years or even decades. This program is looking for multidisciplinary teams that can either invent new methods or adapt existing tools in genuinely new ways so that brain activity, brain connectivity, genomics, and other biological or functional signals can be measured across the age spectrum in a way that is practical, interpretable, and predictive of later outcomes.
The science focus is broad on purpose. Projects can concentrate on healthy participants at any age, on specific clinical groups, or on animal models, as long as the work is aimed at understanding longitudinal change and the developmental or aging-related trajectories that matter for health and disease. The opportunity explicitly welcomes studies relevant to cognitive, motor, and affective regulation challenges, which signals interest in domains that cut across many conditions (for example, developmental disorders, mood and anxiety problems, neurodegenerative risk, or recovery after injury). A key theme is the neurodevelopmental origins of later health and disease, meaning applicants are encouraged to connect early-life brain measures to later-life outcomes, and to do so with methods capable of spanning long timescales.
Methodologically, NIH is not limiting applicants to one level of analysis. Proposed research can target longitudinal neuroanatomical change, functional dynamics, or multi-scale biology, ranging from genetics and genomics to single-cell measures, connectomics, and neural population activity patterns. In practice, that means an application might center on improving the stability and comparability of imaging-derived measures over time, developing new computational approaches that allow data collected at different ages (or with evolving technologies) to remain meaningfully comparable, creating assays or analytical pipelines that can be repeated across development without losing interpretability, or building frameworks that integrate multiple modalities into consistent developmental or aging trajectories. The common denominator is technological and conceptual innovation that strengthens repeated measurement across longer epochs of the lifespan and improves the ability to predict later outcomes.
The grant mechanism is an R01 research project grant, with clinical trials listed as optional. That gives applicants flexibility: projects may be purely observational or methodological, or they may include a clinical trial component if it is scientifically justified and consistent with NIH rules for the mechanism. The funding instrument type is a grant, and the opportunity is categorized as discretionary. The activity areas listed align with health and related social service domains, and the associated CFDA numbers include 93.286, 93.396, 93.865, and 93.866, reflecting NIH program alignments relevant to this topic area.
Eligibility is intentionally expansive, reflecting NIH’s interest in drawing in diverse investigators and institutions. Eligible applicants include a wide range of U.S. government entities (state, county, city/township, special districts), independent school districts, public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, and private institutions of higher education. Tribal governments and organizations are eligible, including federally recognized Native American tribal governments and Native American tribal organizations that are not federally recognized. Nonprofits are eligible whether or not they have 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education), as are public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities. The announcement also allows for-profits (other than small businesses) and small businesses, along with an “Other” category that typically covers additional eligible organizational types permitted by NIH policy. In addition, the opportunity highlights specific “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. entities (foreign organizations). This is a notable feature because it encourages participation by institutions serving historically underrepresented communities and supports research capacity and partnerships that can broaden the populations and contexts represented in longitudinal brain research.
Administratively, the sponsoring agency is the National Institutes of Health, and the opportunity was created on March 19, 2024. The listed original closing date is May 7, 2027, indicating a multi-year window during which applications may be accepted on relevant receipt dates under NIH’s standard cycles (exact submission dates and requirements would typically be detailed in the full NIH announcement). The award ceiling and expected number of awards are not specified in the provided data, which is common for NIH FOAs where budgets are driven by scope, institute participation, and standard R01 review and funding decisions rather than a single fixed cap.
In plain terms, this opportunity is for researchers who want to solve the hard measurement problems that keep lifespan neuroscience from being fully predictive: how to measure the brain in ways that remain consistent across changing developmental stages, across long time gaps, across shifting technologies, and across diverse populations or model systems. Strong applications will typically make a clear case that the proposed approach will materially improve longitudinal inference, not just add another snapshot measure, and that it will enable better prediction or understanding of later-life outcomes rooted in earlier brain development or earlier-life exposures.Apply for PAR 24 160
- 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 2024-03-19.
- 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.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is this funding opportunity?
New Approaches for Measuring Brain Changes Across Longer Timespans (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) is an NIH grant opportunity with Funding Opportunity Number PAR-24-160. It supports research projects that improve how brain changes can be measured repeatedly and reliably over long periods (years to decades) across the lifespan, from early development through aging.
What is the main goal of PAR-24-160?
The goal is to push the field toward better ways of tracking the same underlying brain processes over long timescales. The emphasis is on methods and frameworks that make longitudinal brain measurement more consistent, interpretable, and useful for predicting later outcomes.
What kinds of research does this program prioritize?
The program prioritizes multidisciplinary work that invents new methods or adapts existing tools in genuinely new ways so that signals such as brain activity, brain connectivity, genomics, and other biological or functional measures can be collected repeatedly across ages and remain meaningful over time.
Is the scientific scope narrow or broad?
The scope is intentionally broad. Projects may focus on healthy participants at any age, specific clinical groups, or animal models, as long as the central aim is understanding longitudinal change and developmental or aging-related trajectories relevant to health and disease.
Are studies limited to human participants?
No. The opportunity allows projects using healthy or clinical human participants as well as animal models, provided the work is aimed at measuring and understanding longitudinal brain change across longer timespans.
What does "across longer timespans" mean in this context?
It refers to research designs and measurement strategies that can support repeated assessment over extended periods (for example, years or decades) and still measure the same underlying processes in a way that remains comparable and reliable.
What domains of function are explicitly mentioned as relevant?
The announcement explicitly welcomes studies relevant to cognitive, motor, and affective regulation challenges, reflecting interest in domains that cut across many conditions and life stages.
Does the opportunity emphasize links between early-life measures and later-life outcomes?
Yes. A key theme is the neurodevelopmental origins of later health and disease. Applicants are encouraged to connect early-life brain measures to later-life outcomes using methods capable of spanning long timescales.
What types of brain-related measures are included?
The opportunity is not limited to one type of measure. It includes longitudinal neuroanatomical change, functional dynamics, and multi-scale biology, with examples ranging from genetics and genomics to single-cell measures, connectomics, and neural population activity patterns.
Can projects focus on imaging and measurement stability over time?
Yes. The description specifically includes improving the stability and comparability of imaging-derived measures over time as an example of an appropriate direction, as long as it strengthens repeated measurement across longer epochs.
Are computational methods and analytics within scope?
Yes. Developing computational approaches that allow data collected at different ages, or under evolving technologies, to remain meaningfully comparable is described as a good fit for this program.
Can applicants propose multi-modal integration approaches?
Yes. Building frameworks that integrate multiple modalities into consistent developmental or aging trajectories is explicitly aligned with the program's interest in strengthening longitudinal inference.
What is the "common denominator" across responsive projects?
The common denominator is technological and conceptual innovation that improves repeated measurement across longer timespans and strengthens the ability to predict later outcomes using earlier-life measures.
What funding mechanism does this opportunity use?
The mechanism is an NIH R01 Research Project Grant.
Are clinical trials allowed?
Yes. Clinical trials are listed as optional. Projects may be observational or methodological, or may include a clinical trial component if it is scientifically justified and consistent with NIH rules for the R01 mechanism.
What is the funding instrument type and category?
The funding instrument type is a grant, and the opportunity is categorized as discretionary.
Which agency sponsors this opportunity?
The sponsoring agency is the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
When was the opportunity created?
The opportunity was created on March 19, 2024.
What is the listed closing date?
The listed original closing date is May 7, 2027, indicating a multi-year window in which applications may be accepted on relevant NIH receipt dates.
Are the award ceiling and number of awards specified?
No. The award ceiling and expected number of awards are not specified in the provided information.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is expansive. Eligible applicants include many U.S. government entities (state, county, city/township, special districts), independent school districts, public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, tribal governments and organizations (including federally recognized tribes and non-federally recognized tribal organizations), nonprofits (with or without 501(c)(3) status, as long as they are not institutions of higher education), public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, for-profits (other than small businesses), small businesses, and other eligible organizational types permitted by NIH policy.
Are institutions serving historically underrepresented communities highlighted as eligible?
Yes. The opportunity highlights other eligible applicants including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, AANAPISIs, Hispanic-serving Institutions, HBCUs, TCCUs, and faith-based or community-based organizations.
Can federal agencies apply?
Yes. Eligible federal agencies are included among the highlighted "other eligible applicants."
Are U.S. territories or possessions included?
Yes. U.S. territories or possessions are listed among the highlighted eligible applicant types.
Are foreign organizations eligible to apply?
Yes. The opportunity notes that non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations) are included among eligible applicants.
What activity areas does this opportunity align with?
The activity areas are aligned with health and related social service domains, consistent with NIH neuroscience, mental health, and neurological disease interests tied to longitudinal brain measurement.
Which CFDA numbers are associated with this opportunity?
The associated CFDA numbers listed are 93.286, 93.396, 93.865, and 93.866.
What types of teams is NIH trying to attract?
NIH is looking for multidisciplinary teams capable of developing or adapting methods so repeated measurement of brain-related processes remains practical, interpretable, and predictive across development and aging.
What would make an application strong based on the description provided?
Based on the information provided, strong applications will make a clear case that the approach materially improves longitudinal inference (not just adding another snapshot) and enables better prediction or understanding of later-life outcomes rooted in earlier brain development or earlier-life exposures.
Does the opportunity require work across the entire lifespan?
The opportunity is designed to support lifespan-relevant measurement, spanning early development through aging, but the description indicates projects may focus on any age range, clinical group, or model system as long as the work targets longitudinal change and trajectories over longer timespans.
Is the program focused only on technology development?
It emphasizes technological and conceptual innovation, including new methods and new adaptations of existing tools. The central requirement is that the work strengthens repeated measurement and interpretation over long timescales and improves the ability to link trajectories to later outcomes.
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| New Approaches for Measuring Brain Changes Across Longer Timespans (R21 Clinical Trial Optional) Apply for PAR 24 161 Funding Number: PAR 24 161 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
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| BRAIN Initiative: Next-Generation Devices for Recording and Modulation in the Human Central Nervous System (UG3/UH3 Clinical Trial Optional) Apply for RFA NS 24 016 Funding Number: RFA NS 24 016 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Interaction between ARVs and Hormones in HIV and Coinfections (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) Apply for RFA AI 24 018 Funding Number: RFA AI 24 018 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Medical Rehabilitation Research Resource (P50 Clinical Trial Optional) Apply for RFA HD 25 001 Funding Number: RFA HD 25 001 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| HEAL Initiative-Early-Stage Discovery of New Pain Targets Within the Understudied Druggable Proteome (R03 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for PAR 24 197 Funding Number: PAR 24 197 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $100,000 |
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| Small Business Transition Grant for New Entrepreneurs (R43/R44 Clinical Trial Required) Apply for PAR 24 132 Funding Number: PAR 24 132 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Lasker Clinical Research Scholars Program (Si2/R00 Clinical Trial Optional) Apply for PAR 24 202 Funding Number: PAR 24 202 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA) for Undergraduate-Focused Institutions (R15 Clinical Trial Required) Apply for PAR 24 214 Funding Number: PAR 24 214 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $375,000 |
| BRAIN Initiative: Brain-Behavior Quantification and Synchronization Transformative and Integrative Models of Behavior at the Organismal Level (U01 Clinical Trials Not Allowed) Apply for RFA DA 24 041 Funding Number: RFA DA 24 041 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| BRAIN Initiative: Brain-Behavior Quantification and Synchronization Transformative and Integrative Models of Behavior at the Organismal Level (U01 Clinical Trial Optional) Apply for RFA DA 24 040 Funding Number: RFA DA 24 040 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| NIH HEAL Initiative PainCare Clinician Training Program (PCTP): Mentored Clinical Scientist Development Awards (K08 - Basic Experimental Studies with Humans (BESH) Required) Apply for PAR 24 218 Funding Number: PAR 24 218 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| NIH HEAL Initiative PainCare Clinician Training Program (PCTP): Mentored Clinical Scientist Development Awards (K08 - Clinical Trials Not Allowed) Apply for PAR 24 219 Funding Number: PAR 24 219 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| BRAIN Initiative: Brain Behavior Quantification and Synchronization (R61/R33 Clinical Trial Optional) Apply for RFA MH 26 100 Funding Number: RFA MH 26 100 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Multidisciplinary Approaches for Developmental Research with Individuals with DSD (R21) Apply for RFA HD 16 023 Funding Number: RFA HD 16 023 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| Multidisciplinary Approaches for Developmental Research with Individuals with DSD (R03) Apply for RFA HD 16 022 Funding Number: RFA HD 16 022 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $50,000 |
| Multidisciplinary Approaches for Developmental Research with Individuals with DSD (R01) Apply for RFA HD 16 021 Funding Number: RFA HD 16 021 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $499,999 |
| BRAIN Initiative: Next-Generation Invasive Devices for Recording and Modulation in the Human Central Nervous System (UG3/UH3) Apply for RFA NS 16 009 Funding Number: RFA NS 16 009 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $2,000,000 |
| BRAIN Initiative: Pre-Applications for Industry Partnerships to Provide Early Access to Devices for Stimulation and Recording in the Human Central Nervous System (X02) Apply for PAR 15 345 Funding Number: PAR 15 345 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
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