Cellular and Molecular Biology of Complex Brain Disorders (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
🏛 National Institutes of Health (HHS-NIH11)
✓ Free, no account · Source: Grants.gov · Last verified Sep 3, 2026
Can you apply?
This grant is for research organizations investigating the cellular and molecular biology of complex brain disorders using basic science approaches.
Eligible applicants include universities, research institutions, federal agencies, faith-based and community organizations, and tribal institutions. International organizations may also apply if working with a domestic partner institution.
Supported research includes hypothesis-generating and hypothesis-testing studies using model organisms, cell-based assays, and tissue systems. Research must focus on understanding neurobiological mechanisms of risk factors, not on modeling disorders or conducting clinical trials.
Projects should disseminate findings to enrich public data resources and bridge the gap between risk factors, mechanisms, and therapeutic targets.
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Program description
This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) encourages research on the biology of high-confidence risk factors associated with complex brain disorders, with a focus on the intracellular, transcellular, and circuit substrates of neural function. For the purposes of this NOFO, the term complex can refer to a multifactorial contribution to risk (e.g., polygenic and/or environmental) and/or highly distributed functional features of the brain disorder. Studies may be either hypothesis-generating (unbiased discovery) or hypothesis-testing in design and may utilize in vivo, in situ or in vitro experimental paradigms, e.g., model organisms or human cell-based assays. While behavioral paradigms and outcome measures can be incorporated into the research design to facilitate the characterization of intracellular, transcellular, and circuit mechanisms, these are neither required nor expected. Studies should not attempt to model disorders but instead should aim to elucidate the neurobiological impact of individual or combined risk factor(s), such as the affected molecular and cellular components and their relationships within defined biological process(es). This can include the fundamental biology of these factors, components, and processes. The resulting paradigms, component pathways, and biological processes should be disseminated with sufficient detail to enrich common and/or federated data resources (e.g., those contributing to the Gene Ontology, Synaptic Gene Ontology, FAIR Data Informatics) in order to bridge the gap between disease risk factors, biological mechanism and therapeutic target identification. The present NOFO (R01 activity code) can be used for applications to further develop lines of inquiry where feasibility or proof-of-concept has been established. Applicants proposing exploratory research at the early and conceptual stages of project development should apply to the companion R21 NOFO PAR-24-025
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
How to apply
Application links
Key dates & requirements
Required documents
- SF-424 (R&R) application form
- Project Narrative (Research Strategy)
- Biographical Sketches (for key personnel)
- Budget and Budget Justification
- Vertebrate Animals section (if applicable)
- Select Agent Research (if applicable)
- Data Management and Sharing Plan
Program contact
- 👤 National Institutes of Health
- 📧 grantsinfo@nih.gov
- 📞 301-402-2541
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 93.242 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
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$92,363,814
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$91,890,365
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$78,262,050
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$67,491,373
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$64,705,159
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$63,991,707
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$48,653,752
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$40,395,082
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$38,475,557
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$36,135,833
Top States by Funding
- CA 15 awards $433.4M
- MA 11 awards $286.8M
- WA 4 awards $191.8M
- NY 6 awards $185.7M
- CT 4 awards $183.5M
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
Funding history
Annual funding for this program — Federal obligations (CFDA 93.242). How funding has trended year over year.
| 2024 | $1,722,300,004 | |
| 2025 | $1,726,864,191 | |
| 2026 est. | $99,221,272 |
FAQ
Who can apply for this grant?
Universities, research institutions, federal agencies, faith-based organizations, and tribal institutions are eligible. Non-U.S. entities may apply if partnered with a domestic institution.
What types of research are supported?
Studies investigating cellular and molecular mechanisms of complex brain disorder risk factors. Both hypothesis-generating and hypothesis-testing designs are acceptable.
Can clinical trials be funded?
No, the R01 activity code explicitly does not allow clinical trials. This is basic research only.
What is the application deadline?
The fixed deadline is September 7, 2026. Applicants should confirm with NIH for any future deadline extensions.
How should I disseminate my findings?
Results should be shared with sufficient detail to enrich public data resources like Gene Ontology and FAIR Data Informatics platforms.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Clearly define your risk factors and explain how your research elucidates their neurobiological impact, not disease modeling.
- Design experiments to identify affected molecular and cellular components and their relationships within biological processes.
- Include a dissemination strategy for sharing findings with public data resources to maximize scientific impact.
- Use hypothesis-testing design if you have preliminary data; only use hypothesis-generating if truly exploratory at early stages.
- Ensure your research question focuses on understanding mechanism, not developing therapeutic interventions or clinical applications.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Applications modeling diseases instead of studying individual risk factor mechanisms. Proposals that emphasize behavioral outcomes over mechanistic investigations of cellular and molecular pathways. Failure to explain how results will contribute to public databases and bridge risk factors to therapeutic targets.
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