Executive Summary
NIH's BRAIN Initiative funds technologies for faster, cheaper brain-wide connectivity mapping through U01 cooperative agreements. About $10M in first-year funding for 3 to 6 awards of up to 3 years. Small businesses can apply. Next due date February 8, 2027, 5:00 PM local time; last October 4, 2027.
The deciding factor is scale. Projects must build technology for scalable pipelines that map brain-wide connectivity in the mammalian brain, set annual go/no-go milestones, and work as part of the BRAIN CONNECTS Network with NIH program staff substantially involved.
Solicitation at a Glance
- Agency: National Institutes of Health (NIH) BRAIN Initiative, led by NINDS with NEI, NIA, NIAAA, NIBIB, NICHD, NIDCD, NIDA, NIMH and NCCIH
- Opportunity: BRAIN Initiative Connectivity across Scales (BRAIN CONNECTS): Specialized Projects for Scalable Technologies (U01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
- Number: RFA-NS-27-015 (reissue of RFA-NS-22-049)
- Award Vehicle: U01 cooperative agreement
- Funding: About $10M in the first year for about 3 to 6 awards; application budgets are not limited
- Project Period: Up to 3 years
- Due Dates: February 8, 2027 and October 4, 2027, 5:00 PM local time of the applicant organization (expires October 5, 2027)
Think your company qualifies? Talk with BW&CO before the February 8, 2027 deadline.
What Is BRAIN CONNECTS?
BRAIN CONNECTS is the BRAIN Initiative effort to build the tools needed to map brain-wide wiring diagrams. This announcement funds specialized technology projects that make connectivity mapping faster, cheaper and scalable, across data collection, reconstruction, analysis, integration, dissemination and interpretation.
What Problem Is NIH Trying to Solve?
Mapping connections across a whole mammalian brain is still slow and expensive. NIH wants technologies that scale, so that axonal projection connectivity in human or nonhuman primate brains, or synaptic connectivity in mouse brains, can be mapped brain-wide.
Priority Capability Areas: What NIH Is Looking For
- Scalable pipelines: technologies that move brain-wide connectivity mapping toward routine use
- Projection mapping: approaches that can map axonal projection connectivity in human or nonhuman primate brains
- Synaptic mapping: approaches that can map synaptic connectivity in mouse brains
- Reconstruction and analysis: tools that turn large connectivity datasets into usable maps
- Integration and dissemination: ways to combine, share and interpret connectivity data
Funding and Award Terms
- Total: about $10M in the first year for this announcement, for about 3 to 6 awards
- Budget: application budgets are not limited
- Period: up to 3 years
- Cost sharing: not required
- Milestones: annual milestones with go/no-go criteria
Eligibility
- Companies: small businesses and other for-profit organizations are eligible
- Foreign organizations: eligible to apply
- Foreign components: allowed, under NOT-NS-27-002 (October 21, 2026)
- Foreign subawards: not allowed
- Application types: new applications only; renewals and resubmissions are not accepted
How to Apply
- Talk to program staff: NIH strongly recommends consulting program staff before you apply
- Check registrations: make sure your SAM.gov, Grants.gov and eRA Commons registrations are active
- Plan milestones: write annual milestones with go/no-go criteria
- Plan for the network: budget time and travel for BRAIN CONNECTS Network meetings
- Submit: by 5:00 PM local time on February 8, 2027 or October 4, 2027
What Happens After You Submit?
- Review: applications go through NIH peer review and advisory council review
- Award: NIH makes cooperative agreement awards to selected applicants
- Network: awardees coordinate with the BRAIN CONNECTS Network
Is This Opportunity a Good Fit for Your Company?
It fits companies building high-throughput imaging, microscopy, tissue processing, AI segmentation or analysis software that can scale connectivity mapping across a whole mammalian brain. It is a weak fit for teams whose technology cannot map axonal projection or synaptic connectivity, or that do not want NIH program staff closely involved.
How BW&CO Can Help
BW&CO has helped deep-tech and dual-use founders secure more than $350M in non-dilutive funding. For NIH cooperative agreements like BRAIN CONNECTS, we help you:
- Check fit: test your technology against the scale and connectivity rules
- Prepare for the program officer call: frame your questions before you consult NIH staff
- Build the research strategy: write a scalable, milestone-driven plan
- Plan the budget: align cost, travel and network obligations
- Plan the commercial path: connect the work to your product roadmap
Plan Your BRAIN CONNECTS Application
Frequently Asked Questions
Who issued RFA-NS-27-015?
The NIH BRAIN Initiative, led by NINDS with nine other NIH institutes and centers.
How much funding is available?
NIH intends to commit about $10M in the first year for about 3 to 6 awards. Application budgets are not limited.
When are applications due?
February 8, 2027 and October 4, 2027, by 5:00 PM local time of the applicant organization.
Can a small business apply?
Yes. Small businesses and other for-profit organizations are eligible.
Can foreign organizations take part?
Foreign organizations can apply, and foreign components are now allowed under NOT-NS-27-002. Foreign subawards are not allowed.
Is cost sharing required?
No.
Is this a grant?
It is a U01 cooperative agreement, so NIH program staff are substantially involved in the work.
What is out of scope?
Projects that do not develop technology for scalable brain-wide connectivity mapping, that do not apply to the mammalian brain, or that cannot map axonal projection or synaptic connectivity.
Can BW&CO help with a BRAIN CONNECTS application?
Yes. BW&CO can help you check fit, prepare for the program staff conversation and build a milestone-driven application. Book a call with our team.
Source: NIH Guide: RFA-NS-27-015, BRAIN CONNECTS Specialized Projects for Scalable Technologies