NIH Blueprint Initiative: Tools for Germline Gene Editing in the Nervous System

Key Facts

Status: Open

Posted date: May 7, 2026

Opportunity ID: 362313

Opportunity number: RFA-DA-27-012

Opportunity category: Discretionary

Agency name: National Institutes of Health

Agency code: HHS-NIH11

Award floor: $0

Award ceiling: $1,200,000

Cost sharing required: No

Funding Instrument Types
  • Cooperative Agreement
Category of Funding Activity
  • Health
Eligible Applicants
  • City or township governments
  • County governments
  • For-profit organizations other than small businesses
  • Independent school districts
  • Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
  • 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
  • Others
  • Private institutions of higher education
  • Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
  • Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities
  • Small businesses
  • Special district governments
  • State governments
Tools
Categories (use these for quoted searches)
  • agency_code:hhs_nih11
  • category_of_funding_activity:health
  • cost_sharing_or_matching_requirement:false
  • eligible_applicants:city_or_township_governments
  • eligible_applicants:county_governments
  • eligible_applicants:for_profit_organizations_other_than_small_businesses
  • eligible_applicants:independent_school_districts
  • eligible_applicants:native_american_tribal_governments_federally_recognized
  • eligible_applicants:native_american_tribal_organizations_other_than_federally_recognized_tribal_governments
  • eligible_applicants:nonprofits_having_a_501_c_3_status_with_the_irs_other_than_institutions_of_higher_education
  • eligible_applicants:nonprofits_that_do_not_have_a_501_c_3_status_with_the_irs_other_than_institutions_of_higher_education
  • eligible_applicants:others
  • eligible_applicants:private_institutions_of_higher_education
  • eligible_applicants:public_and_state_controlled_institutions_of_higher_education
  • eligible_applicants:public_housing_authoritiesindian_housing_authorities
  • eligible_applicants:small_businesses
  • eligible_applicants:special_district_governments
  • eligible_applicants:state_governments
  • funding_instrument_type:cooperative_agreement
  • opportunity_category:discretionary
  • status:open
Description

The NIH Blueprint (a consortium of NIH Institutes that support neuroscience research) seeks to advance its mission by supporting the development, optimization, validation, and application of germline and somatic transgenic and gene-editing approaches in experimental systems modeling key features of human brain anatomy, circuitry, cognition, behavior, and lifespan. This initiative will build on the previously supported marmoset gene-editing infrastructure, by integrating New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) with other models, to advance understanding of human brain function and disease, including human-derived NAMs for cross-species comparisons across development. Many mechanisms of complex conditions, such as autism spectrum disorders, schizophrenia, and other behavioral/developmental disorders, cannot yet be captured in NAMs and are therefore high priorities for research investment to accelerate development and validation of human-derived NAMs. Appropriate models should be used and clearly justified as necessary for questions involving neuroanatomy, circuit function, cognition, behavior, or lifespan phenotyping related to human brain disease and function. Grant authorities are as follows: 42 U.S.C 241 and 284.

NIH Blueprint Initiative: Tools for Germline Gene Editing in the Nervous System
The NIH Blueprint (a consortium of NIH Institutes that support neuroscience research) seeks to advance its mission by supporting the development, optimization, validation, and application of germline and somatic transgenic and gene-editing approaches in experimental systems modeling key features of human brain anatomy, circuitry, cognition, behavior, and lifespan. This initiative will build on the previously supported marmoset gene-editing infrastructure, by integrating New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) with other models, to advance understanding of human brain function and disease, including human-derived NAMs for cross-species comparisons across development. Many mechanisms of complex conditions, such as autism spectrum disorders, schizophrenia, and other behavioral/developmental disorders, cannot yet be captured in NAMs and are therefore high priorities for research investment to accelerate development and validation of human-derived NAMs. Appropriate models should be used and clearly justified as necessary for questions involving neuroanatomy, circuit function, cognition, behavior, or lifespan phenotyping related to human brain disease and function. Grant authorities are as follows: 42 U.S.C 241 and 284.
NIH Blueprint Initiative: Tools for Germline Gene Editing in the Nervous System
Open
National Institutes of Health
Health
Cooperative Agreement
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
2026-05-07