NINDS Program Project Grant (P01) | PAR 17 251

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 17 251

The NINDS Program Project Grant (P01) opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number PAR-17-251) is a discretionary NIH grant mechanism from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) that supports large, coordinated research efforts in neurological science. The core idea behind this program is to fund a set of closely related, interdependent research projects that work together to answer major scientific questions aligned with the NINDS mission. Rather than backing several separate R01-style projects that happen to be in the same general area, the P01 is meant for situations where the projects truly benefit from being organized as an integrated program, with shared scientific direction and meaningful collaboration that produces outcomes stronger than what each project could achieve on its own. A central emphasis is synergy: the combined work should generate clear scientific advantages because investigators share concepts, methods, data, resources, or experimental pipelines in ways that materially improve rigor, speed, or innovation.

This FOA is aimed at “innovative, interactive” research, meaning applications are expected to propose ambitious questions and a structure that forces productive interaction across projects. The program is specifically described as encouraging collaboration among outstanding scientists who might not otherwise collaborate, which signals that NINDS is looking for multidisciplinary teams and complementary expertise that together can tackle complex neurological problems. In practical terms, a competitive P01 application typically presents a unified scientific theme, multiple highly meritorious projects that are scientifically linked, and an overall plan showing how collaboration, coordination, and potentially shared resources or cores create added value beyond what would be obtained by funding each project independently.

The funding instrument is a grant under the NIH health funding activity category, listed under CFDA 93.853. The announcement was created on April 10, 2017, and the original closing date listed is January 24, 2018. An explicit award ceiling is not provided in the supplied text, and the number of expected awards is also not specified, which often means applicants must rely on the FOA details and NIH budgeting policies, as well as discussions with the NINDS program staff, to shape an appropriate and justified budget for the scope of the proposed program.

Eligibility is broad and includes many categories typically permitted under NIH research grant policies. Eligible applicants include state, county, city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) IRS status (when not an institution of higher education); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); small businesses; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; and Native American tribal organizations that are not federally recognized tribal governments, along with other entities captured under the “Others” category. The FOA also explicitly highlights additional eligible applicant types such as 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, Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (other than federally recognized), and U.S. territories or possessions. This emphasis signals an intent to welcome a wide range of institutions, including those serving historically underrepresented populations and community-focused organizations, provided they can lead and administer a complex multi-project research program.

Foreign participation is limited in a way that is common for many NIH mechanisms. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign institutions/organizations) are not eligible to apply as the applicant organization, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible to apply. At the same time, “foreign components” as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement are allowed, meaning a U.S.-based applicant may include certain scientifically justified elements of the work that take place outside the United States, so long as they meet NIH’s definition and requirements for foreign components and are properly described, justified, and compliant with NIH policy.

Overall, this P01 opportunity is designed for research teams that can make a strong case that a coordinated, multi-project structure is essential to their science. The application must demonstrate that the projects are not merely related by topic, but genuinely interdependent, with collaboration and integration built into the research strategy. The goal is to enable major advances in neurological disorders and stroke-related research by funding tightly linked projects that collectively address important, mission-relevant questions through a synergistic program rather than isolated efforts.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NINDS Program Project Grant (P01)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.853.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-04-10.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2018-01-24. (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 PAR 17 251

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