BRAIN Initiative Cell Census Network (BICCN) - Specialized Center on Mouse Brain Cell Atlas (U01) | RFA MH 17 230

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA MH 17 230

The BRAIN Initiative Cell Census Network (BICCN) - Specialized Center on Mouse Brain Cell Atlas (U01) grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number RFA-MH-17-230) was a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Funding Opportunity Announcement designed to fund a large, coordinated effort to build a detailed reference atlas of mouse brain cell types. The core idea is to support a "Specialized Collaboratory" that can operate at scale, using standardized and efficient workflows to produce a comprehensive three-dimensional (3D) map of brain cells in the mouse. This atlas is meant to integrate multiple layers of information about each cell type, including molecular characteristics (such as gene expression profiles and other molecular markers), anatomical location and structure (where cells sit in the brain and how they are organized), and physiological properties (how those cells function, including electrical or functional behaviors). The overall aim is not just to generate data, but to produce an organized, reference-quality resource that can serve as a foundation for many other neuroscience studies.

A major emphasis of the FOA is scalability and streamlining. Rather than funding isolated, one-off experiments, the announcement points toward platform-style approaches that can be expanded and repeated reliably, with workflows that are efficient enough to generate large volumes of high-quality, comparable data. In practical terms, that means developing or adopting technology pipelines that can consistently profile and classify brain cells across regions and potentially across developmental stages or conditions, while also linking those profiles back to 3D anatomical space and measurable physiological traits. The FOA also highlights the need to incorporate additional genetic and other advanced cell-specific targeting approaches and tools. This reflects a goal beyond cataloging: enabling researchers to label, access, manipulate, or experimentally target specific cell types once they are defined, which is essential for turning an atlas into a functional toolkit for the community.

This opportunity sits within a broader coordinated BICCN effort, with the FOA explicitly noting it is one of several companion announcements sharing a central goal: building a brain cell census resource that is broadly useful and widely used throughout the research community. That community-wide orientation is important because it signals expectations around interoperability, shared standards, and deliverables that others can reuse. Although the text provided does not spell out specific sharing requirements, BRAIN Initiative programs commonly push for rapid data release and community access, and the repeated emphasis on a widely usable "census resource" indicates that outputs were intended to be more than internal project products. The ultimate deliverable is a reference atlas that helps unify how scientists define brain cell types and compare findings across labs, technologies, and studies, using a shared framework anchored in molecular identity, spatial context, and physiological function.

From an administrative standpoint, this was a discretionary federal funding opportunity offered as a cooperative agreement (U01). A U01 mechanism typically indicates that NIH expects substantial scientific or programmatic involvement during the project, meaning the funded center would likely coordinate closely with NIH staff and other BICCN components. The activity category listed is Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services, and the associated CFDA numbers span multiple NIH institutes and programs (93.173, 93.213, 93.242, 93.273, 93.279, 93.286, 93.853, 93.865, 93.866, 93.867), which reinforces that this was cross-cutting, multi-institute BRAIN Initiative-style work rather than a narrow single-discipline program. The FOA record shows it was created on 2016-10-19 with an original closing date of 2017-10-13. The source data does not list an award ceiling or the expected number of awards, so those details are not available from the provided excerpt.

Eligibility was broad and intentionally inclusive, covering many kinds of organizations that might contribute to large-scale atlas generation and tool development. Eligible applicants included state, county, and local governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; Native American tribal organizations other than federally recognized tribal governments; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. The FOA also explicitly called out additional eligible applicant categories, 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; U.S. territories or possessions; regional organizations; and non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations). Taken together, that eligibility list suggests NIH was seeking to bring in a wide range of expertise, from advanced technology development and high-throughput data generation to neuroanatomy, physiology, genetics, and large-scale coordination and dissemination.

In plain terms, this FOA was about building a mouse brain cell atlas that is truly reference-grade: comprehensive, three-dimensional, multimodal (molecular, anatomical, physiological), and paired with modern cell-type-specific targeting tools so that the atlas can be used not only to describe brain organization but also to drive future experiments. The emphasis on a specialized center and collaboratory model indicates the work was expected to be coordinated, standardized, and large enough in scope to serve as a backbone resource for the broader neuroscience community.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health, income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BRAIN Initiative Cell Census Network (BICCN) - Specialized Center on Mouse Brain Cell Atlas (U01)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.173, 93.213, 93.242, 93.273, 93.279, 93.286, 93.853, 93.865, 93.866, 93.867.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2016-10-19.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2017-10-13. (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.

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