Collaborative Research in Computational Neuroscience | 18 501

Opportunity Information: Apply for 18 501

The Collaborative Research in Computational Neuroscience (CRCNS) opportunity is a multi-agency government grant program designed to support team-based work that uses computational approaches to understand how the nervous system is built and how it functions. The core idea is that modern neuroscience problems often require a blend of methods from computer science, mathematics, engineering, and neurobiology, and CRCNS is meant to fund collaborations that can connect those strengths into coherent, high-impact research. Projects are expected to advance knowledge of nervous system structure and function, improve understanding of mechanisms that contribute to nervous system disorders, and clarify the computational strategies the brain and nervous system use to process information and generate behavior.

Funding is jointly supported and coordinated across several major organizations, including the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the United States, along with international partners: Germanys BMBF, Frances ANR, the United States-Israel Binational Science Foundation (BSF), and Japans National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT). A key feature of the program is that it is explicitly built for collaboration, both within the US and across borders, with international components often funded in parallel by the relevant partner agency rather than through a single pooled budget. This structure is meant to make genuine cross-country scientific teamwork feasible while still aligning each participating funders support with its own national rules and priorities.

The solicitation accepts two main types of proposals. Research Proposals support collaborative research projects, typically involving multiple investigators and disciplines working together on scientific questions in computational neuroscience. Data Sharing Proposals focus on enabling the sharing of data and other research resources, which can include building or improving datasets, tools, platforms, standards, or other infrastructure that helps the broader community reuse and build on valuable neuroscience resources. In both cases, the emphasis is on contributions that will accelerate progress for the field, either by producing new scientific insights (research proposals) or by making high-quality data and resources broadly available (data sharing proposals).

Both domestic and international project teams are eligible to apply, and the program highlights specific pathways for bilateral and multilateral collaborations. Bilateral opportunities include US-German, US-French, US-Israeli, and US-Japanese submissions, each available for both Research and Data Sharing proposals. The program also allows multilateral proposals that involve the United States plus two or more of the partner countries listed (Germany, France, Israel, and/or Japan). Because each country partner can have its own application requirements and limits, the solicitation directs applicants to consult the country-specific instructions and constraints, and to communicate with the appropriate agency contact to confirm fit, expectations, and compliance before submitting.

From an administrative and review perspective, NSF serves as the coordinating body for proposal review. Reviews are conducted through a joint panel process that includes NSF and the participating domestic and international funding organizations. This joint review model is intended to create a unified scientific evaluation of the collaboration, even when different components of the overall project are ultimately supported by different agencies in parallel.

In the source listing, the opportunity is categorized as a discretionary grant in the Science and Technology and other Research and Development area, with eligibility listed as unrestricted (open to any type of entity, subject to any additional eligibility language in the solicitation). The opportunity is associated with NSF as the lead agency, includes multiple CFDA numbers spanning NSF and NIH program areas, and lists an expected 25 awards. The award ceiling is shown as 0 in the source record, which typically indicates that a single fixed cap is not specified in that summary field and that applicants should rely on the solicitation for budget guidance and any program- or agency-specific limits. The record provided references a creation date of October 6, 2017 and an original closing date of January 5, 2018, reflecting that specific cycle of the CRCNS solicitation.

• The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Collaborative Research in Computational Neuroscience" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 47.041, 47.049, 47.070, 47.074, 47.075, 47.079, 93.173, 93.213, 93.242, 93.273, 93.279, 93.286, 93.853, 93.866, 93.867.
• This funding opportunity was created on Oct 06, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jan 05, 2018. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 25 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.

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