Human Brain Single-cell Genomics Explorer (U24 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | RFA NS 24 038

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA NS 24 038

The Human Brain Single-cell Genomics Explorer (RFA NS 24 038) is an NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience funding opportunity to pilot a centralized, user-facing resource that makes human brain single-cell data easier to find, compare, and reuse across studies. The main goal is to bring together processed, deidentified human brain single-cell transcriptomics and epigenomics datasets, harmonize them across both reference (baseline/atlas-style) and disease-focused collections, and then deliver them through an integrated platform where users can explore, analyze, and download the data. In practice, this is meant to reduce the friction that currently exists when different consortia and laboratories generate valuable single-cell datasets but use different processing pipelines, metadata standards, and naming conventions that make cross-dataset comparisons difficult.

A central deliverable of the pilot is the creation of a unified human brain cell-type taxonomy that works across datasets rather than being tied to a single project or disease cohort. Alongside that taxonomy, the award expects a draft, annotatable cell-type nomenclature, meaning a naming system that is not only consistent but also designed to be refined as the field evolves and as community experts contribute feedback. Another key component is functionality that allows researchers to map their own community-generated single-cell omics datasets onto the taxonomy. That mapping capability is important because it turns the resource from a static portal into something that can be used as a reference framework for classification and comparison, helping researchers align newly generated data to an agreed-upon set of cell types and labels.

This opportunity is structured as a U24 cooperative agreement, which typically indicates substantial programmatic involvement from NIH staff and a strong emphasis on building a community resource with clear milestones, coordination, and user-oriented deliverables rather than a purely investigator-driven research project. Clinical trials are not allowed, reinforcing that the focus is informatics, data integration, and resource development rather than prospective interventional human studies. The pilot is also explicitly positioned as groundwork for a larger and longer-term effort spanning multiple NIH consortia, with an emphasis on increasing the utility, accessibility, and consistency of human cell-type classification data so that it can be more broadly used by the neuroscience community.

The application is open to a wide range of eligible applicants, including state and local governments; public and private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; independent school districts; special district governments; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations (with or without 501(c)(3) status); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses) as well as small businesses; and other entities. The solicitation also highlights additional eligible applicant categories, including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, AANAPISIs, Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities, faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, non-U.S. (foreign) organizations, tribal governments that are not federally recognized, and U.S. territories or possessions. This broad eligibility reflects the resource-building nature of the project and the desire to pull in technical expertise from many organizational types.

Key administrative details include an original closing date of February 14, 2025, with NIH as the funding agency. The opportunity lists an award ceiling of $1,000,000. It is categorized under discretionary funding and aligns with health-related federal assistance programs (CFDA numbers listed include 93.113, 93.121, 93.213, 93.242, 93.273, 93.279, 93.286, 93.853, 93.865, 93.866, and 93.867). Overall, the grant is aimed at building a practical, community-facing explorer that standardizes and operationalizes human brain single-cell transcriptomic and epigenomic knowledge into a coherent taxonomy and set of tools that can be used across both typical reference datasets and disease-oriented studies.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, environment, health, income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Human Brain Single-cell Genomics Explorer (U24 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.113, 93.121, 93.213, 93.242, 93.273, 93.279, 93.286, 93.853, 93.865, 93.866, 93.867.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-10-11.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-02-14. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,000,000.00 in funding.
• 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 RFA NS 24 038

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