Computational neuroscience provides a theoretical foundation and a rich set of technical approaches for understanding the nervous system at all levels, building on the theory, methods, and findings of computer science, neuroscience, and numerous other disciplines to accelerate the understanding of nervous system structure and function, mechanisms underlying nervous system disorders, and computational strategies used by the nervous system.
Through the CRCNS program, the participating funding organizations support collaborative activities that span a broad spectrum of computational neuroscience research, as appropriate to the missions and strategic objectives of each agency.
Two classes of proposals will be considered in response to this solicitation:
Research Proposals describing collaborative research projects, and
Data Sharing Proposals to support sharing of data and other resources.
Domestic and international projects will be considered, including proposals seeking parallel international funding. As detailed in the solicitation, opportunities for parallel funding are available for bilateral US-German, US-French, US-Israeli, US-Japanese, and US-Spanish projects, and multilateral projects involving the United States and two or more CRCNS partner countries (see Section VIII of the solicitation for country-specific limitations). Collaborating PIs from outside of the United States are referred to Section VIII of this solicitation for further instructions from the appropriate partner funding agency.
Questions concerning a particular project's focus, direction, and relevance to a participating funding organization should be addressed to the appropriate person in the list of agency contacts in Section VIII of the solicitation.
NSF will coordinate and manage the review of proposals jointly with participating domestic and foreign funding organizations, through a joint panel review process used by all participating funders. Additional information is provided in Section VI of the solicitation.
Full Proposal Deadline Date: Nov. 13, 2024; Nov. 12, 2025
Proposals may only be submitted by the following:
- Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) - Two- and four-year IHEs (including community colleges) accredited in, and having a campus located in the US, acting on behalf of their faculty members. Special Instructions for International Branch Campuses of US IHEs: If the proposal includes funding to be provided to an international branch campus of a US institution of higher education (including through use of subawards and consultant arrangements), the proposer must explain the benefit(s) to the project of performance at the international branch campus, and justify why the project activities cannot be performed at the US campus.
- Non-profit, non-academic organizations: Independent museums, observatories, research laboratories, professional societies and similar organizations located in the U.S. that are directly associated with educational or research activities.
- For-profit organizations: U.S.-based commercial organizations, including small businesses, with strong capabilities in scientific or engineering research or education and a passion for innovation.
- U.S. Department of Energy National Laboratories are eligible to submit proposals in response to this solicitation.
In response to this solicitation, an investigator may participate as PI or co-PI in no more than two proposals per review cycle. In the event that a PI or co-PI does appear in either of these roles on more than two proposals, all proposals that include that person as a PI or co-PI will be returned without review. This limit applies to all PIs and co-PIs, based inside or outside of the United States.
It is anticipated that a minimum of $5 million will be available each year for this competition, with potentially $20 to $30 million annually, depending on the quality of proposals and availability of funds.
Award sizes for CRCNS projects (including all CRCNS-funded project components, inside and outside of the United States) have typically ranged from approximately $100,000 to $250,000 (USD) per year, with durations of three to five years. Proposers contemplating projects with higher budget requirements (e.g., multilateral projects) are advised to consult in advance with the CRCNS Program Coordinator-NSF.
Additional agency-specific limitations, including maximum award budgets and durations, are described in Section VIII of this solicitation. All proposers are advised to review the additional limitations that apply to projects funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and National Institutes of Health and, if applicable, funding limitations specified by other national funding organizations from which parallel funding is requested. Proposals with budget requests exceeding applicable limits may be returned without review.