The primary objective of this FOA is to stimulate innovative Convergent Neuroscience (CN) approaches to establish causal and/or probabilistic linkages across contiguous levels of analysis (e.g., gene, molecule, cell, circuit, system, behavior) in an explanatory model of psychopathology. In particular, applicants should focus on how specific constituent biological processes at one level of analysis contribute to quantifiable properties at other levels, either directly or as emergent phenomena. Although not required, it is preferable that applications link at least three levels of analysis and include an emphasis on genetics. The projects under this FOA will develop novel methods, theories, and approaches through a CN team framework, bringing together highly synergistic inter/transdisciplinary teams from neuroscience and "orthogonal" fields (e.g., data/computational science, physics, engineering, mathematics, and environmental sciences). Successful teams will combine, expand upon, or develop conceptual frameworks and theoretical approaches, and build explanatory computational models that connect contiguous levels of analysis. Such frameworks, theories, and computational explanatory models should be validated through experimental approaches to elucidate biological underpinnings of complex behavioral (including cognitive and affective) outcomes in psychopathology. Additionally, a goal of this program is to advance research in CN by creating a shared community framework of resources which may be used by the broader research community to further research, as such, successful team will have robust plan for sharing data and other resources.
This FOA should be used for applications that are not collaborative between sites. Applications requiring two or more collaborating sites to complete the proposed research should apply as a linked set of collaborative U01 applications to the companion collaborative U01 FOA (PAR-17-176).
All awards supported under this FOA and the companion collaborative U01 FOA (PAR-17-176) will be governed by the Convergent Neuroscience Network for Psychiatry (CNN-Psych) Steering Committee.
Deadlines:
PAR-17-179 Expiration Date January 8, 2020
Multiple PDs/PIs (MPI) are required.
Due to the transdisciplinary nature of the projects and the focus on collaboration and expertise sharing, this FOA requires the applicants to comprise a diverse transdisciplinary team of investigators with expertise from fields such as physical, mathematical, and computational sciences, as well as neuroscience, neuropsychiatry, and other areas of the biological sciences. Successful MPI applications MUST have at least one PD/PI with expertise in “orthogonal” sciences (e.g., data/computational science, physics, engineering, mathematics, environmental sciences) and one PD/PI with synergistic expertise in neuroscience/neuropsychiatry.
Application budgets may not exceed $2,500,000 direct cost annually for all applications combined in a collaborative set and are expected to reflect actual needs of the proposed project
The maximum project period is 5 years.
