ForecastedResearch announcementOpportunity RFA-MH-27-120

BRAIN Initiative Cell Atlas Network (BICAN): Coordinating Unit for Biostatistics, Informatics, and Engagement (CUBIE)

National Institutes of Health · Department of Health and Human Services

At a glance

BRAIN Initiative Cell Atlas Network (BICAN): Coordinating Unit for Biostatistics, Informatics, and Engagement (CUBIE) is a forecasted federal cooperative agreement opportunity from the National Institutes of Health (Department of Health and Human Services). The agency's forecast estimates an application due date of October 1, 2026; forecast dates can change. Applicant types listed as eligible include state governments, county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, independent school districts and 10 more. Cost sharing is not required. It is funded under Assistance Listing 93.242 (Mental Health Research Grants).

Summary assembled from the official notice's fields. The official notice governs.

Key facts

Mar 11, 2026Forecast posted
Aug 1, 2026 (est.)Full notice expected
Oct 1, 2026 (est.)Application deadline
Jul 1, 2027 (est.)Est. award datenext date

Posted: Mar 11, 2026
Est. close date: Oct 1, 2026
Est. award date: Jul 1, 2027
Award floor: Not specified
Award ceiling: Not specified
Est. total funding: Not specified
Expected awards: 4
Cost sharing: Not required
Funding instrument: Cooperative Agreement
Opportunity category: Discretionary
Fiscal year: FY2027

Typical awards for this program (SAM.gov listing for ALN 93.242, not this notice): FY 2023 range: $1 to $17,379,729 Average Cost: $508,267

Who can apply

State governments
County governments
City or township governments
Special district governments
Independent school districts
Public colleges & universities
Federally recognized tribal governments
Public & Indian housing authorities
Native American tribal organizations
501(c)(3) nonprofits
Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status
Private colleges & universities
For-profit organizations (not small businesses)
Small businesses
Others (see notice)

Additional information on eligibility (from the notice)

Other Eligible ApplicantsEligible Agencies of the Federal Government including the NIH Intramural Program;U.S. Territory or Possession;Faith-based or Community-based Organizations;Regional Organizations

Can your organization apply?

A quick check against the listed applicant types — other requirements in the notice still apply.

Based on the published notice. Review the official notice for complete eligibility requirements.

What it funds

Official synopsis as published by the agency, formatted for readability.

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), with other NIH Institutes and Centers (ICs), intends to publish a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) to solicit research applications for the BRAIN Initiative Cell Atlas Network (BICAN) Coordinating Unit for Biostatistics, Informatics, and Engagement (CUBIE). In accordance with NIH standard peer-review processes, the application(s) will be peer-reviewed, and only meritorious application(s) will be considered for funding. The overall goals of CUBIE are to (i) enable the exploration of large-scale brain cell atlas data and knowledge, and inspire research in brain function and disorders; and (ii) ensure research rigor and data reproducibility by making the data Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable (FAIR), and the process transparent. This is a renewal that will continue the funding for a 2-year period. Applications are not being solicited at this time. Notice is being provided to allow eligible applicants sufficient time to develop meaningful collaborations and responsive projects. Applications are expected to collaborate with the broader research community to analyze and interpret all existing brain cell census/atlas data to enhance statistical power, ensure research rigor and data reproducibility, and foster the formation of a brain cell atlas ecosystem by leveraging recent Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML) advancements.

How to apply

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Read the full announcement (NOFO)Eligibility, evaluation criteria, page limits and required attachments are in the full notice on Grants.gov. Open ↗
Confirm eligibility and fitCheck your organization type above; no cost sharing is required.
Register (or renew) in SAM.gov and get a UEIFree. New registrations can take several weeks; registrations must be renewed every year. Open ↗
Set up Grants.gov accessCreate a Grants.gov account and make sure someone has the Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) role. Open ↗
Watch for the full noticeThe agency estimates posting it around August 1, 2026. Save this grant to track changes.
Prepare narrative, budget and attachmentsFollow the notice's format exactly — page limits and required forms are common reasons applications are rejected.
Ask the agency contact any questions earlyBRAIN-BICAN@nih.gov · BRAIN-BICAN@nih.gov Open ↗
Submit before October 1, 2026Submit a few days early and keep your Grants.gov confirmation and validation emails.

Assistance Listing

What is an ALN?

93.242Mental Health Research GrantsProgram →

Reported obligations under ALN 93.242

Historical data · not a prediction

FY24

$1.72B

FY25

$1.73B

FY26

$99.2M est.

Source: SAM.gov Assistance Listing 93.242. Program-wide totals, not awards from this specific opportunity.

Who was funded under ALN 93.242

Historical data · not a prediction

Since October 1, 2023, 7,637 grant awards had funding actions under Mental Health Research Grants, with 5,232 sub-awards passed on to other organizations. These are program-wide awards, not awards from this specific notice.

YALE UNIV$251M
UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH - OF THE COMMONWEALTH SYSTEM OF HIGHER EDUCATION$201M
ICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI$141M
WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY, THE$135M
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES$132M

Recipients, states, recent awards and sub-awards →Source: USAspending.gov.

Agency contact (as published)

BRAIN-BICAN@nih.gov
BRAIN-BICAN@nih.gov
Please contact via e-mail.

Quick answers

Is this opportunity open for applications yet?

Not yet. It is a forecast — an agency's advance notice of an expected opportunity. The agency estimates posting the full notice around August 1, 2026. Forecast details and dates can change.

Who is eligible to apply for this opportunity?

The official notice names these applicant types as eligible: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public colleges & universities, Federally recognized tribal governments, Public & Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations, 501(c)(3) nonprofits, Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status, Private colleges & universities and 3 more. Additional restrictions may apply; review the full notice.

How do I apply for this opportunity?

Applications are submitted through the official source, not through GrantsJunction. Open the official notice on Grants.gov (opportunity RFA-MH-27-120), and review the full announcement and application package. Organizations applying through Grants.gov generally need an active SAM.gov registration and a Grants.gov account, which can take several weeks to set up.

Matched on shared Assistance Listings, agency, categories and eligible applicant types.

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