Independent research tool — not a government agency. Official notices govern.Refreshed
GrantsJunctionAmerican funding, sourcedMethodology
ForecastedResearch announcementOpportunity RFA-NS-26-028

HEAL Initiative: Optimization of Therapeutic Medical Devices through Team Science Mechanistic Research (RM1)

National Institutes of Health · Department of Health and Human Services

At a glance

HEAL Initiative: Optimization of Therapeutic Medical Devices through Team Science Mechanistic Research (RM1) is a forecasted federal grant opportunity from the National Institutes of Health (Department of Health and Human Services). The agency's forecast estimates an application due date of October 30, 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 93.853 (Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders).

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

Key facts

  1. Mar 16, 2026Forecast posted
  2. Jun 11, 2026 (est.)Full notice expected
  3. Oct 30, 2026 (est.)Application deadlinenext date
  4. Jul 1, 2027 (est.)Est. award date
Posted
Mar 16, 2026
Est. close date
Oct 30, 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
Grant
Opportunity category
Discretionary
Fiscal year
FY2027

Typical awards for this program (SAM.gov listing for ALN 93.853, not this notice): Research grants: $22,709 to $7,753,905; $585,282. National Research Service Awards: Institutional $34,076 to $692,757; $193,304. Individual: $5,495 to $90,284; $46,239. SBIR/STTR: Phase 1 not to exceed $150,000; Phase II not to exceed $1,000,000; however with appropriate justification, budget caps for Phase I and Phase II are $225,000 and $1,500,00 respectively

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 ApplicantsIndian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized);Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government;U.S. Territory or Possession;Faith-based or Community-based Organizations;Regional Organizations;Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions).

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 Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), with other NIH Institutes and Centers (ICs), intends to publish a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to investigate the mechanisms of action of therapeutic medical devices with the overall goal of improving clinical outcomes with device-based approaches. Medical devices are essential in managing health conditions, complementing drugs and behavioral interventions, and often offer unique benefits. Despite the commercial availability of numerous medical devices and ongoing development of new technologies, many have shown inconsistent results in preclinical studies, failed translation to humans, and exhibit varied patient outcomes. To overcome these challenges, it is crucial to understand the mechanisms by which medical devices produce a therapeutic effect, to identify physiological markers of neurological conditions, and to assess how device-based therapies influence these markers. Advancing this knowledge will improve device-based interventions, inspire new device designs, and optimize current clinical approaches.

Applications will be invited from interdisciplinary teams pursuing innovative research on how medical devices produce a therapeutic effect. Applicant teams will likely exhibit expertise in areas such as engineering, biology, pathophysiology, surgery, clinical care, healthcare delivery, biostatistics, software development, computational modeling, artificial intelligence, regulatory science, and clinical trials. This program will accept projects on investigational devices and those already FDA-approved and in clinical use. Applications are expected to include strategies for developing or optimizing therapies that could significantly improve patient care. Supported research may include mechanistic clinical trials, animal studies, and computational modeling or simulation. Applications are not being solicited at this time. Notice is being provided to allow potential applicants sufficient time to develop meaningful collaborations and responsive projects.

How to apply

0 of 8 done · progress saved in this browser

Assistance Listing

What is an ALN?

Reported obligations under ALN 93.853

Historical data · not a prediction
FY24$2.36B
FY25$2.35B
FY26— est.
Source: SAM.gov Assistance Listing 93.853. Program-wide totals, not awards from this specific opportunity.

Who was funded under ALN 93.853

Historical data · not a prediction

Since October 1, 2023, 10,021 grant awards had funding actions under Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders, with 5,577 sub-awards passed on to other organizations. These are program-wide awards, not awards from this specific notice.

  1. THE GENERAL HOSPITAL CORPORATION$203M
  2. REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO, THE$173M
  3. THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY$167M
  4. REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN$155M
  5. THE TRUSTEES OF COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK$141M
Recipients, states, recent awards and sub-awards →Source: USAspending.gov.

Agency contact (as published)

NINDS Translational Devices Team
NINDS-Devices@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 June 11, 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-NS-26-028), 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.