This concept seeks to support the NIMH AIDS Research Centers program, including D-ARCs and ARCs. The Centers aim to capitalize on their coordinated infrastructure to advance high-impact, interdisciplinary HIV/AIDS research, including at the intersection of HIV/AIDS and mental health, that is relevant to the NIMH DAR mission.

The Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies® (BRAIN) Initiative plans to continue supporting the development of innovative and transformative neurotechnology tools and approaches that enable the interrogation of cell- and circuit-specific processes in the central nervous system with greater specificity and higher cellular resolution. This concept supports a broad developmental spectrum, from early-stage, high-risk concepts and untested ideas to the optimization of existing technologies with strong potential for widespread adoption.

This concept continues the successful NIMH Biobehavioral Research Awards for Innovative New Scientists (NIMH BRAINS) program that encourages potentially transformative high-risk, high-reward research from exceptional early stage investigators. The NIMH BRAINS program focuses on research priorities and gap areas identified in the NIMH Strategic Plan for Research.

The goal of this concept is to continue supporting an integrated BRAIN® Initiative Cell Atlas Network (BICAN) Coordinating Unit for Biostatistics, Informatics, and Engagement (CUBIE) that will (i) enable the exploration of large-scale brain cell atlas data and knowledge, (ii) inspire research in brain function and disorders, and (iii) ensure research rigor and data reproducibility by making the data Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable (FAIR). This will provide the foundation for a knowledge base with consensus brain cell taxonomies, ontologies, and community data standards.