NINDS Training Newsletter - February 19, 2026

In this issue…

Featured Announcement

•          Updates to Finding NIH Funding Opportunities and Information

NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices

•          Notice of Temporary Extension of Eligibility for the NIH Pathway to Independence Award (K99/R00)

•          Notice of Temporary Extension to Early-Stage Investigator (ESI) Eligibility Period

•          NIH Policy on Research Involving Human Fetal Tissue

•          Basic Experimental Studies in Humans (BESH) Will No Longer Be Considered Clinical Trials by the NIH

•          NIH No Longer Requires Advanced Permission for Conference Grant Applications

•          FORECASTED: Institutional Mentored Career Development Award (K12)

•          FORECASTED: NIH Research Educational Program

•          Notice of Change: Early Expiration of NINDS Alzheimer’s Disease-Related Dementias (ADRD) Advanced Postdoctoral Career Transition Award (K99/R00 Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

•          Notice of Early Expiration of NIH HEAL Initiative PainCare Clinician Training Program (PCTP): Mentored Clinical Scientist Development Awards (K08/K23)

Upcoming Events

•          Rare Disease Day (RDD) at NIH 2026

•          3rd Semi-Annual PURPOSE Meeting

Bulletin Board

•          NexGen 7T MRI Workshop

•          NASEM: Precision Medicine in Neuroscience: Tools, Translation, and Implementation

•          M.S. in Neural Technologies at Carnegie Mellon University

•          Applications Open for WashU Neuroprep Post-Bacc Program

Upcoming Due Dates for NINDS Training Funding Opportunities

•          Feb 25, 2026 | AREA R15 and REAP R15

Featured Announcement

Updates to Finding NIH Funding Opportunities and Information

 NIH has several efforts underway that impact how potential applicants will learn about scientific topics of specific interest to NIH and find grant and cooperative agreement funding opportunities in FY2026. These efforts are part of a wider strategy across NIH to simplify and streamline the application and funding process. Some major updates include:

1. Grants.gov will be the single official source for NIH and Cooperative Agreement Funding Opportunities. NIH will no longer post NOFOs in the NIH Guide (NOT-OD-25-143). However, there is a new Explore NIH Grant Opportunities tool for you to identify NIH funding opportunities posted on Grants.gov.
2. Highlighted Topics. The Highlighted Topics page is a new centralized resource to inform the research community about areas of science of particular interest to NIH. These are NOT formal funding opportunities.
3. Overall Reduction in Number of NIH NOFOs. There are plans to limit the number of highly specific NOFOs and increase NIH’s reliance on parent announcements and other broad funding opportunities in 2026.
4. Consolidation of NIH Grants and Funding Information. In 2026, there is an effort to expand the NIH Grants & Funding site to include the funding-related information currently distributed across our institute, center, and office (ICO) websites. 

Learn more about these updates and more on NIH Grants & Funding page.

Questions on NINDS Training awards? Email us at [email protected].

NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices

Notice of Temporary Extension of Eligibility for the NIH Pathway to Independence Award (K99/R00)

NOT-OD-26-021

This Notice provides K99/R00 eligibility extensions for the following prospective applicants:

• Individuals whose final due date for new/resubmission applications (based on a 48-month eligibility window) was September-November 2025. The last submission with K99/R00 eligibility will be February/March 2026.
• Individuals whose final due date for new/resubmission applications (based on a 48-month eligibility window) was January-March 2026. The last submission with K99/R00 eligibility will be June/July 2026.

This extension is limited to individuals whose eligibility period under the Parent K99/R00 would have ended between September 2025 – November 2025.

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Notice of Temporary Extension to Early-Stage Investigator (ESI) Eligibility Period

NOT-OD-26-020

By way of this Notice, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) hereby announces an automatic short-term extension of Early-Stage Investigator (ESI) eligibility in response to disruptions caused by the recent lapse in federal appropriations.

Who is impacted:

• Investigators whose ESI end date was in September, October, or November 2025 will have ESI status extended through March 31, 2026; the last submission as an ESI must be on or before that date.
• All others retain their current ESI timelines unless extended under other NIH policies.

No action is required; affected investigators do not need to submit an individual ESI extension request.

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NIH Policy on Research Involving Human Fetal Tissue

NOT-OD-26-028

Effective the date of this Notice, NIH funds will not be permitted for research using human fetal tissue from elective abortions. Please see the notice for more information.

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Basic Experimental Studies in Humans (BESH) Will No Longer Be Considered Clinical Trials by the NIH

NOT-OD-26-032

NIH is notifying the community that Basic Experimental Studies Involving Humans (BESH) will no longer be subject to the requirements under the NIH Clinical Trial Definition.

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NIH No Longer Requires Advanced Permission for Conference Grant Applications

NOT-OD-26-040

Effective immediately, NIH will no longer require applicants to request written permission from the ICO and/or document receipt of permission as part of the Cover Letter attachment on the SF424 (R&R) Form.

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FORECASTED: Institutional Mentored Career Development Award (K12)

PA-26-078

The purpose of this program is to support institutional career development awards designed to prepare newly trained clinicians who have made a commitment to independent research careers, and to facilitate their transition to more advanced support mechanisms, e.g., K08 and K23.  The awards are made to institutions that select and then appoint scholars to the program.

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FORECASTED: NIH Research Educational Program

• Mentoring Activities & Networks (R25/UE5)
• Research Experiences (R25)

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Research Education Program supports research education activities in the mission areas of the NIH. The overarching goal of this research education program is to support educational activities that complement and/or enhance the training of a workforce to meet the nation’s biomedical, behavioral and clinical research needs; help recruit individuals with backgrounds in specific specialties or disciplines to research careers in biomedical, behavioral and clinical sciences; and foster a deeper understanding of biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research and its implications.

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Notice of Change: Early Expiration of NINDS Alzheimer’s Disease-Related Dementias (ADRD) Advanced Postdoctoral Career Transition Award (K99/R00 Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

NOT-NS-26-031

The last receipt dates for PAR-24-213 will be February 12, 2026 for new applications and March 12, 2026 for resubmission applications.

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Notice of Early Expiration of NIH HEAL Initiative PainCare Clinician Training Program (PCTP): Mentored Clinical Scientist Development Awards (K08/K23)

NOT-NS-26-030

The purpose of this notice is to inform the extramural community that  PAR-24-217, PAR-24-218, PAR-24-219, NIH HEAL Initiative PainCare Clinician Training Program (PCTP): Mentored Clinical Scientist Development Awards and PAR-24-220 Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development award listed below are expired, effective immediately. No further applications will be accepted under these NOFOs. Applications submitted to the Parent K08 and K23 can be considered for HEAL funding - contact [email protected] for more information.

Upcoming Events

Rare Disease Day (RDD) at NIH 2026

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) will host Rare Disease Day (RDD) at NIH. This is a free event that is open to the public, including patients, patient advocates, caregivers, health care providers, researchers, trainees, students, industry representatives, and government staff.  RDD aims to raise awareness about rare diseases, the people they affect and collaborations that address scientific challenges and advance research for new treatments. This year’s hybrid event will be held virtually and in person at the Natcher Conference Center in Bethesda, Maryland. A live stream will also be available through the event app.

When: Feb 27, 2026 | 9:00 – 5:00 pm ET

Where: Natcher Conference Center, NIH Main Campus and Online (Livestream)

Who should attend: Open to all (patients, caregivers, families, patient advocate groups, researchers, clinicians, health care providers, and students).

Learn more

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3rd Semi-Annual PURPOSE Meeting

The NIH and the NIH HEAL Initiative is excited to invite you to the second annual PURPOSE Meeting, March 22 & 23, 2026. The PURPOSE meeting provides learning experiences, networking, and collaborations for pain researchers across the continuum of basic, translational, and clinical research, and connect them with NIH Program Officers, and mentors outside of their home institutions.

The HEAL PURPOSE meeting is being held in conjunction with the USASP Early Career Forum, preceding the USASP Annual Meeting in Philadelphia. Learn more about USASP and register here https://www.usasp.org/2026annualmeeting

When:

• March 22, 2026: Interdisciplinary PAIN Cohort Meeting (T90/R90, T32s, and other trainees)
• March 23, 2026: PURPOSE Annual Meeting & USASP Early Career Forum

Where: Hybrid – In-person (Loews Philadelphia Hotel) and Online | Registration Required

Who should attend: Open to all.

Learn more

Bulletin Board

NexGen 7T MRI Workshop

Registration Deadline: Mar 6, 2026

Please join us for the NexGen 7T MRI Workshop at UC Berkeley on Friday, March 13, 2026. The workshop is designed to present state-of-the-art MRI research, welcome potential new users and collaborators, and showcase research successfully performed using the NexGen 7T scanner through the NIH BRAIN U24 Integration and Dissemination Initiative. Participants are invited to attend either in person on the UC Berkeley Campus or remotely.

Register and Learn More

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NASEM: Precision Medicine in Neuroscience: Tools, Translation, and Implementation

Join National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine for a workshop exploring the possibilities for integrating precision medicine into neuroscience research and care. The event will be held at the National Academies Keck Center in Washington D.C. and livestreamed online on March 4 from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM ET and March 5 from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM ET.

Learn more

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M.S. in Neural Technologies at Carnegie Mellon University

Accelerated Applications Due: Apr 30, 2026

CMU’s Neuroscience Institute and Department of Biomedical Engineering are excited to announce our new M.S. programs in Neural Technologies (MiNT). These programs combine foundational understanding of neuroscience and nervous systems with technical training in areas like algorithms, robotics, and biomedical interfaces. All MiNT programs include neuroscience core courses and a technology focus on either hardware (Neural Interfaces, Robotics & Engineering) or software (Neural Computation & AI). Students can tailor their training to their specific interests by selecting from a wide-ranging menu of elective courses.

Accelerated (MiNT-A) students have completed a bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience at CMU and add technical skills in areas like algorithms, robotics, and biomedical interfaces. MiNT-A students complete an independent research project combining neuroscience and technology; this is a 2-semester accelerated program that prepares students for either research or industry pathways after graduation.

Learn More

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Applications Open for WashU Neuroprep Post-Bacc Program

Due: Aug 3, 2026

WashU Neuroprep is a two-year Post-Bacc program to prepare recent college grads for graduate training in Neuroscience. This program is geared to individuals who had limited opportunity for research experience as undergraduates.

The Program features:

•          Development of scientific and professional skills through mentored training in basic and clinical neuroscience

•          Competitive compensation, benefits, and travel support

•          Participation at national conferences to present research findings

Learn more

Upcoming Due Dates for NINDS Training Funding Opportunities

• Feb 25, 2026 | AREA R15 and REAP R15
• Supports small scale research grants at institutions that do not receive substantial funding from the NIH.

• Apr 8, 2026 | Parent F31
• Fellowship support for the research training of predoctoral or dual-degree MSTP students.

• Apr 8, 2026 | Parent F30 non-MSTP
• Fellowship support for research training of dual-degree non-MSTP students.

• May 27, 2026 | SuRE and SuRE-FIRST
• Provides research grant support for faculty investigators in leading externally-funded, independent research.

• Jun 12, 2026 | Parent K99/R00 (new submissions)
• Supports postdocs in developing their independent research skills through a two-phase program: an initial mentored research experience followed by a period of independent research.

• Jun 12, 2026 | NINDS Clinician Scientist K08 (new submissions)
• Provides scholars with the skills, education and protected time that will enable them to launch an independent research career.

• Jun 12, 2026 | NINDS Patient-Oriented K23 (new submissions)
• Provides scholars with the skills, education and protected time that will enable them to launch an independent research career.

• Jun 12, 2026 | NINDS K02 (new submissions)
• Supports early to mid-career clinician-scientists in need of additional protected time committed to research.

• Jun 12, 2026 | NINDS Intramural K22 (new submissions)
• Provides support to outstanding NINDS intramural clinician-scientists to develop their independent research skills through a two phase program; an initial mentored research experience in the NINDS intramural program, followed by a period of independent research.

Learn more about NINDS Training Awards & Opportunities on the web.