Data / Federal grants / 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) expects to post this opportunity around June 11, 2026, with applications due around October 30, 2026. It lists 4 awards expected.
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Key facts
- Opportunity number
- RFA-NS-26-028
- Status
- Forecast
- Posted
- March 16, 2026
- Closes
- October 30, 2026
- Expected awards
- 4
- Cost sharing
- Not required
- Funding instrument
- Grant
- Category
- Health
- Assistance listing
- 93.853 Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders
- Contact
- NINDS Translational Devices Team · [email protected] · Please contact via e-mail.
Who can apply
- For profit organizations other than small businesses
- Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
- Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
- Independent school districts
- Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
- Small businesses
- Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities
- State governments
- Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)
- Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
- Private institutions of higher education
- Special district governments
- Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
- City or township governments
- County governments
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).
What the agency says
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.
Other open grants from the Department of Health and Human Services
| Opportunity | Status | Closes | Award ceiling | Total funding | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Long-term health outcomes of people living with spina bifida CDC-RFA-DD-26-0222 | Open | Oct 26 | $300,000 | $3,000,000 | grants.gov |
| GREGoRi Data Coordination and Outreach Center (U01, Clinical Trials Not Allowed) RFA-HG-27-011 | Open | Oct 30 | $1,250,000 | $2,000,000 | grants.gov |
| GREGoRi Innovation Projects (U01 Clinical Trial Optional) RFA-HG-27-013 | Open | Oct 30 | $500,000 | $7,500,000 | grants.gov |
| GREGoRi Technology Integration Center (U01, Clinical Trials Optional) RFA-HG-27-012 | Open | Oct 30 | $2,250,000 | $3,000,000 | grants.gov |
| HEAL Initiative: Whole Joint Health Program (R61/R33 Clinical Trial Required) PAR-27-045 | Open | Oct 30 | grants.gov | ||
| Clinical Observational (CO) Studies in Musculoskeletal, Rheumatic, and Skin Diseases (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) PAR-24-280 | Open | Nov 2 | grants.gov |
All grants open to For profit organizations other than small businesses · All grants open to Tribal organizations · All grants open to Public colleges and universities · Everything closing in October 2026
Read from the Grants.gov API, last updated 2026-10-23. The agency's notice on Grants.gov is the official record; check it before you apply.