Funder: National Institutes of Health
Due Dates: February 1, 2027 (Application) | September 17, 2027 (Application) | May 26, 2028 (Application) | February 1, 2029 (Application) | September 19, 2029 (Application) | February 1, 2030 (Application) | December 1, 2030 (Closing)
Funding Amounts: $6 million total; budgets should rarely exceed $750,000 direct costs annually; up to three years
Summary: Supports design-driven development of next-generation devices within BRAIN and HEAL missions toward readiness for first-in-human trials.
Key Information: Clinical trials are not allowed, and applications involving foreign subawards or subcontracts are ineligible.
Description
NIH’s NextTech R18 program supports development and translation of next-generation technologies to prevent, monitor, diagnose, and treat disorders within the BRAIN and HEAL Initiatives’ missions. It funds proof-of-concept work, technology optimization, and preclinical testing that advance devices toward readiness for first-in-human studies and approvals for human use. Applications should emphasize design-directed technology development rather than hypothesis-driven biological research.
Devices may be non-invasive, minimally invasive, implantable, or combinations of these, using electrical, optical, magnetic, acoustic, or combined modalities. HEAL projects focus on non-addictive treatments for pain and opioid use disorder, including academic–industrial partnerships. BRAIN projects advance human central nervous system recording or modulation devices. The program excludes basic research, disease-mechanism studies, and clinical evaluation of device safety or efficacy.
