Funding Opportunities

Posted September 17th, 2025

Cognitive Neuroscience of Development and Aging (CoNDA) Center
Funding Opportunity (Research Projects Grants) – Requests for Letters of Intent to Apply for Research Project Grant Funding
Cognitive Neuroscience of Development & Aging (CoNDA) Center

REQUEST FOR LETTERS OF INTENT TO APPLY FOR RESEARCH PROJECT GRANT FUNDING
Letter of Intent to Apply Deadline: 5:00pm CT on Monday, October 13^th, 2025
Anticipated Notification of Selection for Full Application: November 1^st, 2025

Program Summary:
The Cognitive Neuroscience of Development and Aging (CoNDA) Center is pleased to announce an opportunity for Research Project funding. The CoNDA Center is a Phase 2 NIH/NIGMS Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) that focuses on cognitive neuroscience and strives to support neuroscience research in the Omaha region. The goal of the Research Projects Program is to provide support to new investigators to develop independent research program and acquire the preliminary data necessary to apply for and obtain external federal funding. The benchmark of success for the CoNDA RPL is the award of an NIH R01 within 2-3 years. Successful applicants will receive up to $200,000 in direct costs per year for 2-3 years, as well as access to the resources and equipment of the Center for professional development and project support. Applicants must be able to devote 0.5 FTE to the project. We anticipate funding one Research Project through this RFA.

Eligibility and Eligible Institutions:
This current RFA is limited to full-time, tenure-track faculty at the rank of Assistant Professor or higher from the CoNDA Center’s Partnering Institutions (University of Nebraska Medical Center, Creighton University, and the University of Nebraska at Omaha) and leading their own independent research program. Applicants must be eligible to apply for NIH funds; must never have previously successfully competed for an external, peer-reviewed RPG or Program Project Grant (PPG) from either a Federal or non-Federal source that names that investigator as the PD/PI (e.g. an R01 or the equivalent); and must meet the NIH definition of an Early Stage or New Investigator. Individuals are not permitted to hold more than one IDeA-mechanism (CTR, COBRE, INBRE) award at a time.

Relevant Areas of Research:
This mechanism aims to support innovative research in basic and translational neuroscience in development and aging. Priority will be given to those projects that are most likely to lead to successful extramural funding. Applicants must plan to make use of CoNDA Center Research Cores. Applications not relevant to the Center’s themes (cognitive neuroscience, neuroimaging, neurocognitive disorders, development, and/or aging), will not be considered. For questions pertaining to whether your research would qualify for Center support, please contact Kendall Panas, kpanas@unmc.edu.

How to Apply:
Please submit a brief letter of intent highlighting your research background and project plans; please provide planned Specific Aims (1 page) and your biosketch. Please submit your Letter, Specific Aims, and Biosketch (listing past/current grant support) as one PDF file to kpanas@unmc.edu by 5:00pm on Monday, October 13^th, 2025.

Letter of Intent to Apply Deadline: 5:00pm CT on Monday, October 13^th, 2025
Anticipated Notification of Selection for Full Application: November 1^st, 2025
Anticipated Due Date for Full Application: Monday, December 15^th, 2025
Anticipated Notification of Final Selection: February 2026
Anticipated Project Start Date: April-June 2026