The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is currently accepting applications for its Translational Neural Devices funding opportunity (PAR-25-053), hosted by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). This opportunity supports the development of low-risk therapeutic and diagnostic devices aimed at treating disorders of the nervous or neuromuscular systems. It is offered through an R61-R33 Exploratory-Developmental Phased Award mechanism, that allows for both early translational work and subsequent small clinical studies.

This funding opportunity is designed for researchers and innovators developing novel neural or neuromuscular devices that require both non-clinical testing and limited early-stage clinical evaluation. Eligible projects may involve activities such as prototype development, safety and efficacy testing, design validation, and conducting small clinical studies when functional data cannot be obtained through non-clinical methods alone.

The next application deadline is September 29, 2025. Interested applicants should review the full Notice of Funding Opportunity are fully and ensure alignment with updated NIH policies and requirements. Read more on the webpage here.