[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 160 (Friday, August 17, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41081-41082]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-17759]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health


Request for Information To Solicit Feedback on the Brain Research 
Through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative

AGENCY: National Institutes for Health, HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) is to 
solicit input on how best to accomplish the ambitious vision for the 
Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) 
Initiative[supreg] set forth in BRAIN 2025: A Scientific Vision. NIH is 
soliciting input from all interested stakeholders, including members of 
the scientific community, trainees, academic institutions, the private 
sector, health professionals, professional societies, advocacy groups, 
and patient communities, as well as other interested members of the 
public.

DATES: The Request for Information is open for public comment. To 
assure consideration, your responded must be received by November 15, 
2018, 11:59 p.m.

ADDRESSES: Responses to this RFI must be submitted electronically using 
the web-based form at https://www.braininitiative.nih.gov/rfi.aspx.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Please direct all inquiries to 
Samantha White, Ph.D., National Institute of Neurological Disorders and 
Stroke, 301-496-1675; <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#01435340484f476464656360626a416f68692f666e77"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="fcbeaebdb5b2ba9999989e9d9f97bc929594d29b938a">[email protected]</span></a> with ``BRAIN RFI'' in the 
subject line.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    The BRAIN Initiative aims to develop new tools and technologies to 
understand and manipulate networks of cells in the brain. BRAIN 2025: A 
Scientific Vision serves as the strategic plan for the BRAIN Initiative 
at NIH and outlines an overarching vision, seven high level scientific 
priorities, and many specific goals. Designed to be achieved over at 
least a decade, the first five years of BRAIN 2025 emphasizes 
development of tools and technology, and the next five years shifts 
emphasis to using these tools to make fundamental discoveries about how 
brain circuits work and what goes wrong in disease.
    The BRAIN Initiative is well underway (see http://www.braininitiative.nih.gov), and we are now approaching the midpoint. 
At this time, NIH is seeking feedback on the BRAIN Initiative's 
progress and on opportunities moving forward given the current state of 
the science. NIH has established a new BRAIN Initiative Advisory 
Committee of the NIH Director (ACD) Working Group that will provide 
scientific guidance to the ACD on how best to continue to accelerate 
the ambitious vision for the BRAIN Initiative.
    The ACD-WG will use the responses to this RFI, along with 
information gathered through a series of public workshops, to help 
inform their discussions of the BRAIN Initiative's progress and 
potential updates to the plan moving forward.

Information Requested

    Anyone wishing to submit a response is asked to include:
    <bullet> Ideas for new tools and technologies that have the 
potential to transform brain circuit research.
    <bullet> Suggestions for fundamental questions about brain circuit 
function in

[[Page 41082]]

humans or animal models that could be addressed with new technologies.
    <bullet> Considerations for data sharing infrastructure and 
policies.
    <bullet> Areas and topics for research on the ethical implications 
of BRAIN Initiative-supported emerging neurotechnologies and 
advancements and their applications.
    <bullet> Approaches for disseminating new tools and technologies as 
well as training the broader neuroscience research community.
    <bullet> Any other topic relevant to the strategic plan of the 
BRAIN Initiative.
Responses to this RFI are voluntary. Any personal identifiers will be 
removed when responses are compiled. Individual feedback will not be 
provided to any responder. Proprietary, classified, confidential, or 
sensitive information should not be included in your response. This 
Request for Information (RFI) is for planning purposes only and is not 
a solicitation for applications or an obligation on the part of the 
United States (U.S.) Government to provide support for any ideas 
identified in response to it. Please note that the U.S. Government will 
not pay for the preparation of any comment submitted or for its use of 
that comment.

    Dated: August 10, 2018.
Lawrence A. Tabak,
Deputy Director, National Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. 2018-17759 Filed 8-16-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4140-01-P


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