Forecasted · Cooperative Agreement
Blueprint Neurotherapeutics Network (BPN): Small Molecule Drug Discovery and Development
National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services
Key facts
Copied from the official Grants.gov record. Last verified October 29, 2026.
- Program name
- Blueprint Neurotherapeutics Network (BPN): Small Molecule Drug Discovery and Development
- Issuing agency
- National Institutes of Health (Department of Health and Human Services)
- Opportunity number
- PAR-28-043
- Funding type
- Cooperative Agreement
- Funding purpose
- Health
- Status
- Forecasted
- Application deadline
- Forecasted · estimated close June 16, 2027 (agency estimate)
- Agency estimates
- Estimated posting: November 15, 2026. Estimated award date: March 5, 2028. Estimates can change.
- Published award range
- Not published by the agency
- Expected number of awards
- 4
- Cost sharing or match required
- No
- Eligible applicants (official categories)
- State governments
- County governments
- City or township governments
- Special district governments
- Independent school districts
- Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
- Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
- Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities
- Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
- Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
- Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
- Private institutions of higher education
- For profit organizations other than small businesses
- Small businesses
- Others (see Additional Information on Eligibility)
- Relevant to
- Businesses and NonprofitsHow we determined this: Grants.gov eligibility includes small businesses or for-profit organizations. Grants.gov eligibility includes nonprofit organizations.
- Geographic restrictions
- None stated in structured data (federal opportunities are often nationwide). Check the eligibility details and full announcement for any limits.
- Assistance Listing (CFDA)
- 93.853
- Official source
- View on Grants.gov ↗
- Application URL
- www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/363095 ↗Apply through Grants.gov (Workspace) using the application package on the official listing, unless the full announcement names a different submission system.
- Source identifier
- Grants.gov opportunity ID 363095 · Funding opportunity number PAR-28-043
- Posted
- July 7, 2026 · Source last updated July 7, 2026
- Last verified
- October 29, 2026 (against Grants.gov)
- Data completeness
- 92% of key fields published by the sourceNot published: published funding range.
- Record confidence
- mediumforecast — dates and amounts are agency estimates.
Eligibility details (from the agency)
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).
Description (from the official listing)
The NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience Research is interested in continuing to support the BluePrint Neurotherapeutics Network for Small Molecules (BPN-SM)- a program designed to help investigators advance promising small-molecule therapeutics toward clinical testing. The BPN-SM program supports drug discovery and development activities in investigators’ own laboratories while also providing access to NIH-supported subject matter experts and contract research organizations (CROs) with capabilities in medicinal chemistry, pharmacokinetics, toxicology, formulation development, GMP synthesis, and Phase I clinical testing. By integrating NIH resources with industry-standard expertise, BPN-SM advances investigator-initiated drug discovery while enabling investigators to retain and strengthen their intellectual property while gaining hands-on experience in translational drug development.The overarching goal of the program is to reduce the risk of scientific and therapy development sufficiently to enable external partners to take on late-stage development and ultimately bring new therapies to patients. In addition, this BPN program is specifically focused on small molecules and excludes biologics, because development, regulatory, and manufacturing considerations for each class of therapeutics differ substantially from each other. It will use a phased cooperative agreement mechanism which will enable the program to support innovative but higher-risk projects, with decisions of continued support being contingent on demonstrated feasibility of yearly milestones. A cooperative agreement…
Read the full description
The NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience Research is interested in continuing to support the BluePrint Neurotherapeutics Network for Small Molecules (BPN-SM)- a program designed to help investigators advance promising small-molecule therapeutics toward clinical testing. The BPN-SM program supports drug discovery and development activities in investigators’ own laboratories while also providing access to NIH-supported subject matter experts and contract research organizations (CROs) with capabilities in medicinal chemistry, pharmacokinetics, toxicology, formulation development, GMP synthesis, and Phase I clinical testing. By integrating NIH resources with industry-standard expertise, BPN-SM advances investigator-initiated drug discovery while enabling investigators to retain and strengthen their intellectual property while gaining hands-on experience in translational drug development.The overarching goal of the program is to reduce the risk of scientific and therapy development sufficiently to enable external partners to take on late-stage development and ultimately bring new therapies to patients. In addition, this BPN program is specifically focused on small molecules and excludes biologics, because development, regulatory, and manufacturing considerations for each class of therapeutics differ substantially from each other. It will use a phased cooperative agreement mechanism which will enable the program to support innovative but higher-risk projects, with decisions of continued support being contingent on demonstrated feasibility of yearly milestones. A cooperative agreement framework is proposed because several key aspects of the program will involve collaborative activities between the investigators and NIH program staff, with substantial involvement beyond the normal scope of grant stewardship. The project principal investigator(s) and NIH program staff will work jointly with NIH-supported subject matter experts to coordinate and participate in all scientific and technical management aspects of the project.Applications are not being solicited at this time. Notice is being provided to allow potential applicants sufficient time to develop competitive projects and establish the cross-disciplinary collaborations necessary for success.
Agency contact
Blueprint Neurotherapeutics Team
BPNSMNINDS@mail.nih.gov