Research on the Mechanisms and/or Behavioral Outcomes of Multisensory Processing (R01) | PA 15 347

Opportunity Information: Apply for PA 15 347

This NIH funding opportunity (PA 15-347) supports R01 research projects focused on multisensory processing, meaning how the nervous system combines or coordinates information coming from at least two distinct sensory systems. In this FOA, a "distinct" sensory input is defined by differences in receptor transduction, neural pathways, and the resulting perceptual quality. The announcement makes clear that it is not limited to the classic five senses; it explicitly includes hearing, vision, taste, smell, balance, and touch, and it also welcomes work involving body-related submodalities such as thermosensation, proprioception and body position, pain, itch, and visceral sensations. The central goal is to advance understanding of either (1) the underlying mechanisms of multisensory processing or (2) the behavioral outcomes that emerge when multiple senses interact, including outcomes that matter for perception, behavior, and social function.

The FOA is designed to encourage a broad range of scientific approaches, including basic, behavioral, and clinical research. On the mechanistic side, projects may examine how multisensory signals are represented and integrated across levels of analysis, such as circuits, systems, and computational principles, or how integration changes as a function of context. On the outcomes side, the FOA highlights perception and other behavioral and social outcomes, signaling that applicants can address real-world function, not only laboratory measures. A recurring emphasis is on interactions between multisensory processing and other neural systems, particularly cognitive, affective, and motor processes. In practical terms, that means the NIH is interested in studies where multisensory information is not treated as isolated sensory input, but as something that shapes and is shaped by attention, learning and memory, emotion and motivation, decision-making, movement planning and execution, and other higher-level functions.

This opportunity is tied to the research priorities of participating NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices (ICOs). Applications are expected to fit within the specific areas of research interest described by those participating components. If a multisensory project does not align with those ICO-specific interests, the FOA directs applicants to submit instead to the broader parent R01 announcement (PA-13-302). In other words, PA 15-347 is a targeted pathway for multisensory work that matches the participating NIH components priorities, while the parent R01 remains the general option for multisensory proposals that fall outside those defined areas.

Administratively, the mechanism is an R01 (a standard NIH Research Project Grant). The sponsoring agency is the National Institutes of Health, and the funding instrument type is a grant. The opportunity falls under Education and Health activity categories and is associated with multiple CFDA numbers (93.121, 93.173, 93.213, 93.279, 93.313, 93.399, 93.853, 93.866, 93.867), reflecting the multi-institute nature of the topic and its relevance across NIH missions. The original posting (creation) date is September 17, 2015, and the original closing date listed is December 21, 2017. The listing does not provide an award ceiling or expected number of awards, indicating that applicants would need to rely on standard NIH R01 budgeting rules and institute-specific funding climates rather than a stated cap in the opportunity summary.

Eligibility is broad and includes many common applicant organizations: state, county, and city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); and small businesses. The FOA also explicitly calls out additional eligible applicant types such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions; Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs); Hispanic-serving Institutions; Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs); Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs); Indian/Native American Tribal Governments other than federally recognized; faith-based or community-based organizations; eligible federal agencies; U.S. territories or possessions; regional organizations; and non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations). Taken together, the eligibility language signals NIH interest in wide participation, including institutions serving underrepresented communities and organizations outside the United States when appropriate.

Overall, PA 15-347 is best read as an NIH invitation for rigorous, hypothesis-driven R01 proposals that explain how multiple senses are integrated and how that integration influences perception and behavior, especially when multisensory processing intersects with cognition, emotion, and movement. It encourages applicants to move beyond single-modality frameworks and to treat multisensory processing as a fundamental feature of brain function with measurable consequences for how organisms perceive, decide, act, and interact socially.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Research on the Mechanisms and/or Behavioral Outcomes of Multisensory Processing (R01)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.121, 93.173, 93.213, 93.279, 93.313, 93.399, 93.853, 93.866, 93.867.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2015-09-17.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2017-12-21. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: 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.

Apply for PA 15 347

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