The COMBINE (RM1) program funds bold, multidisciplinary neuroscience research teams to tackle major challenges in brain function and disorders, emphasizing innovative, high-risk approaches that could transform the field. It exists to catalyze collaborative, integrative projects that go beyond incremental advances, often requiring a US-based lead institution.

- Overall Impact: Potential to significantly advance neuroscience through novel, multidisciplinary collaboration. - Significance: Does the project address a critical problem or barrier in neuroscience? - Innovation: Are the concepts, approaches, or methods novel and potentially transformative? - Approach: Are the design, methods, and analyses well-reasoned and appropriate? - Investigators: Are the PD/PIs and collaborators well-suited, with complementary expertise? - Environment: Does the scientific environment contribute to success (e.g., institutional support, resources)? - Eligibility: Must include at least two PD/PIs from different disciplines; US-based institution required as lead; foreign components allowed but must demonstrate unique expertise.

Past winners typically involve multi-PI teams (e.g., 2-4 PIs) from US universities or research centers, often combining computational, experimental, and clinical neuroscience. Examples include projects on neural circuit dynamics, brain-machine interfaces, and addiction mechanisms. No specific named winners are listed on the page, but archetypes are established mid-career to senior researchers with strong publication records and prior NIH funding.

The ideal applicant is a US-based mid-career or senior researcher with a track record of interdisciplinary collaboration, leading a team of 2-4 PIs from distinct fields (e.g., computational neuroscience, pharmacology, clinical neurology). They propose a high-risk, high-reward project with clear potential to shift paradigms, supported by preliminary data and a robust experimental plan.