Group items tagged

The McKnight Endowment Fund for Neuroscience supports innovative research designed to bring science closer to the day when diseases of the brain can be accurately diagnosed, prevented, and treated. To that end, the McKnight Endowment Fund for Neuroscience invites Letters of Intent for its 2018 McKnight Technological Innovations in Neuroscience awards. The program encourages and supports scientists working on the development of novel and creative approaches to the understanding of brain function. McKnight is interested in how a new technology may be used to monitor, manipulate, analyze, or model brain function at any level, from the molecular to the entire organism. Technology may take any form, from biochemical tools to instruments to software and mathematical approaches. Because the program seeks to advance and enlarge the range of technologies available to the neurosciences, research based primarily on existing techniques will not be considered. A goal of the Technological Innovations awards is to foster collaboration between the neurosciences and other disciplines; therefore, collaborative and cross-disciplinary applications are explicitly invited.

The McGovern Institute for Brain Research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology was established in 2000 by Patrick J. McGovern and Lore Harp McGovern, with the goal of improving human welfare, communication, and understanding through their support for neuroscience research. The institute has announced a call for nominations for its twelfth annual Edward M. Scolnick Prize in Neuroscience. Now in its fifteenth year, the Scolnick Prize is designed to recognize outstanding advances in the field of neuroscience. The prize, which is endowed through a gift from Merck to the McGovern Institute, consists of a $150,000 award, plus an inscribed gift. In addition, the recipient will present a public lecture at the McGovern Institute in spring 2018. A gala dinner for the recipient and invited guests follows the prize lecture. Candidates for the award must be nominated by individuals affiliated with universities, hospitals, medicals schools, or research institutes, with a background in neuroscience. Self-nomination is not permitted.

The McKnight Endowment Fund for Neuroscience supports innovative research designed to bring science closer to the day when diseases of the brain can be accurately diagnosed, prevented, and treated. To this end, the McKnight Endowment Fund for Neuroscience invites letters of intent for the 2014 McKnight Technological Innovations in Neuroscience Awards.

This funding opportunity announcement (FOA) invites applications for mentored career enhancement (K18) awards in research areas that are highly relevant to the NIH BRAIN Initiative. This career enhancement program will support development of research capability for the BRAIN Initiative, with specific emphasis on cross-training independent investigators in a substantively different area of neuroscience, neuroethics, or in a quantitative and physical discipline (e.g., physics, chemistry, engineering, computer science, mathematics); and vice versa, cross-training independent investigators trained in a quantitative or physical discipline proposing to gain in-depth training in a high-priority area of neuroscience. The research project conducted under this K18 should enhance the candidate's ability to significantly contribute to or lead projects that investigate questions central to the goals of the BRAIN Initiative. Eligible candidates are independent investigators at any faculty rank or level.

This funding opportunity announcement (FOA) invites applications for mentored career enhancement (K18) awards in research areas that are highly relevant to the NIH BRAIN Initiative. This career enhancement program will support development of research capability for the BRAIN Initiative, with specific emphasis on cross-training independent investigators in a substantively different area of neuroscience, neuroethics, or in a quantitative and physical discipline (e.g., physics, chemistry, engineering, computer science, mathematics); and vice versa, cross-training independent investigators trained in a quantitative or physical discipline proposing to gain in-depth training in a high-priority area of neuroscience. The research project conducted under this K18 should enhance the candidate's ability to significantly contribute to or lead projects that investigate questions central to the goals of the BRAIN Initiative. Eligible candidates are independent investigators at any faculty rank or level.

Computational neuroscience provides a theoretical foundation and a rich set of technical approaches for understanding complex neurobiological systems, building on the theory, methods, and findings of computer science, neuroscience, and numerous other disciplines. Through the CRCNS program, the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung, BMBF), the French National Research Agency (Agence Nationale de la Recherche, ANR), and the United States-Israel Binational Science Foundation (BSF) support collaborative activities that will advance the understanding of nervous system structure and function, mechanisms underlying nervous system disorders, and computational strategies used by the nervous system. 

Computational neuroscience provides a theoretical foundation and a rich set of technical approaches for understanding complex neurobiological systems, building on the theory, methods, and findings of computer science, neuroscience, and numerous other disciplines. Through the CRCNS program, the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung, BMBF), the French National Research Agency (Agence Nationale de la Recherche, ANR), the United States-Israel Binational Science Foundation (BSF), and Japan's National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) support collaborative activities that will advance the understanding of nervous system structure and function, mechanisms underlying nervous system disorders, and computational strategies used by the nervous system.

This funding opportunity announcement (FOA) supports high impact efforts to make resources available to neuroscience researchers. Projects should engage in one or more of the following activities: facilitating access to cutting edge reagents or techniques, dissemination of resources to new user groups, or innovative approaches to increase the scale/efficiency of resource production and delivery. Applications focused primarily on technology or software development are not responsive to this FOA, as the focus is on dissemination or provision of resources. Use of existing technologies to develop new reagents or genetic lines of significant value to the research community may be appropriate. Projects should address compelling needs of broad communities of neuroscience researchers or should offer unique services that otherwise would be unavailable. Projects must support the NINDS mission.

The purpose of this funding opportunity announcement (FOA) is to support the development of novel tools and technologies through the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program to advance the field of neuroscience research. This FOA specifically supports the development of novel neurotechnologies as well as the translation of technologies developed through the BRAIN initiative or through other funding programs, towards commercialization. Funding can support the iterative refinement of these tools and technologies with the end-user community, with an end-goal of scaling manufacture towards reliable, broad, sustainable dissemination and incorporation into regular neuroscience practice.

The NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience Research is a collaborative framework through which 14 NIH Institutes, Centers and Offices jointly support neuroscience-related research, with the aim of accelerating discoveries and reducing the burden of nervous system disorders. This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) will solicit research projects focused on the development of new technology and tools, or novel mechanistic studies, or a combination of mechanistic and technology development studies specific to central nervous system (CNS, which includes retina) small blood and lymphatic vessels in health and disease, across the life span. The program aims at facilitating the development of tools and technology to image, profile and map CNS small blood and lymphatic vessels. Additional goals are to elucidate the mechanisms underlying CNS small blood and lymphatic vessels structural and functional heterogeneity, differential susceptibility to injury, role in disease and repair processes, and their responses to therapies. Preclinical studies using in vitro and/or animal models specific to CNS small blood and lymphatic vessels alone or in combination with pilot human studies are appropriate for this FOA.

The NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience Research is a collaborative framework through which 14 NIH Institutes, Centers and Offices jointly support neuroscience-related research, with the aim of accelerating discoveries and reducing the burden of nervous system disorders. This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) will solicit research projects to facilitate the development and translation of tools and technology for non-invasive imaging and profiling of human central nervous system (CNS, including retina) small blood and lymphatic vessels; to investigate their role in CNS physiology, disease, repair processes, and responses to therapy using novel approaches. Applications can be focused on the development of new technology and tools, novel target or biomarker identification and validation studies, or a combination of mechanistic and technology development studies specific to human CNS small blood and lymphatic vessels in health and disease, across the life span.

This funding opportunity announcement (FOA) supports efforts to disseminate resources and to integrate them into neuroscience research practice. Projects should be highly relevant to specific goals of the BRAIN Initiative, goals that are described in the planning document "BRAIN 2025: A Scientific Vision." They should engage in one or more of the following activities: distribution of tools and reagents; user training on the usage of new technologies or techniques; providing access to existing technology platforms and specialized facilities; minor improvements to increase the scale/efficiency of resource production and delivery; minor adaptations to meet the needs of a user community. Applications strictly focused on technology or software development, rather than dissemination of an existing resource, are not responsive to this FOA. Refinements to microscopes or tools necessary to customize them to the experimental needs of the end users are allowed. Projects should address compelling needs of neuroscience researchers working toward the goals of the BRAIN 2025 report that are otherwise unavailable or impractical in their current form.

The purpose of this funding opportunity announcement (FOA) is to support the development of novel tools and technologies through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program to advance the field of neuroscience research. This FOA specifically supports the development of novel neurotechnologies as well as the translation of technologies developed through the BRAIN initiative or through other funding programs, towards commercialization. Funding can support the iterative refinement of these tools and technologies with the end-user community, with an end-goal of scaling manufacture towards reliable, broad, sustainable dissemination and incorporation into regular neuroscience research.

This FOA solicits new theories, computational models, and statistical tools to derive understanding of brain function from complex neuroscience data. Proposed tools could include the creation of new theories, ideas, and conceptual frameworks to organize/unify data and infer general principles of brain function; new computational models to develop testable hypotheses and design/drive experiments; and new mathematical and statistical methods to support or refute a stated hypothesis about brain function, and/or assist in detecting dynamical features and patterns in complex brain data. It is expected that the tools developed under this FOA will be made widely available to the neuroscience research community for their use and modification. Investigative studies should be limited to validity testing of the tools being developed.

Understanding the dynamic activity of neural circuits is central to the NIH BRAIN Initiative.  This FOA seeks applications for proof-of-concept testing and development of new technologies and novel approaches for large scale recording and manipulation of neural activity to enable transformative understanding of dynamic signaling in the nervous system.  In particular, we seek exceptionally creative approaches to address major challenges associated with recording and manipulating neural activity, at or near cellular resolution, at multiple spatial and/or temporal scales, in any region and throughout the entire depth of the brain.  It is expected that the proposed research may be high-risk, but if successful could profoundly change the course of neuroscience research.

Understanding the dynamic activity of neural circuits is central to the NIH BRAIN Initiative.  This FOA seeks applications for proof-of-concept testing and development of new technologies and novel approaches for large scale recording and manipulation of neural activity to enable transformative understanding of dynamic signaling in the nervous system.  In particular, we seek exceptionally creative approaches to address major challenges associated with recording and manipulating neural activity, at or near cellular resolution, at multiple spatial and/or temporal scales, in any region and throughout the entire depth of the brain.  It is expected that the proposed research may be high-risk, but if successful could profoundly change the course of neuroscience research.

This solicitation extends the Collaborative Research in Computational Neuroscience program for three years. Proposals for collaborations involving Japan are now supported through a new partnership with the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology. Please see the proposal preparation instructions and country-specific instructions and limitations in Sections V and VIII of this solicitation, and the companion documents published by CRCNS partner agencies referenced in Section VIII. The description of scientific topics and approaches has been updated in Section II of this solicitation. Agency contacts have been updated in Section VIII. Results from prior NSF, NIH, and/or CRCNS support must be included in the Project Description if any PI or co-PI identified on the project has received NSF funding, NIH funding, or CRCNS funding from another participating agency, with a start date in the past five years.

The General & Age Related Disabilities Engineering (GARDE) program supports research that will lead to the development of new technologies, devices, or software for persons with disabilities.  Research may be supported that is directed to the characterization, restoration, and/or substitution of human functional ability or cognition, or to the interaction of persons with disabilities and their environment.  Areas of particular recent interest are disability-related research in neuroscience/neuroengineering and rehabilitation robotics.  Emphasis is placed on significant advancement of fundamental engineering and scientific knowledge and not on incremental improvements.  Proposals should advance discovery or innovation beyond the frontiers of current knowledge in disability-related research.  Applicants are encouraged to contact the Program Director prior to submitting a proposal. Undergraduate Engineering Design Projects are also supported, especially those that provide prototype "custom-designed" devices or software for persons with disabilities.  The education of undergraduate engineering students is enhanced through Undergraduate Engineering Design Projects' awards supported by the GARDE program. 

The mission of the Biomedical Engineering (BME) program is to provide opportunities to develop novel ideas into discovery-level and transformative projects that integrate engineering and life science principles in solving biomedical problems that serve humanity in the long-term.  The Biomedical Engineering (BME) program supports fundamental research in the following BME themes: Neural engineering (brain science, computational neuroscience, brain-computer interface, neurotech, cognitive engineering) Cellular biomechanics (motion, deformation, and forces in biological systems; how mechanical forces alter cell growth, differentiation, movement, signal transduction, transport, cell adhesion, cell cytoskeleton dynamics, cell-cell and cell-ECM interactions; genetically engineered stem cell differentiation with long-term impact in tissue repair and regenerative medicine) The BME projects must be at the interface of engineering and life sciences, and advance both engineering and life sciences.  The projects should focus on high impact transforming methods and technologies. The project should include methods, models and tools of understanding and controlling of living systems; fundamental improvements in deriving information from cells, tissues, organs, and organ systems; new approaches to the design of structures and materials for eventual medical use in the long-term; and new novel methods of reducing health care costs through new technologies.

This solicitation describes the first phase of a new NSF program to support transformative and integrative research that will accelerate understanding of neural and cognitive systems. NSF seeks exceptional proposals that are bold, potentially risky, and transcend the perspectives and approaches typical of disciplinary research programs. This multi-directorate program is one element of NSF’s broader aim to foster innovation in Cognitive Science and Neuroscience, a multi-year effort that includes NSF’s participation in the Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative (http://www.nsf.gov/brain/). For FY 2015, this competition is organized around two research themes: Neuroengineering and Brain-Inspired Concepts and Designs and Individuality and Variation. Within each theme, general advances in theory and methods, technological innovations, educational approaches, enabling research infrastructure, and workforce development are all of significant interest.

The Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative is aimed at revolutionizing neuroscience through development and application of innovative technologies to map neural circuits, monitor and modulate their activity, and understand how they contribute to thoughts, sensations, emotions and behavior. NIH has issued a variety of Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs) that will support projects that apply technologies to understand neural circuit function in the context of specific circuits, resulting in a diverse portfolio of research into the fundamental biology of nervous system function. The purpose of this announcement is to notify the research community that NIH welcomes BRAIN Initiative applications targeting central nervous system nociceptive and pain circuits, as appropriate to the goals and requirements of specific BRAIN Initiative FOAs. Pain conditions represent an important public health problem and NIH continues to support research into pain pathologies through normal Institute and Center appropriations. However, pain and nociception are also components of normal nervous system function, and the BRAIN Initiative is committed to understanding pain circuits along with brain circuits underlying other sensory, motor, cognitive and emotional functions. It is expected that the unique opportunities of the BRAIN Initiative will enable production of detailed maps of pain circuits, and the adoption of powerful new tools for monitoring and modulating pain circuit activity, leading to significant advances in the understanding of pain and nociception. For a list of past and open BRAIN Initiative FOAs, see https://braininitiative.nih.gov/funding/.

Although invention and proof-of-concept testing of new technologies are a key component of the BRAIN Initiative, to achieve their potential these technologies must also be optimized through feedback from end-users in the context of the intended experimental use. This seeks applications for the optimization of existing and emerging technologies and approaches that have potential to address major challenges associated with recording and manipulating neural activity, at or near cellular resolution, at multiple spatial and temporal scales, in any region and throughout the entire depth of the brain. This FOA is intended for the iterative refinement of emergent technologies and approaches that have already demonstrated their transformative potential through initial proof-of-concept testing, and are appropriate for accelerated development of hardware and software while scaling manufacturing techniques towards sustainable, broad dissemination and user-friendly incorporation into regular neuroscience practice. Proposed technologies should be compatible with experiments in behaving animals, and should include advancements that enable or reduce major barriers to hypothesis-driven experiments. Technologies may engage diverse types of signaling beyond neuronal electrical activity for large-scale analysis, and may utilize any modality such as optical, electrical, magnetic, acoustic or genetic recording/manipulation. Applications that seek to integrate multiple approaches are encouraged. Applications are expected to integrate appropriate domains of expertise, including where appropriate biological, chemical and physical sciences, engineering, computational modeling and statistical analysis.