Over the next several years, the FAS Research Development group will track and disseminate all funding opportunities related to the  BRAIN Initiative.  These funding opportunities will be sent to a targeted list of faculty. That list includes  faculty affiliates  of the  Center for Brain Science  (CBS) and the  Mind Brain Behavior  (MBB) Interfaculty Initiative. This project is being carried out in collaboration with the Center for Brain Science. All opportunities will be archived and recipients may unsubscribe at any time. For additional Research Development support (finding funding, proposal development resources, etc.), please visit the Research Development website.

Funding Opportunities
Sponsor Deadline for Letters of Intent (required): January 9, 2017 for INTEGRATIVE FOUNDATIONS proposals
Sponsor Deadline for Full Proposals: February 6, 2017 for INTEGRATIVE FOUNDATIONS proposals; see below for information on applying for a CORE + SUPPLEMENT award
OSP Deadline: 5 business days prior to submission 
Award Information: Total budgets for INTEGRATIVE FOUNDATIONS awards are anticipated to range from $500,000-$1,000,000 (including direct and indirect costs), with durations of 2-4 years. CORE + SUPPLEMENTAL awards will be made up to $200,000 (if supplemental funding, up to 20% of the existing award, not to exceed $200,000).  Approximately $10-$15 million will be made available in FY 2017 to support an estimated 15-30 awards.
 
NSF's Integrative Strategies for Understanding Neural and Cognitive Systems program calls for innovative, integrative, boundary-crossing proposals that can best capture emerging opportunities to understand complex aspects of neural and cognitive systems. NSF seeks proposals that are bold, risky, and transcend the perspectives and approaches typical of single-discipline research efforts. This cross-directorate program is one element of NSF's broader effort directed at Understanding the Brain, a multi-year activity that includes NSF's participation in the BRAIN Initiative ( http://www.nsf.gov/brain/). NSF envisions a connected portfolio of transformative, integrative projects that create synergistic links across investigators and communities, yielding novel ways of tackling the challenges of understanding the brain in action and in context.

This program is open to proposals which advance the foundations of one or more of the following integrative research themes:
  1. Neuroengineering and Brain-Inspired Concepts and Designs
  2. Individuality and Variation
  3. Cognitive and Neural Processes in Realistic, Complex Environments
  4. Data-Intensive Neuroscience and Cognitive Science.
Within each theme, advances in theory and methods, technological innovations, educational approaches, research infrastructure, and workforce development are all of significant interest. Proposals must be consistent with the missions of the participating directorates. High-risk, high-payoff approaches are expected. Proposals must directly address risks and how they will be managed, potentially transformative payoffs, and the relationship between the risks and rewards at stake.

During FY17 the program will consider two classes of proposals. INTEGRATIVE FOUNDATIONS awards (CISE, EHR, ENG, SBE) will support projects that develop foundational advances that are deeply connected to a broad scope of important research questions in neural and cognitive systems, and have significant potential for transformative advances in one or more of the integrative thematic areas. CORE + SUPPLEMENTS (CISE, EHR, ENG) will provide additional support to new or existing projects in the participating directorates, to enable additional activities that will connect those projects to significant new integrative opportunities in neural and cognitive systems. A request for a CORE + SUPPLEMENT may be submitted in either of two ways: (1) Proposers may include a CORE + SUPPLEMENT activity as a component of a new (or renewal) proposal submitted to the CISE, EHR, or ENG directorate; or (2) Investigators holding an existing award managed by CISE, EHR, or ENG may submit a post-award request for supplemental funding.   

Additional Information
Questions about this newsletter or proposal submission may be directed to:

Jennifer Corby
Research Development Officer
[email protected] | 617-495-1590

To see previous BRAIN Initiative Funding Newsletters, please visit our  email archive.
Research Development | Research Administration Services | research.fas.harvard.edu