Neurological Research Grants | Brain Research Seed Grants

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Seed Grant Guidelines and Institutional Eligibility

The 2026 Seed Grant Letter of Intent round will open on Thursday, September 5, 2025.

If your institution did not receive an invitation directly from BRF via e-mail, then you are not eligible to apply. To learn more about institutional eligibility and our application guidelines, click below.

2025 SEED GRANT GUIDELINES

INSTITUTIONAL ELEGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

The BRF Seed Grant program awards start-up funding for neuroscience research.

We are committed to funding research into all areas of the brain, whether cognitive, neurodegenerative, related to learning and development or diseases.

You can view some of the studies and research we have funded below.

Seed Grants Archive

Year

José Manuel Baizabal Carballo, Ph.D., Indiana University Bloomington

Heterochromatin Mechanisms of Cortical Expansion

Neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism and schizophrenia, are frequently associated with mutations in genes that encode chromatin-modifying enzymes. A subset of these mutations is thought to disrupt compacted chromatin (heterochromatin),…

Jessica L. Bolton, Ph.D., Georgia State University

Chemogenetic Tools in Microglia as a Novel Therapeutic Approach for Brain Disorders

All humans are born with a unique combination of genes, which contribute greatly to who we are. However, early-life experiences such as trauma or hardship, particularly during the first few…

Junyue Cao, Ph.D., The Rockefeller University

Elucidate the Molecular and Cellular Targets of Caloric Restriction in Rejuvenating Aged Mammalian Brain

As we age, the brain’s ability to function declines, increasing the risk of cognitive impairments and neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Our research investigates how caloric restriction (CR), a…

Vasileios Christopoulos, Ph.D., University of Southern California

Understanding the Mechanisms of Micturition in the Brain and Spinal Cord

This research aims to better understand how the brain and spinal cord work together to control urination, a process known as micturition. In healthy individuals, this process is carefully coordinated…

Jared M. Cregg, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin

Brainstem Blueprints: Microcircuit Basis of Left/Right Motor Decisions

The brain helps us move through the world by choosing which way to go—left or right. The specific brain circuits that control these kinds of actions aren’t well understood. Our…

Elizabeth Crouch, MD., Ph.D., University of California, San Francisco

Capillaries to Circuits: Neurovascular Coupling in the Developing Brain

This research project aims to understand how blood vessels and brain cells work together in newborn babies. In very premature infants, fragile brain blood vessels can break and cause bleeding…

Kelsie Eichel, Ph.D., University of Colorado, Boulder

Investigating Extracellular Matrix Regulators of Neuronal Function in the Mammalian Brain

The amazing functions of the brain start with a signal generated by a neuron. This signal generation requires a critical neuronal domain called the axon initial segment. Defects in axon…

Brain Research Foundation Woman in Wheelchair Working on a Laptop

Apply for a Seed Grant

To be eligible for this $80,000 two-year grant program, your institution must receive an invitation from Brain Research Foundation to nominate one faculty member to submit a letter of intent. The Principal Investigator (PI) must be a full-time assistant or associate professor working in the field of neuroscience.

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