In a recent Dear Colleague Letter (NSF 16-115), the National Science Foundation (NSF) announced interest in novel approaches to manage, integrate, and analyze large and complex neuroscience data sets, as exemplified by data coming from the BRAIN Initiative. NSF has a number of standing core programs and solicitations that, with this announcement, encourage researchers with expertise in data science to partner with BRAIN Initiative or similar projects to enhance the dissemination and utilization of these data sets.
NSF, a partner in the BRAIN Initiative® supporting fundamental research across a spectrum of disciplines within neuroscience, has released a Dear Colleague Letter (NSF 16-115) encouraging researchers with expertise in data science to partner with BRAIN Initiative projects, including projects funded by the NIH, to enhance the dissemination and utilization of BRAIN Initiative data sets.
Of particular interest are data sets using different combinations of technologies and model organisms, generating multi-modal data sets aimed at understanding specific circuit contributions to brain function. These data sets include systematic collections of molecular profiles, anatomic information, functional properties of brain cells, as well as neuronal activity data, connectivity maps, and high-resolution data on complex behaviors.
Three standing NSF programs/solicitations that are most applicable to this effort include:
Advances in Biological Informatics (ABI)
Software Infrastructure for Sustained Innovation (SI2)
Data Infrastructure Building Blocks (DIBBs)
Investigators interested in taking advantage of this opportunity are encouraged to contact a relevant Program Officer listed on the above NSF program websites.