The BRAIN Blog

Earlier this year, the BRAIN Initiative Alliance provided a recap of 2021 achievements by BRAIN Initiative investigators. Highlights include developing new tools and platforms, establishing key collaborations, and gaining recognition for their contributions to neuroscience and neurotechnology.  

This Request for Information (RFI) invites community input on opportunities to facilitate collaborations between academic/clinical researchers and potential commercial partners, to enhance the development and dissemination of non-invasive brain imaging technologies. The RFI is open until April 14, 2022. 

Starting in fiscal year 2014, the NIH released the following funding opportunities for the development of next generation non-invasive brain imaging technologies: 

Three new notices of funding opportunities with initial receipt dates in July 2022 launch the BRAIN Initiative Connectivity across Scales (BRAIN CONNECTS) Network, marking the start of a new transformative project enabling unprecedented brain-wide mapping capability of neural circuits in mice, humans, and non-human primates. 

Transforming 21st century neuroscience with ground truth connectivity maps  

The NIH BRAIN Initiative is hosting a Brain Behavior Quantification and Synchronization (BBQS) workshop online on March 1-2, 2022, from 1:00 pm – 5:30 p.m.  

The BRAIN Initiative® Alliance invites BRAIN scientists to share their tools with the scientific community via their new web form and has released the next issue of their Toolmakers Newsletter. These newsletters spotlight different BRAIN Initiative investigators with tools, technologies, and/or theories ready for distribution to the research community to advance neurotechnology.  

NIH issues Request for Information on Genomic Data Sharing Policy update by February 28th, 2022, as it strives to maintain balance between confidentiality and maximizing scientific advances from human genomic data.

Moving towards a new era of data sharing at NIH 

Two NOFOs that fall under the umbrella of the BRAIN Understanding Circuits program are being re-issued with a new PEDP requirement. 

Last month, members of the NIH BRAIN Initiative Neuroethics Working Group (NEWG) and Multi-Council Working Group (MCWG) discussed ethical challenges in implanted neural device research in humans, a new concept for funding, and more. 

Please join us on June 21-22 at the BRAIN Initiative’s 8th annual meeting and help us build a dynamic and collaborative BRAIN research community through your attendance and symposia submissions.

The 8th Annual BRAIN Initiative Meeting: Open Science, New Tools is now open for registration! We are thrilled to announce that our plenary speakers include:  

More than two years into a global pandemic, we’ve all had to figure out new ways of living and working. For many, including myself, days of the week and months of the year have seemingly blended together into one continuous blur. I remember, just after COVID-19 hit, trying to find a way to navigate this absurdly strange time warp with one of my enduring passions: photography.