The BRAIN Blog

A new White House Grand Challenge seeks to develop nanotechnology-based solutions to guide the future of computing.

NIH has re-issued three Requests for Applications (RFAs) for the BRAIN Initiative that address critical components of the BRAIN 2025 Report due to their focus on developing tools to analyze cells and circuits and technologies for large-scale recording and modulation.

Genetic analysis of different populations of neural stem cells indicates that one group of cells—the outer radial glia—gives rise to the majority of neurons in the upper layers of the neocortex that are associated with higher-level information processing and thinking, suggesting that these cells are important mediators of brain evolution.

Researchers have created an expandable, open-source anatomical atlas of the entire zebrafish brain, called the Z-Brain, and mapped onto it whole-brain activity occurring during multiple behaviors

In recent weeks, the NIH BRAIN Initiative released five new requests for applications (RFAs) related to human neuroscience research that range from the development of invasive stimulating and recording devices to investigating non-invasive imaging techniques. These RFAs rely on partnerships between clinicians, laboratory scientists, device manufacturers, and also include a research agreement by the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council.

Separate events on Wednesday, October 1 highlighted the awardees of the second round of NIH BRAIN Initiative grants and additional investments by the Kavli Foundation to support the BRAIN Initiative. NIH announced funding of 67 new projects to advance our understanding of neural circuit function and greatly enhance our ability to record from the brain in action.

Cori Bargmann talks with The New York Times about her research and the goals of the BRAIN Initiative

The NIH BRAIN Initiative has released three notices of funding opportunities for partnerships between clinical investigators and manufacturers of the latest-generation implantable stimulating and/or recording devices for clinical neuroscience research in humans.

A central focus of the BRAIN Initiative is development of technologies for recording and modulating neural circuits. Such technologies may be incorporated into devices to be implanted in the brain or spinal cord that can, for example, treat Parkinson’s disease or restore movement in the case of spinal cord injury.

NIH has released three new exciting Requests for Applications (RFAs) for the BRAIN Initiative, and we are encouraging researchers from across the physical and life sciences, as well as engineering and statistical disciplines, to submit applications to these and future open BRAIN Initiative funding opportunities.

Letters of Agreement pave way for collaboration between NIH BRAIN Initiative and neuroscientists in Canada and Australia.