The BRAIN Blog

The first meeting of the NIH BRAIN Initiative Multi-Council Working Group (MCWG) took place on August 25.

The NIH BRAIN working group presented its long-term vision for the BRAIN Initiative to the NIH Director’s Advisory Committee on June 5, which was enthusiastically endorsed by the Committee and the NIH director.  This vision, detailed in the working group’s final report, BRAIN 2025, focuses on mapping the circuits of the brain, measuring the fluctuating patterns of electrical and chemical activity flowing within those circuits, and understanding how their interplay creates our unique cognitive and

On January 15, 2014, the President signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2014 (P.L. 113-73.).  In this bill, Congress signaled its strong support for the BRAIN Initiative by appropriating funds for NIH Institutes and Centers to begin its implementation in fiscal year 2014. Language also indicates the importance of investing in basic research to advance fundamental knowledge by stating that  “This work may take decades before it results in cures or treatments, but it holds promise to unlock the secrets behind diseases such as Alzheimer’s and epilepsy.”

NIH will hold several informational conference calls for prospective applicants to the recently released funding opportunities under the BRAIN Initiative.  For specifics, visit http://www.nih.gov/science/brain/funding.htm#faq.

Today, NIH is excited to release six new funding opportunities in support of the BRAIN Initiative. These announcements were developed in response to one or more of the high priority research areas  identified by the ACD BRAIN Working Group.

Check out the findings of the ACD working group on the NIH BRAIN Initiative identifying high priority research areas that should be considered for BRAIN Initiative NIH funding in Fiscal Year 14.

• Executive Summary
• Interim Report

The Advisory Committee to the NIH Director (ACD) is holding a public teleconference on September 16, 2013 (3:00-5:00 EDT) to discuss the interim report of the BRAIN working group. This report identifies high priority research areas that should be considered for BRAIN Initiative funding in Fiscal Year 14.  The full agenda for this meeting and the related links will be posted to the ACD site when available (http://acd.od.nih.gov/).  Teleconference information is as follows:

Dial-in: 800-779-1423
Pass Code: ACD

Check out new article on NIH BRAIN Initiative by Tom Insel, Story Landis, and Francis Collins.

Welcome to the launch of BRAINfeedback.nih.gov! Here you’ll hear from me and the co-chairs of my Advisory Committee’s Working Group on the bold new BRAIN (Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies) Initiative. This Initiative, launched by President Obama on April 2, focuses on accelerating the development and application of innovative new technologies to enable scientists to create a dynamic picture of brain function.