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 behav

On May 14, the Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues issued its first set of recommendations in response to President Obama’s charge to “identify proactively a set of core ethical standards – both to guide neuroscience research and to address some of the ethical dilemmas that may be raised by the application of neuroscience research findings.”  The specific topic of the report is the integration of ethics into neuroscience research across the life of a research endeavor.

Last week, President Obama announced his budget proposal to double the Federal investment in the BRAIN Initiative from about $100 million in Fy 2014 to approximately $200 million in FY 2015. Read the fact sheet to learn more about the proposed investments at various agencies to support groundbreaking research and meet the audacious goals of this initiative.

When the President launched the BRAIN Initiative in April 2013, he charged his Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues with exploring the ethical, legal, and societal implications raised by both this research initiative and other recent advances in neuroscience to ensure that this research progresses responsibly.

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.