Brain Research Foundation - Scientific Innovations Award

External Deadline: June 3, 2025           Internal Deadline: April 14, 2025

Instructions for Electronic Submission of Nominations: 

Please upload the specified items below items here no later than April 14, 2025, at 11:59 pm in one single PDF file using the following naming convention: PI last name-first initial_BRFInnovation-2026.pdf (see example below). 

Example: Smith-J_BRFInnovation-2026.pdf

Budget: $150,000 (direct costs) for a two-year grant period 

Number of Applications: 1 application from Cornell (including Ithaca) (anticipated)

Program Description: 

This funding opportunity is designed to support creative, exploratory, cutting-edge research in well-established research laboratories, under the direction of established investigators. The program supports basic and clinical neuroscience projects that may be too innovative and speculative for traditional funding sources but still have a high likelihood of producing important findings. It is expected that investigations supported by these grants will yield high impact findings and result in major grant applications (NIH and/or other private and public funding) and significant publications in high impact journals. 

Funding Preferences:

• Funding is to be directed at projects that may be too innovative and speculative for traditional funding sources but still have a high likelihood of producing important findings. This should be a unique project for senior investigators who are encouraged to stretch their imagination into areas that can substantially change an area of research.
• Funding of research projects that will likely lead to successful grant applications with NIH and other public and private funding entities.

Allowable costs under this award:

100% of these SIA funds must be utilized for direct costs.

Allowed costs may include:

• Purchase and care of laboratory animals
• Small pieces of laboratory equipment, totaling $5,000 or less
• Laboratory supplies
• Salary for scientific (including postdoctoral fellows) and technical staff (including laboratory technicians)

Costs not permitted:

• Facilities and administrative costs
• Salary recovery for the PI
• Domestic and foreign travel
• Conference or seminar fees
• Personal computers, computer hardware or software
• Large laboratory equipment (anything over $5,000)
• Tuition reimbursement
• Graduate student stipends
• Indirect costs, including fees associated with salary, equipment, etc. (no fringe benefits)
• Charges or other costs that support the infrastructure an institution provides researchers

For more information, please visit: https://www.thebrf.org/scientific-innovations-award/