Brain Research Foundation 2026 Seed Grant Program
New Requirement: All applications for this internal competition must be submitted via InfoReady. You can sign in using your Net-ID and your @stonybrook.edu email address. Please allow sufficient time to familiarize yourself with the portal prior to submitting your pre-application. Pre-application requirements are listed in the announcement below.
The Office for Research and Innovation invites applications to the Brain Research Foundation 2026 Seed Grant Program. The purpose of the program is to provide start-up monies for new research projects in the field of neuroscience that will likely lead to extramural funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) or other outside funding sources. Stony Brook University can nominate ONE faculty member to submit a letter of intent for the 2026 competition.
Please see below for details. If you are interested in applying, you must submit a pre-application via the BRF Seed Portal in InfoReady by Wednesday, September 17, 2025 at 11:59 pm. Pre-applications for internal review and selection must be uploaded to the portal as a single PDF document.
WHAT DOES IT FUND: The objective of the program is to support new and innovative projects, especially those of junior faculty, who are working in new research directions.
APPLICANT REQUIREMENTS: PI must be a full-time Assistant or Associate Professor working in the area of studies of brain function. This includes molecular and clinical neuroscience as well as studies of neural, sensory, motor, cognitive, behavioral and emotional functioning in health and disease. For assistant professors, those with a new research project that will generate pilot data that will lead to R01 or comparable outside funding will be given first priority. For associate professors, faculty must explain how the project is pursuing a new research direction. A new technique is not considered a new direction unless it pertains to a different area of study.
AWARD: Each award is limited to $100,000 (direct costs) for a two year grant period.
SPONSOR DEADLINE: LOI due October 23, 2025. Application (by invite only) due March 5, 2026.
A complete pre-application should comprise of the following:
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- Brief summary of program project, including a closing paragraph that explains how this research will develop (2 page maximum, 10 pt. font minimum)
- References may be included on an additional page(s)
- List of current grants (include abstracts, specific aims, and indicate if there is any overlap)
- Biographical sketch (using current NIH format) with other support page (5 page maximum)