Updated October 28, 2026
Neuroscience Research Grants 2026
Open neuroscience research grants and fellowships for 2026, from NIH and the BRAIN Initiative to McKnight, Klingenstein, and Whitehall. Updated daily.
Neuroscience research grants in 2026 come from NIH, led by NINDS, NIMH, NIA, and the BRAIN Initiative, and from a strong set of private funders including the McKnight Endowment Fund, the Klingenstein Fund, the Whitehall Foundation, and the Simons Foundation; this page lists the ones open now. Congress gave the BRAIN Initiative about $429 million for fiscal 2026, roughly a third more than the year before, but its 21st Century Cures money runs out after this year, and NIH's multiyear funding policy means fewer new awards per dollar.
Featured grants
Updated automatically from Atom's grant database. Summaries are AI-generated.Seed Grants
Seed Grants support junior faculty pursuing innovative neuroscience pilot projects that generate data for future NIH or other external funding, helping researchers launch new research directions.
2027 Next Generation Research Grants
2027 Next Generation Research Grants support early-career researchers conducting disease-specific and cross-condition neurological investigations to help launch academic careers in neurological research.
Global Brain and Nervous System Disorders Research Across the Lifespan - Exploratory Grants
This grant funds collaborative research between U.S. and low- and middle-income country scientists to study brain and nervous system disorders across the lifespan and develop innovative, cost-effective interventions.
That uncertainty makes private funding a bigger part of most neuroscience labs' plans. Foundation programs tend to fall into three groups: early career faculty awards such as the Klingenstein Fellowships and McKnight Scholar Awards, project grants such as Whitehall research grants and Brain Research Foundation seed grants, and disease-focused programs from organizations working on Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, autism, epilepsy, and psychiatric illness. Postdocs have their own track, including the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation's Young Investigator Grants, Alzheimer's Association fellowships, and SFARI Bridge to Independence awards.
This collection ranks open neuroscience funding across federal agencies, foundations, and nonprofits, from molecular and cellular neuroscience to systems, cognitive, and clinical work. It updates as funders open new cycles and deadlines pass. Many foundation programs are limited submissions or run on a single annual deadline, so starting early and checking institutional nomination rules is the difference between applying this year and waiting for the next.
Project Grants - Neurological Foundation
Project Grants - Neurological Foundation support clinicians and scientists conducting clinical and biomedical research to advance understanding, prevention and treatment of nervous system disorders.
Fellowship Grant - Neurocrine Biosciences
Fellowship Grant - Neurocrine Biosciences supports institutional fellowship programs that build fellows’ clinical and research skills to advance science and patient and family advocacy in relevant therapeutic areas.
Small Project Grants - Neurological Foundation
The Neurological Foundation’s Small Project Grants support clinicians and scientists with neurological research, pilot studies and shared equipment to advance knowledge and lay groundwork for larger projects.
Clinical Fellowship Grants
Clinical Fellowship Grants support North American neurosurgery programs with funding for clinical fellowships and basic and clinical neuroscience to advance specialized post-residency training.
Neurobiology of Brain Disorders Award
Neurobiology of Brain Disorders Award supports scientists applying basic neuroscience to brain disorders to advance understanding, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of neurological and psychiatric disease.
Travel Grant - Neurological Foundation
Travel Grant - Neurological Foundation supports researchers, fellows and PhD scholars to travel for presentations, training and project-related visits that advance neurological knowledge.
Clinical Research Grants Program
The Clinical Research Grants Program from the National Academy of Neuropsychology funds research on health disparities and cognitive outcomes in clinical neuropsychology, emphasizing innovative and early-stage studies.
Research Fellowship Grant - Neurosurgery Research & Education Foundation
Research Fellowship Grant supports neurosurgery residents with basic, translational, and patient-oriented clinical research and training to develop neurosurgeon-scientists and advance patient care.
Fellowship Award for Postdoctoral Fellows
Fellowship Award for Postdoctoral Fellows supports postdoctoral researchers pursuing high-potential basic or translational neuroscience to advance knowledge, prevention, or treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.
Medical Fellow in the Neurosciences
Medical Fellow in the Neurosciences supports Duke medical students’ third-year laboratory research on neurodegenerative disease to promote neuroscience learning and biomedical research training.
Cognitive Neuroscience
The Cognitive Neuroscience grant funds research on human cognition and behavior using various physiological methods to advance theory and impact the field.
McKnight Neurobiology of Brain Disorders Award
McKnight Neurobiology of Brain Disorders Award supports independent investigators connecting basic research on brain injury or disease with advances in diagnosis, prevention, treatment, or cure.
Medical Student Summer Research Fellowships
Medical Student Summer Research Fellowships support medical students in mentored neurosurgery research to advance understanding, treatment, and prevention of neurological disorders and improve patient care.
Brainstorm Neuroscience Pitch Competition
Brainstorm Neuroscience Pitch Competition supports early-career researchers’ original pilot studies to advance consciousness science and improve human health and well-being.
MIND Neuroscience Prize
MIND Neuroscience Prize supports early-to-mid-career investigators pursuing bold, hypothesis-driven brain research to advance understanding, prevention, and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.
Basic Research Fellowships
Basic Research Fellowships support postdoctoral scientists in mentored basic and translational brain tumor research to develop independent careers and become the field’s next generation of leaders.
HMS Foundation Funds Program
HMS Foundation Funds Program supports faculty research, scholarship, and medical education through foundation awards to advance biomedical science, bioethics, and efforts to reduce youth healthcare inequality.
Frequently asked questions
Major private funders include the McKnight Endowment Fund for Neuroscience, the Esther A. and Joseph Klingenstein Fund, the Whitehall Foundation, the Brain Research Foundation, the Simons Foundation, and the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation. Disease-focused organizations such as the Alzheimer's Association and the Michael J. Fox Foundation fund large neuroscience portfolios in their areas.
Postdocs can apply to the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation's Young Investigator Grants, the Alzheimer's Association research fellowships, and the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative's Bridge to Independence awards, among others. Federal options include NIH F32 fellowships and K99/R00 awards. Most programs cap eligibility by years since your PhD, so check each listing.
The BRAIN Initiative received about $429 million for fiscal 2026, roughly a third more than the year before but well below its 2023 peak. Its 21st Century Cures Act funding ends after 2026, so future budgets depend on regular appropriations.
Many fall between October and March. The Klingenstein Fellowship Awards in Neuroscience are due February 1 each year, and McKnight, Whitehall, and the Brain Research Foundation run annual cycles with letters of intent in the fall or winter. Exact dates change each cycle, so confirm them on each listing.