Description

The Cognitive Neuroscience (CogNeuro) program at the U.S. National Science Foundation supports research advancing understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying human cognition and behavior. Topics include perception, recognition, categorization, implicit and explicit memory, working memory, attention, language, decision-making, and social reasoning. Successful proposals typically link precise measurements of physiological responses and behavior through experiments or analyses that test competing theoretical predictions, rather than simply measuring physiology during tasks.

The program welcomes multidisciplinary approaches and is particularly interested in convergence across techniques. Supported methods include neuroimaging, non-invasive stimulation, lesion analysis, intracranial recording, optogenetics, genetics, optical imaging, computational modeling, and pharmacological interventions. Research may involve humans or animal models when it clearly benefits understanding of humans. The program also seeks broader impacts that strengthen the field, mentor future cognitive neuroscientists, and increase public awareness or use of research.