Funder: U.S. National Science Foundation
Due Dates: February 1, 2027 (Application closing date)
Funding Amounts: Average standard/CAREER awards: $175,000–$225,000 per year for 3–5 years
Summary: Supports theory-driven research linking neural mechanisms to human cognition and behavior.
Key Information: Proposals focused on understanding clinical populations will be returned without review.
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 connect precise measurements of physiology and behavior through experiments or analyses that test differential predictions of a theory, rather than merely measuring physiology during tasks.
The program welcomes diverse methods, including neuroimaging, non-invasive stimulation, lesion analysis, intracranial recording, optogenetics, genetics, optical imaging, computational modeling, and pharmacological interventions. It particularly encourages convergence across multiple techniques. Alongside intellectual merit, CogNeuro emphasizes broader impacts that strengthen the field through outreach, mentoring diverse future cognitive neuroscientists, and increasing public awareness and use of research.
