LOIs for the McKnight Endowment Fund for Neuroscience Neurobiology of Brain Disorders Award are due Monday, November 6, 2023 (last time zone on earth).
The McKnight Endowment Fund for Neuroscience supports innovative research designed to bring science closer to the day when diseases of the brain can be accurately diagnosed, prevented, and treated. To this end, the McKnight Neurobiology of Brain Disorders Award (NBD Award) assists scientists working to apply the knowledge achieved through basic research to human brain disorders, and who demonstrate a commitment to equitable and inclusive lab environments.
Purpose
We are interested in proposals that address the biological mechanisms of neurological and psychiatric disorders. This includes proposals that provide mechanistic insights into neurological functions at the synaptic, cellular, molecular, genetic or behavioral level across different species, including humans and vertebrate and invertebrate model organisms. A new additional area of interest is the contribution of the environment to brain disorders. We are particularly interested in proposals that incorporate new approaches and in those that provide potential paths for therapeutic interventions. Collaborative and cross-disciplinary applications are encouraged.
Environmental contributions to brain disorders
Early-life environmental stress is a powerful disposing factor for later neurological and psychiatric disorders. Studies show communities of color are at higher risk for these stressors, which range from environmental (e.g. climate, nutrition, exposure to chemicals, pollution) to social (e.g. family, education, housing, poverty). From a clinical perspective, understanding how environmental factors contribute to brain disease is essential for developing effective therapies.
Eligibility
Applicants for the McKnight NBD Award must be independent investigators at not-for-profit research institutions in the United States, and must hold a faculty position at the rank of Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, or Professor. Those holding other titles such as Research Professor, Adjunct Professor, Professor Research Track, Visiting Professor or Instructor are not eligible. If the host institution does not use professorial titles, a letter from a senior institutional official (e.g. Dean or Director of Research) must confirm that the applicant controls their own dedicated institutional resources, laboratory space, and/or facilities. We are interested in geographic, gender, and racial diversity, and we encourage women and members of underrepresented communities to apply. Funds may be used toward a variety of research activities, but not the recipient’s salary. The candidate’s other sources of funding will be considered when selecting awards. A candidate may not hold another award from the McKnight Endowment Fund for Neuroscience that would overlap in time with the Neurobiology of Brain Disorders award.
Selection
There is a two-stage selection process, beginning with a letter of intent (LOI). The selection committee will review the LOIs and invite selected applicants to submit full proposals. Up to four awards are made annually, each providing $100,000 per year for three years. LOIs are due on Monday, November 6, 2023 (last time zone on earth). Full proposals will be due mid-April 2024. The committee will recommend up to four awards to the Board of Directors of the Endowment Fund for final decision. Funding will begin on August 1, 2024.
Application
The application process is online. Click here to access the Stage One LOI form. One investigator (the primary contact for the proposal) must set up an account, and then complete an online face sheet. The LOI itself consists of a project description of up to 2 pages including figures (bibliography can be separate and no more than 2 pages), and NIH-format biosketches for each PI, all uploaded as a single PDF file.
Finalists will be invited via email to submit a full proposal. Applicants can apply more than once.
Please contact Joel Krogstad at jkrogstad@mcknight.org with any questions.
