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.
Use of Award Funds
We are interested in proposals that address the biology and 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. We are particularly interested in proposals that incorporate fundamentally new approaches and those that provide potential paths for therapeutic interventions. Collaborative and cross-disciplinary applications are encouraged.
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 or higher. 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 has his/her own dedicated institutional resources, laboratory space, and/or facilities. We are interested in geographic, gender, and racial diversity, and we encourage women and communities of color 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 Process
There is a two-stage selection process, beginning with a letter of intent (LOI). The selection committee will review the LOIs and invite a number of 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 March 15, 2021 (midnight in the last time zone on earth). Full proposals will be due September 20, 2021. Funding begins on February 1, 2022.
How to Apply
The application process is completely online. Click here to access the Stage One LOI form. One investigator (the primary contact for the proposal) will be required to set up a user name and password (please retain your username and password as you will need it throughout the process); then complete an online face sheet and upload a two-page project description with no more than two pages of references; any images must be within the two-page limit. Please single-space in 12-point font using one-inch margins. In this order A) project description and references, and B) NIH Biosketches for each PI should be uploaded as a single PDF.
Finalists will be invited via email to submit a full proposal. Competition is very intense; applicants are welcome to apply more than once. If you do not receive email confirmation of receipt of your LOI within a week of submission, please contact Eileen Maler at emaler@mcknight.org.
