Neuroscience & Cell Research Grants
Learn about brain and cell research grants by browsing our curated list of top brain and cell research funders below. Members can also research funding opportunities using the search tool for GrantFinder. Become a member.
Funding Trends in Neuroscience Grants
As the population ages worldwide, rates of neurological disorders continue to rise. The World Health Organization estimates that 50 million people around the world are living with dementia, a number it expects to triple by 2050. The Parkinson’s Foundation calculates that close to 1 million Americans are living with Parkinson’s—a number that is likely to double by 2030.
Philanthropy is playing a significant role in the fight against neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson and others like dementia. The Michael J. Fox Foundation is one of the most established such funders in this space, but new funders are emerging all the time from Google co-founder and billionaire Sergey Brin to collaborative funding arrangements, like the Tau Consortium, which focuses on understanding tau protein brain disorders, which includes Alzheimer’s and more than 20 other conditions.
At the same time, significant federal initiatives, including the BRAIN Initiative, which was developed to accelerate the development and application of new technologies focused on understanding brain cells and the complex neural circuits necessary for human thought.
Federal research funding on the brain is being supplemented by others that are trying to understand linkages to the science of learning, brain development as well as mental health and wellness. The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation (BBRF), for instance, is one of the larger funders in the chain of discovery around mental health and brain science.
Beyond brain research is an emphasis on some big name funders on cellular science, particularly genomics. Like brain research, the goal is often to advance biological and medical research. For example, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative’s Human Cell Atlas project is funding projects around better understanding many of the body’s 30 trillion cells. Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan aren’t the only big league philanthropists interested in better understanding human cells. Paul Allen has created a new institute for cell science. And Eli and Edythe Broad have been the main benefactors of the Broad Institute, a key player in cell research.
Foundations for Neuroscience Research
ACORDA THERAPEUTICS
Acorda Therapeutics doesn’t have a philanthropic arm, but makes grants to support the study and education of neurological and nervous system disorders.
DR. MIRIAM AND SHELDON G. ADELSON MEDICAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION
The Dr. Miriam and Sheldon G. Adelson Medical Research Foundation funds basic and clinical research into life-threatening illnesses. It’s grantmaking focused on brain and cell research is devoted to research into the repair and rehabilitation of damage to the brain, spinal cord, or nerves.
AINSLIE FOUNDATION
The Ainslie Foundation makes grants in a variety of areas but prioritizes support for education, health, and the environment.
DANNY ALBERTS FOUNDATION
The Danny Alberts Foundation’s brain research grants focus on bipolar disorder. In this area, the foundation has supported studies of clinical diagnosis, etiology and age of onset.
PAUL G. ALLEN FAMILY FOUNDATION
The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation support a wide range of brain and cell research projects.
RITA ALLEN FOUNDATION
Rita Allen Foundation grants for brain research go out broadly through the field, focusing on early-career scientists working in cancer, immunology, and neuroscience.
ALLIANCE FOR CANCER GENE THERAPY
ACGT’s grantmaking for cell research focuses on supporting work that addresses various cancers.
ALS ASSOCIATION
Dedicates the majority of its funding to new drug discoveries and improved therapies toward the treatment of ALS. Grants are available to both new and established researchers.
AMERICAN BRAIN TUMOR ASSOCIATION
Funding all things brain tumor-related, the ABTA tends to focus its grantmaking on scientists and researchers who are just starting out their careers.
AMERICAN FEDERATION FOR AGING RESEARCH
AFAR awards aging-focused grants, concentrating its funding support on helping people live longer and healthier lives.
AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL FOUNDATION
APF’s grants support early, mid-level, and senior career scientists and investigators working in a number of mental health disciplines, including but not limited to psychology, psychoanalysis, neuropsychology, and perceptual-cognitive development.
AUTISM SCIENCE FOUNDATION
ASF supports autism researchers and organizations in the stages of pre- and post-doctoral training and early career. Priorities are genetics, treatment, public education, early diagnosis, and early intervention.
BAND FOUNDATION
This foundation’s brain research work centers on epilepsy research; in particular, Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP) syndrome.
GEOFFREY BEENE FOUNDATION
Geoffrey Beene’s brain research and treatment support is focused on Alzheimer’s disease. The focus is on research for early-stage Alzheimer’s, which is believed to be the key to prevention and treatment.
BIOGEN FOUNDATION
Biogen funds a variety of work related to brain and cell research, including patient and medical education, as well as related fellowships.
WILLIAM K. BOWES, JR. FOUNDATION
William K. Bowes, Jr., is a San Francisco-based venture capitalist. His foundation prioritizes medical research, and organizations based in California. Universities have benefited from significant Bowes funding for research into a wide range of diseases.
BRAIN ANEURYSM FOUNDATION
This funder supports scientific research to improve early detection, treatment, and technological advances for patients suffering from brain aneurysms. Grants go to researchers throughout the U.S. and Canada.
BRAIN & BEHAVIOR RESEARCH FOUNDATION
This funder supports brain researchers working to alleviate suffering from mental illnesses. Most funding goes to young investigators for basic brain research, new technologies, and therapies to reduce symptoms of mental illness.
BRAIN RESEARCH FOUNDATION
The Brain Research Foundation’s grant making program funds researchers and scientists conducting innovative research in neuroscience and the treatment of neurological disorders.
BRIGHTFOCUS FOUNDATION
The BrightFocus Foundation runs separate grantmaking programs for each of its target diseases, which focus on macular degeneration and Alzheimer’s.
BROACH FOUNDATION FOR BRAIN CANCER RESEARCH
This funder supports clinics and doctors working on promising brain cancer research to find treatments and a cure. Unsolicited grant applications are not accepted.
BROAD FOUNDATION
The Broad Foundation mainly directs cell research funding toward three stem cell research centers at University of California campuses at Los Angeles, San Francisco and Southern California.
CAPITAL GROUPS COMPANIES CHARITABLE FOUNDATION
The Capital Groups Companies Charitable Foundation funds brain and neurological organizations across the country.
CHDI FOUNDATION
CHDI’s brain research funding is centered on slowing the progression of Huntington’s disease and finding a cure. CHDI funds researchers, employs staff scientists, and partners with biotech companies.
CHILDHOOD BRAIN TUMOR FOUNDATION
CBTF awards grants annually to researchers for basic science and clinical research for pediatric brain tumors, programs and conferences. Funding goes to treatments, cures, and quality-of-life enhancements.
CHILD NEUROLOGY FOUNDATION
The Child Neurology Foundation invests in early career scientists who examine various aspects of child neurology and neurological disorders.
CITIZENS UNITED FOR RESEARCH IN EPILEPSY (CURE)
This funder awards grants to researchers working to treat epilepsy, uncover its causes, and find a cure. It offers three awards in two annual grant cycles, and a couple of other funding initiatives, too.
CUREPSP
CurePSP supports researcher projects investigating progressive supranuclear palsy and other prime of life neurodegenerative diseases.
SHURL AND KAY CURCI FOUNDATION
Supports research in various disciplines, though most go to neuroscience. Most grants go to universities and medical institutions, with California-based sites favored.
CURE STARTS NOW FOUNDATION
Funds research into pediatric brain cancer, with particular concentration on diffuse Intrinsic pontine glioma.
DANA FOUNDATION
Dana Foundation grants focus on neurological and brain-related research including neuroscience, neuroimmunology and brain and immuno imaging.
EPILEPSY FOUNDATION
This is the largest nongovernmental funder of epilepsy research, and supports researchers at universities and corporations working to stop seizures, find a cure, and overcome daily challenges for patients.
LAUREN AND LEE FIXEL FAMILY FOUNDATION
The Fixel Family Foundation awards broad grants to support neurological research institutions and organizations across the United States.
FIREDOLL FOUNDATION
Firedoll’s grantmaking related to brain and cell research focuses on traumatic brain injuries.
MICHAEL J. FOX FOUNDATION
The Michael J. Fox Foundation wants to keep the Parkinson’s drug development pipeline flowing. And it isn’t afraid to back potentially high risk/high reward projects.
GATES FOUNDATION
Since Gates does not have a grant program dedicated to brain research, in order to get a related grant from Gates, your research needs to line up with one of the foundation’s global health initiatives.
GATSBY CHARITABLE FOUNDATION
One of 17 nonprofits in the Sainsbury Family Charitable Trust, Gatsby’s neuroscience grants go to theoretical and basic research, circuits and behavior, multidisciplinary consortia, and building centers for neuroscience research.
GHR FOUNDATION
This funder’s brain research funding centers on Alzheimer’s disease.
GLENN FOUNDATION FOR MEDICAL RESEARCH
The Glenn Foundation supports biology research in gerontology and aging processes.
GROUP FOUNDATION FOR ADVANCING MENTAL HEALTH
This foundation makes brain research grants for studies on the impact of group therapy on the brain/ brain injuries are also eligible for funding.
CONRAD N. HILTON FOUNDATION
This funder’s brain research grantmaking is focused on finding a cure for multiple sclerosis and improving the quality of life for people suffering from MS. Grants are awarded to researchers and health practitioners.
HOWARD HUGHES MEDICAL INSTITUTE
HHMI awards a good number of biomedical research grants in the U.S. annually. It tends to favor projects that combine neuroscience and genetics in some way, and doesn’t shy away from funding interdisciplinary efforts.
BEN & CATHERINE IVY FOUNDATION
The Ben and Catherine Ivy Foundation wants to double the life expectancy of people with brain cancer, but its ultimate goal is to cure brain cancer.
JPB FOUNDATION
The JPB Foundation’s brain and cell research grantmaking currently focuses on Parkinson’s disease.
KAVLI FOUNDATION
The signature program is the Kavli Prize, made to researchers in astrophysics, nanoscience, and neuroscience every other year, with a cash award of $1 million.
F.M. KIRBY FOUNDATION
Kirby provides support for very selective and specific brain initiatives, with such funding often channeled through major hospitals.
MATTHEW LARSON FOUNDATION FOR PEDIATRIC BRAIN TUMORS
This funder supports medical and scientific research to find a cure for brain and spinal tumors.
LEON LEVY FOUNDATION
The Leon Levy Foundation runs five neuroscience fellowship programs at hospitals and medical centers around New York City. It gives deeply and narrowly, and likes supporting early-career scientists.
NANCY LURIE MARKS FAMILY FOUNDATION
This funder supports a variety of autism-related endeavors, including neuroimaging, genetics, conferences, treatments, advocacy, anatomy & physiology, communications, and cellular and molecular mechanisms.
MATHERS CHARITABLE FOUNDATION
Mathers is a relatively small foundation that supports “established researchers at top universities and independent research institutions” in the U.S.
JAMES S. MCDONNELL FOUNDATION
McDonnell’s three main areas of focus are Understanding Human Cognition, Studying Complex Systems, and Mathematical and Complex Systems Approaches for Brain Cancer.
McKNIGHT FOUNDATION
Grantseekers should expect an extremely high level of competition from Ph.D.s working at some of the most prestigious academic institutions in the United States.
ROBERT AND JANICE MCNAIR FOUNDATION
McNair’s grantmaking for brain and cell research overlaps significantly with its disease funding.
MENTAL HEALTH FOUNDATION
The foundation has expressed interest in supporting initiatives and programs that involve assessment or evaluation of their effectiveness with an eye to replication or expansion of successful programs.
MENTAL ILLNESS RESOURCE ASSOCIATION
The association also addresses conditions not strictly considered mental illnesses, such as Parkinson’s and multiple sclerosis.
MINDEROO FOUNDATION
This Australian funder gives for brain cancer research at the international level.
NATIONAL BRAIN TUMOR SOCIETY
The National Brain Tumor Society awards grants to advance the pace of brain tumor drug development and discovery.
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH
The NIMH is the largest supporter of research on mental disorders in the world. In addition to research, the Institute makes grants for education, conferences, clinical trials and the development of new technologies.
NATIONAL MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS SOCIETY
NMSS awards grants to support multiple sclerosis studies through grants for research, training, pilot research, commercial funding, patient management/care/rehabilitation research, and health care delivery/policy research.
ORGANIZATION FOR AUTISM RESEARCH
OAR funds research pilot studies that investigate issues that affect autistic individuals and those that care for them. Grants are awarded up to $30,000 for professional researchers, doctoral students, and master’s students.
PEDIATRIC BRAIN TUMOR FOUNDATION
This major funder of research into pediatric brain cancer backs a wide range of scientists and research areas, from basic biology of the diseases to treatments. A must-know for scientists working in the field.
PEW CHARITABLE TRUSTS
Pew names biomedical research as a subtopic of its health program.
THOMAS SCATTERGOOD FOUNDATION
The Scattergood Foundation’s Grantmaking supports programs that seek to “disrupt our current behavioral health space and create impact at the individual, organizational, and societal levels.”
SIMONS FOUNDATION
The Simons Foundation awards brain research grants on autism spectrum disorders and postdoctoral fellowships related to how neural activity produces cognition.
GARY SINISE FOUNDATION
The Gary Sinise Foundation supports military and veterans’ organizations, especially in the areas of mental health, brain research and human services. It also runs signature programs for disabled veterans and the families of fallen heroes. Funding also goes to fire fighting and other first response organizations across the U.S.
SONTAG FOUNDATION
The Sontag Foundation awards four-year grants to promising early-career scientists in order to advance their research and help them establish their labs.
SOUTHEASTERN BRAIN TUMOR FOUNDATION
This funder supports researchers who are working on clinical trials to find treatments and a cure for brain tumors. The geographic focus is the Southeastern U.S.
NANCY TAYLOR FOUNDATION FOR CHRONIC DISEASES
Taylor backs a wide range of brain and neurological research. Typically makes a small number of good-sized grants annually.
JOHN TEMPLETON FOUNDATION
Grants for brain and cell research stem mainly from Templeton’s genetics initiative, which prioritizes research that is unorthodox or unlikely to receive funding from traditional sources.
VERIZON FOUNDATION
Verizon supports a variety of brain research projects and organizations across the United States.
WATERLOO FOUNDATION
The Waterloo Foundation funds organizations that research Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Rolandic Epilepsy.
WELLCOME TRUST
The UK-based Wellcome Trust invests in a wide range of science research that investigates the biomedical, population health, humanities, and social sciences.
WHITEHALL FOUNDATION
Supports brain research into mechanisms of behavior. Grants primarily go to principal investigators not receiving substantial federal support, particularly early-career scientists and senior scientists entering new fields of study.
THE CHAN ZUCKERBERG INITIATIVE
CZI makes grants for neurodegeneration, as well as for that that shrinks the distance between scientific research and the communities it seeks to benefit.
