RFP for Pilot Brain Research

Mission

The Simons Collaboration on the Global Brain (SCGB) aims to expand our understanding of the role of internal brain processes in the arc from sensation to action, thereby discovering the nature, role and mechanisms of the neural activity that produces cognition.

To this end, we solicit applications for SCGB pilot awards from individuals who will conduct bold, imaginative, rigorous and relevant research. This application will have two stages: a first-stage letter of intent (LOI), which will be competitively reviewed, after which selected LOIs will be invited to submit a second-stage full application for further competitive review.

More detailed information about the leadership and scientific mission of the SCGB program is available on our website.

Objective of the Pilot Awards

Since its inception, the Simons Collaboration on the Global Brain (SCGB) has focused on the measurement, analysis and modeling of neural coding and dynamics during behavior, with an emphasis on extending our understanding of the arc from sensory perception to action, including the presence and cognitive role of internal brain states. Our current projects have largely involved the detailed study of a single, or relatively few, brain regions. With the advent of new technologies for large scale recording and perturbation from multiple brain regions simultaneously, new opportunities have arisen for an attack on the problem of how neural coding and dynamics in these regions work together in distributed networks to produce cognition. This expanding experimental frontier parallels a similar evolution in neural theory and analysis methods focused on larger scale distributed computation, as well as exciting developments in the machine learning and AI community on integrated and distributed learning and memory networks to solve real-world problems. Finally, new connectomics datasets now provide a rich set of constraints for multi-region models and simulations. To expand our representation in these new areas, the SCGB now invites letters of intent for two-year pilot projects that investigate the general principles of global activity across multiple brain regions and its relationship to cognition. We encourage applications using advanced methods for studying the brain at high spatio-temporal resolution in diverse organisms from invertebrates to humans. This award is not intended to fund technology development. Collaborative projects of multiple investigators are highly encouraged, though we will also consider single-investigator projects. For questions about the scientific scope of the award, please contact Alyssa Picchini Schaffer (globalbrain@simonsfoundation.org).

The letter of intent (LOI) should set forth a conceptual overview and brief description of the methods for the work that would be pursued. The LOI must not exceed two (2) pages including figures and references. LOIs that exceed the page limit will not be reviewed. Applications must also include an NIH biographical sketch of each principal investigator and key collaborators.

Funding

Investigators who submitted LOIs that are favorably reviewed will be notified by June 14, 2021, and asked to submit a full proposal by July 25, 2021. Grants will be for up to $200,000 USD per year, including indirect costs (limited to 20 percent of modified total direct costs), for a total award amount of $400,000 USD over a period of two years per investigator. Appropriate expenses include salary support for the investigator and postdoctoral and graduate research assistants, travel, equipment, supplies and other research expenses. Allowable indirect costs to the primary institution for subcontracts are not included in the $400,000 budget threshold (see grant policies). A detailed budget justification will be solicited with the full proposal.

Eligibility

All principal investigators and unfunded collaborators must hold a Ph.D., M.D. or equivalent degree and have a faculty position or the equivalent at a college, university, medical school or other research facility. In addition, eligible applicants must have independent lab space at their institution.

Applications may be submitted by domestic and foreign nonprofit organizations; public and private institutions, such as colleges, universities, hospitals, laboratories and units of state and local government; and eligible agencies of the federal government. There are no citizenship or country requirements.

Individuals currently receiving funding from the Simons Collaboration on the Global Brain are not eligible for additional funding but can serve as unfunded collaborators.

Instructions for Submission

The deadline for LOI submission is Thursday, April 15, 2021, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

Applications must be completed electronically and submitted using forms provided at proposalCENTRAL. Please log in as an applicant, go to the “Grant Opportunities” tab, scroll to Simons Foundation and click “Apply Now” for the Life Sciences-Simons Collaboration on the Global Brain Pilot Awards program. For assistance, please call 800-875-2562 or email pcsupport@altum.com.

For applications with multiple principal investigators (PIs), the LOI need only be submitted by the PI designated as the spokesperson PI. Applicants will be notified about the status of their LOI by June 14, 2021. Investigators on approved LOIs will be invited to submit a full scientific proposal on the approved collaborative project(s), which will include a collaborative research narrative, data sharing plan, other support and detailed individual budgets (see Funding section above). Each investigator will be asked to submit their own full proposal with institution sign off, and with exactly the same scientific narrative to allow awards to be given directly to individual PIs for their contributions to the collaborative project(s).

Details concerning application requirements and submission can be found in our instructions or on proposalCENTRAL. In case of remaining questions, please take a look at our extensive FAQ section.

Life Sciences-Simons Collaboration on the Global Brain Pilot Awards FAQs

These frequently asked questions (FAQs) aim to cover topics related to the application process for the Life Sciences-Simons Collaboration on the Global Brain Pilot Awards FAQs, including information on Simons Foundation policies and instructions on submitting LOIs and full proposals online through proposalCENTRAL (pC) at https://proposalcentral.com/.

If you have a question regarding the request for application (RFA) guidelines or policies not answered below, do not hesitate to contact the Simons Foundation at lifegrants@simonsfoundation.org.