Funding

Recent articles

Black-and-white image of cubes floating out of the bottom half of a human head.

Solving intelligence requires new research and funding models

Our research ecosystem isn't built to deliver the breakthroughs needed to understand intelligence at scale. We need a dedicated research institution to take up the task.

By David A. Markowitz
13 December 2024 | 6 min read
A stack of dollar bills floats above the outline of a keyhole.

Howard Hughes Medical Institute to limit eligible universities for Investigator Program in bid to spread the wealth

The next round of competition, slated for late 2025, will have a new focus, according to an HHMI spokesperson.

By Shaena Montanari
6 December 2024 | 2 min read
Piggy bank with half of its body replaced by a brain.

Neuroscientists reeling from past cuts advocate for more BRAIN Initiative funding

The director of the U.S. National Institutes of Health calls BRAIN a “high priority” but acknowledges that difficult decisions lie ahead if federal budgets remain flat.

By Angie Voyles Askham
22 November 2024 | 5 min read
Photo of the U.S. Capitol Building.

In updated U.S. autism bill, Congress calls for funding boost, expanded scope

The current Autism CARES Act sunsets in late September.

By Rachel Zamzow
5 September 2024 | 6 min listen
Computer-generated illustration of a pencil.

From bench to bot: Does AI really make you a more efficient writer?

A more significant benefit may lie in improving quality, refining tone and reducing cognitive burden. But beware of bias.

By Tim Requarth
3 September 2024 | 11 min read
Image of a crumpled dollar bill on a light pink background. The bill's edges suggest a line graph trending downward.

Future of BRAIN Initiative funding remains unclear

As the U.S. Congress begins to discuss federal science funding for 2025, any plans to compensate for this year’s cuts to the neuroscience program face an uphill battle.

By Angie Voyles Askham
3 July 2024 | 4 min listen
Photograph of Kaitlyn Casimo posing with a skull.

The Transmitter Launch: Q&A with Kaitlyn Casimo

A self-proclaimed “neuroscientist, engagement manager and theater nerd,” Casimo taps her broad training to engage the public and deliver “elevator pitch” workshops for Allen Institute scientists.

By Alaina G. Levine
7 June 2024 | 5 min read
A hand holds a compass against a light orange background.

The Transmitter Launch: Industry internships, ‘Next Generation Leaders,’ and more

Working at a biotechnology or artificial-intelligence company is no longer an “alternative career” for researchers with a doctorate in neuroscience—plus jobs, training and funding updates for May.

By Elissa Welle
10 May 2024 | 4 min read
Hands pull apart a pie chart.

What neuroscientists should know—and what they can do—about changes to BRAIN initiative funding

Many grant proposals submitted to the program in the past year are unlikely to be funded, according to people within the National Institutes of Health. But scientist advocates are reaching out to congressional representatives to try to make changes for 2025.

By Angie Voyles Askham
2 May 2024 | 7 min read

$278 million cut in BRAIN Initiative funding leaves neuroscientists in limbo

The program is funded at $402 million for the current fiscal year, a 40 percent drop from last year.

By Angie Voyles Askham
18 April 2024 | 4 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

World map color-coded to visualize the impact of autism across the world, estimating the disability-adjusted life years by nation.

Functional connectivity; ASDQ screen; health burden of autism

Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 6 January.

By Jill Adams
7 January 2025 | 2 min read
Multicolored illustration of a human brain as seen from the top down.

Most neurons in mouse cortex defy functional categories

The majority of cells in the cerebral cortex are unspecialized, according to an unpublished analysis—and scientists need to take care in naming neurons, the researchers warn.

By Holly Barker
7 January 2025 | 5 min read
Illustration of lines of text being distorted by red orbs.

This paper changed my life: ‘A massively parallel architecture for a self-organizing neural pattern recognition machine,’ by Carpenter and Grossberg

This paper taught me that we can use mathematical modeling to understand how neural networks are organized—and led me to a doctoral program in the department led by its authors.

By Luiz Pessoa
6 January 2025 | 3 min read