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

Colorful illustration of a latticework of proteins.

Cracking the code of the extracellular matrix

Despite evidence for a role in plasticity and other crucial functions, many neuroscientists still view these proteins as “brain goop.” The field needs technical advances and a shift in scientific thinking to move beyond this outdated perspective.

By Anna Victoria Molofsky
17 January 2025 | 5 min read
A repeated DNA strand extends farther from the left side of the image with each iteration.

Huntington’s disease gene variants past a certain size poison select cells

The findings—providing “the next step in the whole pathway”—help explain the disease’s late onset and offer hope that it has an extended therapeutic window.

By Angie Voyles Askham
16 January 2025 | 6 min read
Research image highlighting different brain regions.

X marks the spot in search for autism variants

Genetic variants on the X chromosome, including those in the gene DDX53, contribute to autism’s gender imbalance, two new studies suggest.

By Holly Barker
16 January 2025 | 6 min read