Policy

Recent articles

Illustration of rolling dice.

Grant review needs reform. How about we add an element of chance?

A process that uses a lottery system saves time, reduces strategic resubmission and accepts that, above a quality threshold, luck has always played a part in science funding.

By Adrien Peyrache
25 September 2026 | 6 min read
Calendar with deadline.

Incredible shrinking grant deadlines at the BRAIN Initiative

“A month is crazy,” says one former recipient, referring to a new funding opportunity’s timeline.

By Brendan Borrell
17 September 2026 | 4 min read

Sylvia Fogel, reshaping U.S. autism research strategy

In a wide-ranging and provocative interview, the chair of the federal Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee shares her views on vaccines, regression, neuroimmune conditions and more.

By Brady Huggett
17 September 2026 | 77 min watch
Monkeys at Dutch primate center.

Dutch primate center awaits October animal research debate

Science is forging ahead at the Biomedical Primate Research Centre in the Netherlands, following a reversal of last year’s mandate to phase out primate studies. But researchers aren’t sure how long the reprieve will last.

By Lauren Schenkman
2 September 2026 | 5 min read
Speech bubbles progress from light- to dark- colored.

Amid funding uncertainty, neuroscientists report a mix of cynicism, persistence

Two years into one of the most tumultuous tenures in U.S. federal funding, researchers outline how they are coping with ongoing changes and reflect on the impact these changes are having on the system more broadly.

By Emily Singer
28 August 2026 | 5 min read
Illustration of the globe with two scientists each standing on the poles.

How FALAN is building a thriving neuroscience community in Latin America

As the Federation of Latin American and Caribbean Neuroscience Societies Congress kicks off next week, its president shares how the organization aims to foster collaborations and provide high-quality training for young neuroscientists in the region.

By Francesco Mattia Rossi
28 August 2026 | 6 min read
Illustration of the globe with two scientists each standing on the poles.

Cómo FALAN está construyendo una comunidad próspera de neurociencia en América Latina

Con el inicio del Congreso de la Federación de Sociedades de Neurociencias de América Latina y el Caribe próxima semana, su presidente comparte cómo la organización busca fomentar colaboraciones y brindar capacitación de alta calidad para jóvenes neurocientíficos en la región.

By Francesco Mattia Rossi
28 August 2026 | 8 min read
Illustration of the globe with two scientists each standing on the poles.

Como a FALAN está construindo uma comunidade de neurociência forte na América Latina

Com o início do Congresso da Federação das Sociedades de Neurociência da América Latina e do Caribe na próxima semana, o presidente da federação fala sobre como a entidade pretende promover colaborações e oferecer capacitação de alta qualidade a jovens neurocientistas da região.

By Francesco Mattia Rossi
28 August 2026 | 7 min read
Illustration of scientist facing a fractured landscape.

Redefining underrepresentation in global neuroscience

Shifting the focus of equity initiatives from identity categories to structural barriers can reveal overlooked challenges and increase support and participation worldwide.

Illustration of scientists climbing over a barrier to reach publications.

Scientific talent is global. Access to the world’s scientific stage is not.

Neuroscience in Chile, and across Latin America, does not lack talent or ideas, but the systems that make science visible—prestigious journals, conferences and networks—increasingly price its researchers out.

By Vicente Medel
27 August 2026 | 8 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Research diagram of gene expression.

Fly neurons carry molecular signatures of their origins

The pattern of transcription factors a Drosophila neuron expresses offers clues to its lineage and birth order—and ultimately how neural circuits emerge.

By Alissa de Chassey
25 September 2026 | 5 min read
Cortical organoids from the anterior (green) or posterior (red) cortex.

Polarized cortical organoids mimic the brain’s regional organization

The organoids show region-specific gene-expression changes that match those observed during fetal development.

By Holly Barker
24 September 2026 | 4 min read
Research diagram of gene expression.

Prefrontal cortex has three transcriptomic acts across human lifespan, new atlas suggests

Various genes show distinct exits and entrances with age in the open-source dataset, the largest of its kind to date.

By Siddhant Pusdekar
23 September 2026 | 5 min read