BRF Seed Grant (SG) Program

Important Notes

The Office of Foundation Relations is the designated institutional contact responsible for communicating with the Brain Research Foundation (BRF) and is collaborating with Limited Submissions on the internal downselect process.

Penn State applicants should contact Karen Kemirembe, Ph.D., Associate Director, Office of Foundation Relations (kuk195@psu.edu). Applicants from the College of Medicine are encouraged to contact Michael Ringenbach, Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations (mrr5148@psu.edu) for guidance on the Foundation’s strategic priorities, the goals of the program, and key elements of successful applications.

The Brain Research Foundation (BRF) has invited Penn State to nominate one faculty member (Assistant or Associate Professor) to submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) for the BRF Seed Grant Program.

The Brain Research Foundation's (BRF) Seed Grant Program provides start-up money for new research projects and innovative programs that have the potential of becoming competitive for an NIH grant or other external funding sources. BRF's goal is to have this initial effort succeed in opening future opportunities for research, collaboration, and scientific advancement. It supports projects of junior faculty who are working in new research directions. BRF Seed Grant Awards are not intended to supplement existing grants.

Opportunity Highlights

• Penn State may submit one Letter of Intent (LOI).
• Only one PI may apply per application.
• PI must be a full-time assistant or associate professor working in the field of neuroscience, neurology, neurobiology, physiology, psychiatry, psychology, or related disciplines, proposing scientific projects with a focus on brain health and disease, including cancer.
• Funding: $100,000 direct costs for a period of two years. Funds must be utilized within the grant period.
  • The first grant payment of $50,000 will be made upon completion of the Seed Grant Acceptance Form (June 2027). The final payment of $50,000 will be made contingent upon receipt of a Preliminary Progress and Financial Report (June 2028).
• No indirect costs allowed.
• Please note that a medical school falls under its larger university and BRF will consider it a single institution.
• This announcement provides only opportunity highlights. Please carefully review the sponsor's website and guidelines for any requirements and expectations related to eligibility, budget, collaboration, priority research areas, letter of intent requirements, and review criteria before submitting to this internal competition.

Priority Areas:

1. Funding is to be directed at pilot research projects that are both innovative and will likely lead to successful grant applications to NIH and other public and private funding entities.
2. Junior faculty (Assistant Professor) with a new research project that will generate pilot data that will lead to R01 funding or a comparable outside grant will be first priority.
   1. You must provide abstract and specific aims for current grants and indicate if there is any overlap.
3. Associate Professor – Faculty who are pursuing new research directions also are considered.
   1. You must explain how the project is a new research direction.
   2. You must provide abstract and specific aims for current grant(s) and indicate if there is any overlap.
4. Of note: A new technique is not considered a new direction unless it pertains to a different area of study.
5. Grants are NOT to be used for bridge funding between grants.
6. Funding should be used for pilot projects that must be new research NOT FUNDED by any other source, and with the goal of eventual funding by NIH (R01)
7. Areas of consideration: molecular and clinical neuroscience as well as studies of neural, sensory, motor, cognitive, behavioral and emotional functioning in health and disease.

Eligibility

To be eligible, PI must be a full-time Assistant or Associate Professor working in the area of studies of brain function. This includes molecular and clinical neuroscience as well as studies of neural, sensory, motor, cognitive, behavioral and emotional functioning in health and disease. The grant proposal must detail a new research project that is not funded by other sources. This grant is not to be used as bridge funding.

Ineligibility

1. PI is ineligible if they are not a full-time faculty member at the institution in which they are applying under.
2. PI is ineligible if they are a Full Professor.
3. PI is ineligible if they are a research assistant professor or research associate professor.
4. PI is ineligible to submit more than one BRF Seed Grant proposal in a funding period.
5. PI is ineligible if they have BRF funding that will overlap this grant period.
6. PI is ineligible if they have been awarded prior BRF funding, but have failed to submit scientific and financial reports at the end of their grant period.
7. PI is ineligible if they are a member of the BRF Scientific Review Committee.
8. PI is ineligible if they are a relative of BRF a representative, including the SRC, as defined by the Foundation.

Internal Nomination Process:

Interested applicants should upload the following documents in sequence in one PDF file (File name: Last name_BRFSG_2027) no later than 4:00 p.m. on the internal submission deadline:

• Cover Letter (1 page, pdf):
  • Name and academic title of PI and department
  • Contact information, including mailing address, telephone number, fax number, and email address
  • Title of the program project
• Brief summary of program project (1400 word count) figures or images are not included in that count, you may add them in addition to the word count.
  • Include closing paragraph that explains how this research will develop (next steps)
  • References may be included on an additional page(s)
• List of current grants (include abstracts, specific aims, and indicate if there is any overlap)
• Biographical sketch (using current NIH format) with other support page (5 page maximum)
  • Due to limited space, you can supply a link to your full list of publications
• Email from the Dean or Department Chair expressing support for the applicant and confirming their willingness to provide a nomination letter.

Note: If this is a resubmission, please include the past review comments and add a page detailing how the reviewers' concerns and recommendations have been addressed.

Formatting Guidelines:

• Font/size: Times New Roman (12 pt.)
• Document margins: 1.0” (top, bottom, left and right)
• Standard paper size (8 ½” x 11)

Questions concerning the limited submissions process may be submitted to limitedsubs@psu.edu.

This announcement provides only opportunity highlights. Please carefully review the program guidelines and the sponsor's website for any requirements and expectations related to eligibility, PI and Co-PI limits, budget, collaboration, priority research areas, letter of intent requirements, and review criteria before submitting to this internal competition.