Dana Foundation Grants is sponsored by Dana Foundation. The Dana Foundation advances neuroscience that inspires transformational ideas where the field intersects with education, law, policy, and public engagement. They support interdisciplinary, collaborative work, fostering experimentation, investigation, and fresh thinking to open up pathways toward a better future.

While broad, connectomics research could fall under their general interest in advancing neuroscience.

For Grant Seekers - Dana Foundation The Dana Foundation makes grants through its various grantmaking programs. Grant applications are made to a particular program, and interested applicants should read carefully through the Foundation's program descriptions in the Our Work section of the website. Each program page includes the program's goal and objectives, a list of recent grants, and a section with information about how to apply.

In selecting projects for funding, the Foundation evaluates alignment with our programmatic goals and objectives and with our values. The majority of our grants are up to $150,000 in total funding for a project period of 12-18 months.

Upcoming Events, Deadlines, and Open Calls Professional Development Award Applications Letter of Interest in Neuroscience & Society Submissions We advance neuroscience that inspires transformational ideas where the field intersects with education, law, policy, and public engagement, among others.

With grants that support interdisciplinary, collaborative work, we foster experimentation, investigation, and fresh thinking to open up pathways toward a better future. What is neuroscience and society? Is it the same as neuroethics, bioethics, or science and technology studies?

Does my work fit? Neuroscience and society is the interdisciplinary study of how neuroscience informs and reflects society, and practical work to put these ideas into action. Neuroscience and society includes fields where neuroscience interfaces with the world, such as ethics, law, humanities, medicine, arts, social sciences, policy, education, journalism, and public engagement.

This list is meant to be illustrative, not exhaustive. Other disciplines may fall within the purview of neuroscience and society. While neuroscience and society is not the same as neuroethics, bioethics, or science and technology studies, there are areas of overlap.

Another way we think about it: Neuroscience & society is a paradigm for how we can teach neuroscience to people, train people to do societally relevant neuroscience-focused work, and engage diverse communities of people to shepherd the development and application of neuroscience. For further information, please visit our Neuroscience and Society page. Applicants are encouraged to contact the Foundation if they have questions.

What does the Dana Foundation fund? The Dana Foundation is a nonprofit grantmaking institution that works to advance neuroscience that benefits society and reflects the aspirations of all people. Grant applications are made to a particular program.

Interested applicants should read through the Foundation’s program descriptions in the Our Work section of the website carefully. Each program page includes a statement of the program’s goal and objectives, a list of recent grants, and a section with information on how to apply. Prospective applicants are encouraged to explore the grants awarded within a program to gain insight into the types of projects supported.

The majority of our grants are up to $150,000 in total funding for a project period of 12-18 months. At this time, the Foundation will not provide funding for indirect costs as part of our grantmaking process, unless otherwise specified. What does the Dana Foundation not fund?

Across our grant programs: The Foundation does not make grants to political campaigns, to support political activities, or to lobby for or against legislation. The Foundation does not make grants to individuals. The Foundation does not generally make grants to for-profit institutions.

The Foundation does not fund purely empirical or conceptual biomedical and/or behavioral research projects without a substantive, active emphasis on addressing complex societal problems. For example, an interdisciplinary team working on a purely empirical behavioral neuroscience study would not constitute a competitive application.

The Foundation generally does not provide funding for one-off events or conference programming, unless otherwise specified. The Foundation generally does not fund requests to support ongoing programs or general operating support, unless otherwise specified; instead, we are interested in applications proposing discrete interdisciplinary projects that are well-aligned with our mission and our programmatic priorities.

Specific to the Dana Education program , we will not consider proposals for: Educational or training programs that target undergraduate and graduate students and postdocs (see Dana NextGen program ). Passive learning approaches, such as documentary films, videos, podcasts, performances, or websites without a sustained educational component that provides opportunities for continued learning and engagement.

Projects that primarily aim to increase awareness about brain health and wellness or specific brain-based diseases. ( See Brain Awareness Week grants ) Specific to the Dana NextGen program , we will not consider proposals for: Educational or training programs primarily targeting high school students, professional audiences, or the public (see Dana Education program ). Neuroscience research without a non-science component.

Development of traditional course materials such as textbooks. Development of courses that lack an experiential component. Training or education models that utilize neuroscience to improve learning for students.

The Dana Foundation champions efforts to broaden participation in neuroscience amongst individuals from groups that have been historically excluded, however, broadening participation in neuroscience alone is not a sufficient societal emphasis. Specific to the Dana Frontiers program , we will not consider proposals for: Projects that primarily aim to increase awareness about brain health or specific brain-based diseases.

(See Brain Awareness Week grants ) Projects that primarily aim to remedy a perceived “knowledge deficit” in communities and public audiences without creating multidirectional relationships, fostering mutual learning, or collaboration.

Research projects that draw on community input only to improve recruitment, participation, or shaping research questions, practices, or outcomes, without building genuine partnerships that directly benefit communities. Projects that primarily produce static deliverables such as reports or websites without developing them in partnership with the communities they intend to serve .

Performances, art, films, or exhibits, except as part of larger sustained, multidirectional and collaborative community engagement. Projects focused only on engagement among academics or experts, unless they also build skills, resources, capacity, or opportunities for connection with non-scientific communities. For expanded terms, conditions, and policies, please see our General Grant Guidelines .

I would like more information about the Foundation’s program areas. Who should I contact? I’m not sure my area of work fits under the Foundation’s program areas.

Who should I contact? Interested applicants should carefully read through the Foundation’s program descriptions before contacting us. To connect with a program staff member about innovative ideas that align with our programmatic goals and objectives , please visit our Contact Us section and select the program area of choice.

We generally do not respond to funding inquiries distinctly outside our domain—Neuroscience & Society. Who can apply to receive a grant? Applicants must be designated as a tax-exempt organization under the provisions of 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code to be eligible for a grant.

The Foundation does not make grants to political campaigns, to support political activities, or to lobby for or against legislation. The Foundation does not make grants to individuals. The Foundation does not generally make grants to for-profit institutions.

Organizations must be able to provide an EIN number and additional financial and/or tax documentation to support their proposals. Applicants are also encouraged to review the Foundation’s terms and conditions . Does the Dana Foundation award grants outside of the US?

The Dana Foundation currently provides international funding for neuroscience and society through our partnerships with FENS and IBRO in the form of Brain Awareness Week grants . Beyond these programs, our grant-making is focused domestically, but we will consider applications from organizations outside of the US on a case-by-case basis.

If you are located outside of the US and have a project idea that you believe would strengthen neuroscience’s positive role in the world in alignment with our mission, vision, and values, please send an inquiry on our Contact Us page, selecting the program topic that most closely aligns with your project idea.

"Support from the Foundation allowed us to co-create the Dana Foundation Career Network in Neuroscience & Society … the first of its kind. Through career fairs, campus events, a website, and regular newsletters, the Foundation’s investment is facilitating career development for the next generation of leaders in rapidly emerging neuroscience and society fields such as neuroethics, neurolaw, neuroarchitecture, and neuromarketing."

Francis Shen, J. D. , Ph.

D. "For decades, the Dana Foundation has been at the vanguard of efforts to communicate neuroscience discoveries to the public. Dana initiated Brain Awareness Week and has supported SfN and many other organizations’ efforts in education, neuroethics, and public communications.

" Society for Neuroscience (SfN) "The Dana Foundation has been a supportive collaborator whose funding has helped us to bring culturally relevant, stimulating, and high-quality science engagement to underserved communities for over a decade, reaching over 2,500 students." This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.