Funding

IBACS Fall 2023 Call for Seed Grant Applications

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The Institute for the Brain and Cognitive Sciences (IBACS) is pleased to announce a new call for applications to its seed grant fund.  

The seed grant program is intended to fund research consistent with the IBACS mission. Large Seed Grant applications (>$10,000 but <$25,000) are time-limited to accommodate GA assignment; the Fall deadline is October 2nd, 2023 (due to the 1st falling on a weekend). Please submit letters of intent as soon as possible, but at least 2 weeks prior to  the seed grant application deadline (by 9/15/23), to allow time for review and feedback prior to submission of the full proposal.

A reminder that our Spring deadline will be April 1st, 2024. Small Seed Grant applications (<$10,000) are accepted on a rolling basis until funds are exhausted.

Seed funding is intended to support direct research costs such as supplies, participant fees, animal costs, and student support. Review criteria seek innovative, novel, and collaborative projects in the field of brain and cognitive sciences.  Postdocs can also apply, with a faculty mentor as co-PI. Undergraduates are directed to separate academic/summer funding. Full details on the seed grant program, including applications (letter of intent and full seed app) and allowable costs, please check our website. 

The Institute also invites applications for affiliate memberships.  

Any questions should be directed to the Institute Coordinator, Crystal Mills at crystal.mills@uconn.edu or (860) 486-4937. 

Second OVPR REP Awarded to BIRC Faculty!

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Congratulations to Margaret Briggs-Gowan (PI) and co-PIs Inge-Marie Eigsti, Letitia Naigles, Damion Grasso, Fumiko Hoeft, Carolyn Greene, and Brandon Goldstein on their Research Excellence Program (REP) award for Auditory threat processing in children at-risk for posttraumatic stress disorder! Their project will use ERP and fMRI methods to assess threat reactivity in young at-risk children.

OVPR REP Awarded to BIRC Faculty!

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Congratulations to Robert Astur (PI) and Fumiko Hoeft (co-PI) on their Research Excellence Program (REP) award for Using Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation to Reduce Problematic Cannabis Use in Undergraduates! Their project will test whether cravings and real-life use of cannabis can be reduced using TMS in UConn undergraduates who are at risk for cannabis use disorder.

 

Congratulations to BIRC Seed Grant Recipients

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In Spring 2020, BIRC awarded four seed grants, including two student/trainee grants. Congratulations to:

  • Postdoc Airey Lau (Psychological Sciences) and faculty supervisors Devin Kearns (Education) and Fumiko Hoeft (Psychological Sciences) for Intervention For Students With Reading And Math Disabilities: The Unique Case Of Comorbidity
  • Graduate student Sahil Luthra (Psychological Sciences) and faculty supervisors Emily Myers (Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences) and James Magnuson (Psychological Sciences) for Hemispheric Organization Underlying Models of Speech Sounds and Talkers
  • Natalie Shook (PI, Nursing) and Fumiko Hoeft (Co-I, Psychological Sciences) for Identifying Neural Pathways Implicated in Older Adults’ Emotional Well-being
  • William Snyder (PIm Linguistics) for Adult processing of late-to-develop syntactic structures: An fMRI study

BIRC provides seed grants to facilitate the future development of external grant applications. Seed grants are provided in the form of a limited number of allocated hours on MRI, EEG and/or TMS equipment at BIRC. These hours are intended to enable investigators to demonstrate feasibility, develop scientific and technical expertise, establish collaborations, and, secondarily, publish in peer-reviewed journals. Seed grants are intended for investigators with experience in the proposed methods, as well as those with little or no experience who have developed a collaborative plan to acquire such experience. New investigators are encouraged to consult with BIRC leadership early in the development of their project. For more information about the program, please visit our seed grant page.

InCHIP Virtual Meet ‘n’ Greet: UConn Brain Imaging Imaging Research Center

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Dr. Fumiko Hoeft, Director of the UConn Brain Imaging Research Center (BIRC) shares information regarding the state-of-the-art equipment, methods, and training offered by BIRC and how the center supports both brain and whole-body imaging and research across the life span in addition to a range of clinical and nonclinical populations. She also covers BIRC equipment that can be used for research purposes includes MRI/fMRI scanner, TMS, tDCS/tACS, and EEG.

Also, watch to learn more about a $30,000 seed grant opportunity that InCHIP and BIRC are co-sponsoring!

Click here to watch the full InCHIP Virtual Meet ‘n’ Greet BIRC Seminar

Click here to view the slide deck in pdf format

Call for InCHIP-BIRC Seed Grants

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UConn’s Institute for Collaboration on Health, Intervention, and Policy (InCHIP) and the UConn Brain Imaging Research Center (BIRC) are co-sponsoring a seed grant funding opportunity for faculty at UConn Storrs, UConn Health, and the regional campuses. This grant is designed to fund an innovative pilot project that will directly support an external grant application in health behavior or health policy with a substantial neuroimaging component. Health is broadly defined and includes physical and mental health and outcomes with critical implications for health. The funded pilot project must involve neuroimaging- related research that includes MRI, TMS, tDCS/tACS, and/or EEG usage at BIRC.

One seed grant of $30,000 is available through this seed grant competition. Funding in the amount of $15,000 (half of the seed grant) will be provided in the form of a limited number of allocated hours on MRI, EEG, and/or TMS equipment at BIRC. The remaining $15,000 may be used to fund other research costs associated with the pilot project.

This funding is intended to enable investigators to demonstrate feasibility, develop scientific and technical expertise, establish collaborations, and, secondarily, publish in peer-reviewed journals.

One of the goals of this funding mechanism is to encourage incorporation of BIRC’s neuroimaging services into the pilot project. Therefore, at least one of the Principle Investigators on the seed grant application must be new to BIRC and not have previously utilized BIRC’s neuroimaging services.

Investigators with experience in neuroimaging methods, as well as those with little or no experience may apply for this grant, but those with limited experience must include a collaborative plan for how they will acquire such experience.

An external grant application should be submitted through InCHIP within one year of completing the pilot project.

Key Dates

  • Friday, February 15, 2019 FOA posted
  • Monday, April 8, 2019 12-12:45pm optional webinar (email boundaryspanners@chip.uconn.edu to reserve)
  • Friday, April 26, 2019 Letters of Intent (required) due by 11:59 PM EST
  • Friday, May 3, 2019 Applicants notified of LOI approval decision
  • Friday, May 17, 2019 InCHIP Affiliate Application due by 11:59 PM EST
  • Friday, May 31, 2019 Full Proposals due by 11:59 PM EST
  • June 2019 Applicants notified of award decision
  • July 1, 2019 – June 30, 2021 Award period

To Apply

Click here for the full FOA and application form.