Limited Submission Opportunity 

Brain Research Foundation – Seed Grant Program 

Number of slots: 1 faculty member (assistant or associate professor) 

SLU Internal Deadline: September 11, 2026 at 5 pm CST 

LOI Submission Deadline: Tuesday, November  3, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. CST 

 The Award & Eligibility Criteria 

The objective of the Brain Research Foundation Seed Grant Program is to provide start-up funds for new and innovative research projects in the field of neuroscience, especially those of junior faculty, that will likely lead to extramural funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) or other outside funding sources. Each total grant is limited to $100,000 (direct costs) for a two-year grant period.  

To be eligible, the 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. 

To access the guidelines, please click here.

Guidance for the Nomination Process 

An internal competition will be held to assign the single slot. Interested PIs should submit a 2-3 page summary of their proposed project, and Biosketch in NIH format, in OpenWater by 5pm on September 11, 2026, here https://slu.secure-platform.com/a/solicitations/250/home

A SLU faculty selection committee will review and select the most suitable applicant and notify all applicants of the outcome by October 3, 2026, barring any unforeseen circumstances.   

To learn more about the Brain Research Foundation, click here. 

For more information or questions, contact Christine Luebbert at christine.luebbert@slu.edu