The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation is the largest non-government, donor-supported organization that distributes funds for brain and behavior disorder research.

The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation NARSAD Independent Investigator Grant offers up to $50,000 a year for two (2) years and is intended for scientists at the associate professor level (or equivalent) with national competitive supports as a Principal Investigator (P.I.).

The program is intended to facilitate innovative research opportunities and supports basic, as well as translational and/or clinical investigators, however, research must be relevant to understanding, treatment and prevention of serious psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, or early onset brain and behavior disorders.

Some possibilities for preliminary clinical studies include:

Support for an add-on study to identify a biomarker in the context of an ongoing clinical trial.Determining if a computer-based cognitive or other remediation enhances effectiveness of a treatment.Proof of principle study in a small number of subjects to see if efficacy is detected with a new treatment.Testing a novel hypothesis within an already established data set.Research on productive work and other treatment outcomes.

These examples do not define specific Brain & Behavior Research Foundation goals, but illustrate feasibility of expensive clinical research in the context of the NARSAD Grants program.

Field of Interest

Schizophrenia, Depression, neurobiological, psychobiological, psychiatry, psychology, neurosciences, suicide, suicide prevention, anxiety disorders, anxiety

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must have a doctoral-level degree (M.D., Ph.D., etc.) and, if an associate professor (or equivalent), and have received, as P.I., competitive research support at a national level such as NIH, NSF, or major foundation support. An assistant professor who is P.I. on a NIH R01 grant is eligible for the Independent Investigator grant;

An applicant who currently has an active NARSAD Young Investigator grants, may not apply (NARSAD grants may not overlap in time—with the exception of no-cost extensions) Requirements from a previous grant must be met, and an applicant cannot submit more than one application per cycle;

Independent Investigators are eligible for only one Independent Investigator Grant.

Application Requirements:

Applications must be submitted electronically via www.bbrfoundation.org as one document, be brief, typed in a font size no smaller than 11 pt., and include in the following order (please label each section accordingly, include applicant's name in the upper right corner and submit a separate page for each):

Institutional Assurance - statement providing institutional assurance regarding applicant's time, availability of facilities, and future position if research is funded. This page must be signed by the applicant's departmental chair or equivalent and include institutional signatures (i.e., Grants & Contracts/Sponsored Research Office), thereby signifying the institution's acceptance of these terms. The page must also state that applicant is an associate professor, or if not, specify how the current position is the associate professor equivalent in the host institution. This rank must be held at the time of the application (promotion will not negate the grant).

Abstract - a maximum 500 word description of the proposed research on a separate page written in terms understandable to lay people. Center the project title over the text. (Please be sure to place your name and institution in the upper right hand corner). If the proposal is funded, this material may be used in the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation announcements;

Proposal - a maximum of two pages to describe the project background and progress to date, clearly specify hypotheses, and outline the research plan. An absolute maximum of two pages standard type, with no appendices, is required (figures, tables, diagrams, et. al.., must be included within this page limit);

References (optional) - a separate page listing up to 10 bibliographical references;

Budget - a separate page of the budget description specifying the amount requested with a brief justification. Requests must not exceed $50,000 per year. Specific assurance that receipt of this grant will not result in duplication of funding is required. Other support (received or pending) must be included;

Collaborator Letter (optional) - letters of commitment from essential project collaborators (not solely letters of reference), addressed to the applicant briefly explaining the specific contribution and confirming a willingness to collaborate (only necessary if applicant will utilize collaborators). The scanned document/s depicting a signature should be submitted electronically;

CV – NIH-style biosketch or biography portion of the CV and bibliography. The "Grant Support" section of the CV must specify competitive funding which meets eligibility requirements for this Grant.

IRB approval for human and animal subjects must be verified at time of the grant (do not include with application), as well as institutional acceptance of the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation Terms of Award.

In fairness to all applicants, supplemental material and material exceeding the specified length will not be considered in the review process. Letters of reference/support will be treated as supplemental material.

In case of interest, please contact with Research's Department no later than December 14th.

Additional Information

http://bbrfoundation.org/II