Big Ideas in Neuroscience
The Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute is requesting Letters of Intent (LOI) for its third round of Big Ideas in Neuroscience. The Institute is dedicated to stimulating and supporting interdisciplinary efforts that advance neuroscience research and an inclusive training environment. Successful Big Ideas projects catalyze cross-disciplinary teams of researchers to collaboratively tackle fundamental questions that advance our understanding of the mind, brain and behavior in health and disease. This request encourages submissions that combine neuroscience with other disciplines outside basic and clinical neuroscience (e.g. chemical and molecular biology, engineering and the quantitative sciences, social sciences, law, education, business, public policy, humanities) and that engage faculty across a range of professorial rank.
The Institute will invite a subset of the LOI submissions to develop a full proposal. These selected teams will receive a planning budget ($1,000) to support the development of a full proposal. The planning budget may be used for retreats, dinners, or small incidental costs. Successful full proposals, selected by the Big Ideas Review Committee in consultation with the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute leadership, will be funded for a three-year award in the total amount of $1,500,000 ($500,000 per year). Awarded teams will have the opportunity to apply for an additional two-year funding phase in the total amount of $2,000,000 ($1,000,000 per year).
The proposed project should be larger in scope than a typical R01 grant, requiring diverse expertise and teamwork, and is expected to fundamentally transform our understanding or approach to the neurosciences if successful. Each proposal should engage teams of a minimum of two (2) and a maximum of three (3) faculty members. Teams larger than three (3) faculty members should inquire directly with the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute Associate Director of Programs and Training Chiara Bertipaglia (bertipag@stanford.edu) about eligibility in advance of the Letter Of Intent submission, and will be considered by the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute leadership on a case-by-case basis.
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All applicants must be Stanford faculty with PI eligibility. Stanford PI-eligible faculty include those with the following types of faculty appointments:
- University Tenure Line (UTL) / Academic Council Faculty
- University Medical Line (UML)
- Non-Tenure Line Research (NTLR)
- Clinician Educator (CE) at the rank of clinical assistant professor and above who are full-time Stanford employees with 100% CE faculty appointments. No waiver is required.
Note: Clinical Instructors in the Clinician Educator (CE) line are not PI-eligible.
- Applicants must also be Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute Affiliates at the time of submission. Any interested applicants are invited to join the Institutes’ affiliate programs: Join the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute Faculty network.
- Each applicant may participate in one (1) Letter Of Intent.
- Each application must have one (1) Communicating PI, who will submit the letter of intent online and will serve as the point of contact for the application. Please note that all faculty applicants are co-PIs and are called “applicants” in the application portal: this grant call does not require a “lead PI”.
- No faculty may apply for Big Ideas grants while they hold active Big Ideas funding.
The Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute Big Ideas in Neuroscience Review Committee will review the Letters of Intent based on:
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Creativity / Innovation: Does this project have the potential to change how neuroscience research is performed?
- The research introduces new ideas, hypotheses, methodologies, or approaches, pushing the boundaries of existing knowledge and offering fresh perspectives within the field.
- The research advances knowledge, proposes novel solutions, or opens new avenues of exploration in neuroscience.
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Impact: Does this research have the potential to move the field forward and/or benefit society in significant ways?
- The research addresses a meaningful scientific problem, contributes valuable insights that advance understanding in its discipline, fills critical gaps, or resolves conflicts.
- The research may have potential applications that contribute to addressing global challenges and real-world problems, benefiting not only the scientific community but society at large.
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Research Excellence. Does the research uphold the highest standards of excellence in STEM?
- Soundness of Methodology, Rigor and Reproducibility. The research employs rigorous, well-designed methods that are appropriate for answering the research question. This includes clear experimental design, valid data collection techniques, and proper statistical analysis, ensuring that results are reliable and reproducible.
- Ethical Standards. The research adheres to ethical standards in all aspects of research, from data collection and analysis to collaboration and publication.
In addition to these criteria, the selection committee will take into consideration previous Big Ideas funding from the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute.
The funds can be used for personnel (undergraduate, graduate, or postdoctoral students, research assistants or associates), supplies, equipment, travel, or seminar and symposia needs. Faculty salaries are allowed.
