Spring 2026 IBACS Seed Grant Applications Due 4/8

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The Institute for the Brain and Cognitive Sciences (IBACS) seed grant application is now open. Seed Grants provide funding to eligible affiliates for interdisciplinary projects and research initiatives consistent with the IBACS mission. Successful applications typically involve collaborations that require expertise across laboratories and traditional disciplinary boundaries. IBACS prioritizes projects that will provide pilot data in support of applications for external funding and publications. Seed funding is intended to support direct research costs such as supplies, participant fees, animal costs, and student support. Please submit letters of intent as soon as possible, but at least 2 weeks prior to the seed grant application deadline (by 3/25/26), to allow time for review and feedback prior to submission of the full proposal.

Open to: Faculty and postdoctoral affiliates. UCH investigators are eligible to apply so long as a Storrs collaborator is listed as a Co-PI. Please view the webpage for full eligibility requirements.

Key Application Dates: Large awards (>$10K) spring deadline: April 8, 2026. Our small seed grant awards (<$10K) are accepted on a rolling basis, but funds have been exhausted. However, we encourage those who wish to submit a small seed grant proposal to still do so following the large seed grant deadline.

Current Priorities:

  1. Given the current funding landscape, we will be prioritizing proposals on topics of federal priority and relevance to brain and cognitive science fields such as critical and emerging technologies (AI), Health, and more.
  2. Applications with more efficient budgets will be prioritized so we can fund as many projects as possible. You are encouraged to request only funds that are critical to the proposed project (rather than aiming for the maximum allowable funding amount).

For full details on the seed grant program, including the letter of intent application, full seed grant application, and allowable costs, please check our seed grant webpage.

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