Request for Applications: Human Brain Models Research at Duke
Application due: February 1, 2025
Next award period: July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026
Award Overview:
The Ruth K. Broad Biomedical Research Foundation Human Brain Models Research Award provides seed funding for research that utilizes human brain models, including but not limited to organoids, assembloids, and human brain material, to expand basic knowledge of human neurons and glia, especially as related to neurodegeneration. The Foundation will provide a one-year award of $100,000 to support an innovative, pre-NIH project of a Duke University School of Medicine faculty member.
Applications will be evaluated on the quality of the science, and the potential of the research for advancing understanding of neurodegenerative disorders, especially Alzheimer’s disease. The research proposed should be a new direction of study for the applicant’s lab, and uniqueness of the research is a required criterion for selection.
Applicants are encouraged to consider using the Bryan Brain Bank and Biorepository, part of the Duke/UNC Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC), if the material therein is relevant to their application.
The Foundation does not allow for indirect costs for this award or payment of faculty salaries.
How to apply:
Disclaimer: The downloads provided on this site are only compatible with Mozilla Firefox and Microsoft Edge browsers. Please ensure you are using one of these browsers to successfully download and access the files. If you are still having difficulty, please email Cathleen Durgin at cathleen.durgin@duke.edu.
Completed applications must be submitted online as a single .pdf file using the template provided, no later than February 1, 2025. Please name your files using the following naming convention: HumanBrainModels_FY25_LastName_FirstName
- Three-page proposal stating the nature of the research project, a description of the work to be done, the potential impact of the knowledge gained, and its potential relationship to Alzheimer’s disease. Please utilize the template provided to title the project and include your name.
- Completed budget and information form. Budget may not include salary or fringe benefits of the Duke faculty award applicant.
- NIH format biographical sketch for each principal investigator.
Finalists may be interviewed by the Ruth K. Broad Foundation intramural grant review committee. The purpose of the interview is to assess if the research proposed is a new direction for the applicant’s lab.
If you do not receive an acknowledgment of your submission within three business days, please contact Cathleen Durgin at cathleen.durgin@duke.edu.
Awardee Requirements:
The award may require research presentations at the Foundation’s annual Board of Directors meeting. A final written report is due by July 31, 2026. The Foundation also requests recognition on any publication emanating from funded research.
