Grants and PreReview

Investigators have a choice of submitting a full or abbreviated proposal. Abbreviated proposals can include specific aims, innovation, and significance (or up to 2.5 pages). If you wish to remain anonymous, please remove any identifying information from your proposal before submitting. You will receive feedback from 2 anonymous UCLA faculty members within a 2 weeks of submission. We are accepting submissions on a rolling basis.

To upload/submit proposals to our secure Box folder please email us for a link BRI@mednet.ucla.edu. Please put “Grant Pre-review” in the subject line.

Once you have the link, it will point to a Box folder where you can upload your materials. Please include (in addition to the grant to be reviewed) a cover page with the following details: Name, Department, Grant mechanism, Early/New Stage Investigator status, Proposal type (full or abbreviated), Tentative title, Granting institution, NIH study section, Key words (up to 5), Field of neuroscience, Model system, Opposed reviewers, and any additional information you’d like us to know.

Description: Fueled by the commitment to developing the next generation of epilepsy investigators and realizing their vision of eradicating epilepsy, the American Epilepsy Society (AES) is one of the largest non-governmental funders for those starting careers in epilepsy research. 

AES research dollars support trainees, fellows, and newly independent investigators working across the full spectrum of epilepsy research, from basic science to translational and clinical research for all types of epilepsies, seizures, and related conditions. 

Multiple Opportunities: AES/Epilepsy Wellness Advocates Early Career Award, Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, Research and Training Fellowships for Clinicians, Junior Investigator Research Awards

• Funding level: Between $50K-$75K, for 1 year

• Deadline: Applications due 1/22/2026
• Application details: Here

Description: The Burroughs Wellcome Fund aims to stimulate the growth of new connections between thinkers working in largely disconnected fields, who, together, may change the course of climate change’s impact on human health. We are primarily, but not exclusively, interested in activities that build connections between basic and early biomedical scientific approaches and ecological, environmental, geological, geographic, and planetary-scale thinking, as well as with population-focused fields, including epidemiology and public health, demography, economics, and urban planning. Also of interest is work piloting new approaches or interactions aimed at reducing the impact of health-centered activities, such as developing more sustainable systems for healthcare, care delivery, and biomedical research.

Another area of interest is preparation for the impacts of extreme weather and other crises that can lead to large-scale disruptions, immediately affecting human health and the delivery of healthcare. Public outreach, climate communication, and education efforts focused on the intersection of climate and health are also appropriate for this call.

• Funding level: $2.5K-$50K
• Deadline: Application due 1/22/2026
• Application details: Here

Description: The Foundation offers grants to qualified researchers to initiate independent research careers in diabetes or aging. Preference will be given to applicants who have not held a faculty position or equivalent for more than one year.

• Funding level: up to $120K per year, for up to 3 years
• Deadline: Application due 1/31/2026
• Application details: https://llhf.org/programs/startup-grant/

Description: The Klingenstein Fellowship Awards in Neuroscience supports innovative research by early career investigators. The research should have relevance for understanding the mechanisms underlying neurological and behavioral disorders, that may lead to improvements in the diagnosis and treatment of these disorders. They recognize, however, that some of the most important contributions toward disease cures can come from basic research, without an immediate understanding of their relationship to disease, so they also support basic research.

• Funding level: $150K per year, for 3 years
• Deadline: Application due 2/1/2026
• Application details: https://klingenstein.org/esther-a-joseph-klingenstein-fund/neuroscience/applying/

Undergraduate Opportunities:

This file was put together by Chloe Sy Perez.

About Me:

I’m a 4th-year Neuroscience major with a passion for medicine and mental health, hoping to become a physician specializing in psychiatry and substance use. Under the guidance of Dr. Catherine Cahill, I’ve had the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the brain and the role substance use plays. At the Cahill Lab, I’m currently researching the potential benefits of low-dose naltrexone, an opioid receptor antagonist, in preclinical models of trauma.

As a first-generation student, I found it challenging to navigate the vast UCLA campus and identify where to look for research opportunities and scholarships. When I began my research journey, the research community was always welcoming and gave me the chance to see the real-world impact we have.

Therefore, I created this spreadsheet to help other UCLA students easily find resources best suited to their interests or get started on their research journey. I believe it’s essential to continue supporting one another and allowing each student to make their own scientific discoveries.

Background

The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation Young Investigator Grants enable promising investigators to either extend research fellowship training or begin careers as independent research faculty. The goal of the program is to help researchers launch careers in neuroscience and psychiatry and gather pilot data to apply for larger federal and university grants. Areas of particular interest include patient populations with unique or unusual characteristics and central nervous system developments.

Eligibility & Funding

Applicants must have a doctoral level degree and already be employed in research training or a faculty research position. The YI Grant is intended to support advanced post-doctoral fellows, instructors and assistant professors. Anyone who has served, or is serving, as a PI on a NIH R01 grant or the equivalent is not eligible. Investigators at the rank of associate professor or equivalent are also not eligible. Funding is up to $35,000 a year for up to two years ($70,000 total)

Application & Deadline

For complete details including application requirements, please visit the full RFP. Applications must be submitted by Wednesday, March 4, 2026, no later than 8:59 pm Pacific Time.