+ More Filters

Reset Filters

Title

Funding Organization

Funding Type

Eligible Country

Deadline

Other (Select all that apply)

Show Expired Programs

Show Verified Programs

Not Verified

Brain Injury Scholar Seed Grants

Brain Injury Association of America

support experienced principal investigators who wish to supplement an existing project by testing a new hypothesis, adding an additional cohort, or conducting secondary analysis of existing data. Please note that BIAA Scholar Grants are not intended to be a bridge between other grant funding.

For the 2026 competition, BIAA is emphasizing its interest in both animal and human projects and that secondary data analysis is welcome.

Grant Amount

Seed grants are funded up to $25,000 total for a period not to exceed two years with 80 percent of funds issued upon notice of grant award (or other flexible start date as noted below) and 20 percent issued upon receipt of a final report.

Grant funds will be awarded to the applicant’s U.S. institution, regardless of the applicant’s citizenship status.

Travel expenses are not allowed unless for conferences at which the funded research is presented. The allowable indirect cost rate is limited to 10 percent. The total amount funded with direct and indirect costs combined shall not exceed $25,000.

Application Requirements

BIAA uses cloud-based grants management software for all aspects of the application process, including materials submission, reviews, and communication with applicants. There is a 2-stage process for seed grant applications:

Stage 1. Letter of Interest

Applicants submit contact information and upload a Letter of Interest not to exceed 2 single-spaced pages (not including references) in PDF format. The Letter of Interest should include a concise description of research ambitions that explains how the proposal addresses BIAA priorities and the way(s) funding will result in a larger opportunity. In addition, BIAA Young Investigator applicants must submit contact information for a study mentor and a letter of recommendation from that individual.

Letters of Interest are reviewed to determine if the applicant should be invited to submit a full proposal.

Stage 2. Proposal

Invited applicants upload a proposal that describes the problem, how it relates to BIAA’s priorities, scientific method, key personnel and the resources in the environment to be utilized. The narrative should also describe how the results of the plan will be used (such as for a larger grant submission or dissemination through publication). The budget and work plan should be uploaded as separate documents. Please follow the full instructions as described in the application portal.

Evaluation Criteria

The Letter of Interest (LOI) will be evaluated based on the proposed project’s relevance to BIAA’s research priorities and the qualifications of the key personnel involved in the project. If invited, proposals will be evaluated using the National Institutes for Health (NIH) Criteria for Non-Clinical Trials.

2026 Deadlines

May 18 – Submission Portal Open for Letters of Interest
July 1 – Last day to submit Letters of Interest
August 5 – Full Proposals Invited
September 16 – Invited Proposals Due
November 27 – Reviews Completed; Recommendations Submitted to BIAA Board for Approval
January 11 (2027) – Applicants Notified; Award Letters & Grant Agreements Sent

Projects are expected to be completed within a 24-month period, beginning with the receipt of funding, the start of a post-doc or faculty position, or the issuance of Internal Review Board (IRB) approval, if applicable.

AI Based Application Success Predictor

1. Strong alignment with chronic brain injury priorities (highest predictor)

This is the most important factor.

BIAA explicitly prioritizes research addressing the chronic phase of acquired brain injury, rather than acute injury processes. Competitive projects focus on understanding how brain injury evolves into a lifelong health condition and affects long-term health, function, and participation.

Examples include:

Chronic traumatic brain injury (TBI)
Long-term neurological consequences
Neurodegeneration after brain injury
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE)
Dementia risk after TBI
Lifelong disability and participation outcomes
Self-management and rehabilitation strategies

2. Potential to improve long-term outcomes for people with brain injury (very high predictor)

BIAA's mission centers on improving the lives of people living with brain injury.

Strong proposals demonstrate potential to:

Improve long-term health outcomes
Enhance independence and participation
Reduce disability
Improve quality of life
Inform rehabilitation or self-management strategies

Projects with a clear pathway to patient benefit tend to be highly competitive.

3. Innovative research addressing major knowledge gaps

BIAA emphasizes that many aspects of chronic brain injury remain poorly understood.

Competitive applications often investigate:

Mechanisms linking TBI to later neurodegenerative disease
Late effects of childhood brain injury
Chronic inflammation and neurodegeneration
Biomarkers of long-term injury progression
Novel rehabilitation approaches
Social and behavioral consequences of brain injury

Projects addressing unanswered questions in chronic brain injury are strongly aligned with program goals.

4. Strong feasibility and focused study design

Because BIAA Seed Grants are relatively modest (up to approximately $25,000), successful projects are usually:

Well-scoped
Methodologically sound
Achievable within the grant period
Supported by realistic milestones and budgets

Reviewers appear to favor focused pilot studies that can generate meaningful findings efficiently.

5. Early-career investigator development

A major purpose of the program is supporting new investigators.

The Seed Grant mechanism includes categories for Young Investigators, and BIAA specifically encourages applicants who are developing independent research careers under appropriate mentorship.

Strong indicators include:

Commitment to brain injury research
Early publications
Research presentations
Career-development potential

6. Strong mentorship and research environment

For Young Investigator applications, BIAA requires access to experienced brain injury researchers and an environment capable of supporting the proposed work.

Competitive applications typically demonstrate:

Experienced mentor(s)
Access to brain injury populations or datasets
Appropriate institutional infrastructure
Statistical and methodological support

7. Publication record and prior productivity

For more advanced investigators (Brain Injury Scholar category), BIAA explicitly values:

Peer-reviewed publications
Prior funded research
Demonstrated scientific expertise
Ability to successfully complete the proposed work

Applicants with evidence of sustained scholarly productivity tend to be more competitive.

8. Potential to generate future external funding

BIAA Seed Grants are intended to serve as pilot funding.

Projects that can generate:

Preliminary data
Proof-of-concept findings
Future NIH applications
Larger rehabilitation or neuroscience grants

are especially attractive because they expand the long-term impact of BIAA's investment.

Specialties

Neurosciences

Eligibility Requirements

Brain Injury Scholars must be principal investigators on at least one project valued at $300,000 or more or have a record of published articles in peer-reviewed journals or other demonstrated credentials in scientific inquiry. Applicants must have adequate infrastructure to support the proposed project.

All grantees must be willing to cooperate with the Brain Injury Association of America in promoting the Association’s research program.

Eligible Countries:

United States

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: Brain Injury Association of America

Sponsor Type: Corporate/Non-Profit

Address: 3057 Nutley Street #805 Fairfax, VA 22031-1931

Legal & Affiliation Disclaimer

Affiliation Disclaimer: Trialect operates independently and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or supported by any sponsors or organizations posting on the GrantsBoard platform. As an independent aggregator of publicly available funding opportunities, Trialect provides equal access to information for all users without endorsing any specific funding source, content, organization, or sponsor. Trialect assumes no responsibility for the content posted by sponsors or third parties.

Subscription Disclaimer: Upon logging into Trialect, you may choose to SUBSCRIBE to GrantsBoard for timely notifications of funding opportunities and to access exclusive benefits, such as priority alerts, reminders, personalized recommendations, and additional application support. However, users are advised to contact sponsors directly for any questions and are not required to subscribe to engage with funding opportunities.

Content Ownership and Copyright Disclaimer: Trialect respects the intellectual property rights of all organizations and individuals. All content posted on GrantsBoard is provided solely for informational purposes and remains the property of the original owners. Trialect does not claim ownership of, nor does it have any proprietary interest in, content provided by third-party sponsors. Users are encouraged to verify content and ownership directly with the posting sponsor.

Fair Use Disclaimer: The information and content available on GrantsBoard are compiled from publicly accessible sources in alignment with fair use principles under U.S. copyright law. Trialect serves as an aggregator of this content, offering it to users in good faith and with the understanding that it is available for public dissemination. Any organization or individual who believes their intellectual property rights have been violated is encouraged to contact us for prompt resolution.

Third-Party Posting Responsibility Disclaimer: Trialect is a neutral platform that allows third-party sponsors to post funding opportunities for informational purposes only. Sponsors are solely responsible for ensuring that their postings comply with copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws. Trialect assumes no liability for any copyright or intellectual property infringements in third-party content and will take appropriate action to address any substantiated claims.

Accuracy and Verification Disclaimer: Trialect makes no warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information provided by sponsors. Users are advised to verify the details of any funding opportunity directly with the sponsor before taking action. Trialect cannot be held liable for any discrepancies, omissions, or inaccuracies in third-party postings.

Notice and Takedown Policy: Trialect is committed to upholding copyright law and protecting the rights of intellectual property owners. If you believe that content on GrantsBoard infringes your copyright or intellectual property rights, please contact us with detailed information about the claim. Upon receipt of a valid notice, Trialect will promptly investigate and, where appropriate, remove or disable access to the infringing content.

View Funding Opportunity