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Future Leaders in Canadian Brain Research

Brain Canada

This Program encourages innovative, unorthodox, and exploratory research that may be in the early and conceptual stages of project development but has potential for significant impact on our understanding of the brain. The data generated will enable early-career researchers to apply for larger grants that will lead to long-term projects and create innovative and sustainable research programs.

Projects should be distinct from other research projects conducted by the investigator. The research topic will focus on hypothesis-driven inquiries on the brain and nervous system, and may span the range of basic, translational, and clinical approaches, including:

• Basic research into fundamental properties and mechanisms, including functional studies based on the use of “-omics” data.

• Projects related to disease or dysfunction of the nervous system leading to new insights into fundamental biological mechanisms.

• Projects that experimentally test novel hypotheses addressing therapeutic or interventional approaches for brain disorders.

• Projects aimed at developing novel methods, if these methods allow new neuroscience questions to be answered.

• Projects, such as those using epidemiological, “-omics”, or other approaches, that will generate large datasets, if hypotheses are clearly stated. The following projects will not be considered for funding:

• Systematic screening approaches aimed at identifying biological components or reagents.

• Requests for operating grants.

Grant Details

The 2025 competition will support up to 20 grants of $100,000 each, over two years. Grant names may include acknowledgment of specific donors who are contributing funding for this competition.

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Evidence clearly shows that increasing equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in research environments enhances excellence, innovation and creativity. Brain Canada is committed to excellence through equity and encourages applicants of diverse backgrounds to apply to our funding opportunities, which will promote the expression of diverse perspectives, approaches, and experiences, including those of underrepresented groups.

AI Based Application Success Predictor

Because Brain Canada administers multiple distinct funding mechanisms, success predictors vary somewhat by award type. However, the following criteria are commonly emphasized across programs:

🎯 1) Alignment With Program Goals & Strategic Priorities

Match your project tightly to the specific call’s objectives.
Brain Canada programs are designed around clearly stated goals — for example:

Early-career leadership in brain research

International collaborative discovery science

Building or enhancing research platforms

Knowledge mobilization to improve outcomes beyond academia

Proposals should explicitly articulate how the project advances the program’s stated goals. Brain Canada Foundation

Example: For the Brain Canada & Weizmann Institute Team Grants, the focus is on innovative, exploratory, hypothesis-driven brain research spanning basic to clinical domains. Brain Canada Foundation

💡 2) Innovation & Scientific Excellence

Across most Brain Canada opportunities, reviewers look for projects that are:

Novel and bold — pushing beyond incremental advances.

Grounded in strong scientific rationale and methods.

Capable of producing impactful results that will inform future research or practice.

This applies especially to translational, exploratory, and hypothesis-driven research awards. Brain Canada Foundation

Success predictor: Emphasize novel questions, techniques, or collaborations likely to yield high-impact findings.

🤝 3) Collaborative and Multidisciplinary Teams

Many Brain Canada awards — particularly team grants and platform support grants — prioritize:

Multidisciplinary teams with complementary expertise;

Collaborations across institutions (and sometimes internationally, as in the Weizmann partnership). Brain Canada Foundation

Success predictor: Assemble teams where members’ roles and expertise clearly support the project’s goals.

📈 4) Feasibility, Planning, and Clear Milestones

Reviewers evaluate whether the project is deliverable within the funding period, with:

Clear aims and objectives

Realistic timelines and milestones

Appropriate methods and analytic plans

For platform and infrastructure grants, include a detailed business plan and sustainability strategy. Brain Canada Foundation

Success predictor: Provide a strong project management plan with measurable outcomes.

🏫 5) Capacity Building & Talent Development

Programs like Future Leaders in Canadian Brain Research and Momentum Grants explicitly support the next generation of researchers by building research capacity and leadership. Brain Canada Foundation

Success predictor: Highlight how the project will strengthen individual and team capacity, mentoring, training opportunities, and long-term research career development.

🔄 6) Breadth of Impact & Knowledge Translation

Brain Canada encourages research that goes beyond academic discovery to benefit patients, caregivers, and broader communities. Awards such as Knowledge Mobilization Grants focus on translating results into real-world impact. research-tools.mun.ca

Success predictor: Articulate pathways for dissemination, implementation, and societal impact.

🌍 7) Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI)

Many Brain Canada programs explicitly encourage participation by researchers from diverse backgrounds and promote diverse perspectives in science. Grants often articulate commitments to EDI as core values. Brain Canada Foundation

Success predictor: Demonstrate how your team or project advances equity and inclusion in brain research.

📚 8) Open Science & Data Sharing

Some collaborative programs (e.g., international team grants) encourage open science practices, including FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) data principles and open access outputs. Brain Canada Foundation

Success predictor: Include a clear plan for data sharing, open access publishing, and broader dissemination.

🧠 Quick Checklist Before You Apply

✔ Confirm your project fits the specific call’s goals (e.g., early career, team science, platform support). Brain Canada Foundation
✔ Define bold scientific questions and hypotheses.
✔ Build a strong, multidisciplinary team.
✔ Articulate clear milestones and feasibility.
✔ Describe capacity building and training elements (if applicable). Brain Canada Foundation
✔ Plan for impact beyond research outputs (e.g., knowledge mobilization). research-tools.mun.ca
✔ Include EDI and open science commitments where relevant. Brain Canada Foundation

🧠 Summary: Core Success Predictors

Predictor	Relevance
Program alignment	Essential to be considered for review. Brain Canada Foundation
Innovation & excellence	Differentiates competitive applications. Brain Canada Foundation
Team science & collaboration	Encouraged across many grants. Brain Canada Foundation
Feasibility & planning	Demonstrates likelihood of success. Brain Canada Foundation
Capacity building	Important for early-career and Momentum programs. Brain Canada Foundation
Impact & translation	Critical for knowledge mobilization and broader benefits. research-tools.mun.ca
EDI & open science	Increasingly valued by Brain Canada.

Specialties

Cancer

Eligibility Requirements

• This competition is open to early-career researchers. Brain Canada has implemented an extended eligibility window for early-career researcherstatus, in line with federal granting agencies, to account for the delays to research caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The eligibility window, which can be determined using the following table, is calculated as of the deadline for submission of Full Applications. Leaves of absence (e.g., maternity and parental leave, sick leave) will be excluded when calculating the eligibility window. For questions related to eligibility, including accounting for leaves of absence, please contact futureleaders@braincanada.ca.

• Applicants must be conducting research at an eligible Canadian institution for the entire duration of the grant, and must be considered an independent researcher at their institution. Such an individual normally holds the rank of assistant or associate professor; can initiate and direct their own independent lines of research as principal investigator; has full responsibility for running their laboratories; has full control of their research funds; and is permitted to supervise trainees (if applicable, as per their institution’s policy). Postdoctoral fellows or adjunct faculty are not eligible to apply.

• Academic appointments must have started by the Full Application submission deadline.

• Applicants must be able to devote a minimum of 50% of their time to research activities.

• Research applications may be related but cannot overlap with any other currently funded projects. It is the responsibility of the applicant to notify Brain Canada immediately should overlap arise from new funding awarded during the application and review process of this competition. Overlap is defined as having the same objectives and/or experimental aims as any other funded work.

• Applicants must submit a Letter of Intent in order to be eligible to submit a Full Application.

• Applicants who are currently holding, or previously received, an Azrieli Foundation Early-Career Capacity Building Grant or a Future Leadersin Canadian Brain Research Grant are not eligible to apply.

• Applicants may only submit one application per competition cycle.

• Applicants must be able to initiate the project in September 2026 when funding is expected to begin

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: Brain Canada

Sponsor Type: Corporate/Non-Profit

Address: 1200 McGill College Avenue Suite 1600, Montreal, Quebec H3B 4G7

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