Cross-disciplinary teams transforming our understanding of the brain
Big Ideas are the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute's flagship research projects. These five-year grants catalyze cross-disciplinary teams of researchers to collaboratively tackle fundamental questions that advance our understanding of the mind, brain and behavior in health and disease.
Our Big Ideas projects include bold projects to advance our understanding of the science of addiction and brain rejuvenation, to design new technologies to interface with the brain, and to build research platforms to connect molecular to systems-level neuroscience and advance the study of human brain organoids and assembloids in the lab.
Applying for Big Ideas Grants
Big Ideas grant applications are currently closed. Stay tuned for announcements about our next call for letters of intent.
Funded Big Ideas projects
Neuro-Omics Initiative (Phase 2)
Creating new tools to help neuroscientists bridge the study of genes and proteins operating in the brain to the study of brain circuits and systems, which could lead to a deeper understanding of brain function and disease.
Stanford Brain Organogenesis Program (Phase 2)
Developing brain organoids and assembloids – three dimensional brain tissues grown in the lab – to study human brain development, evolution and neuropsychiatric disorders.
Neuro-omics Initiative (Phase 1)
Creating new tools to help neuroscientists bridge the study of genes and proteins operating in the brain to the study of brain circuits and systems, which could lead to a deeper understanding of brain function and disease.
Stanford Brain Organogenesis Program (Phase 1)
Developing brain organoids – three dimensional brain tissues grown in the lab – to study human brain development, evolution and neuropsychiatric disorders.
Neurodevelopment Initiative
Investigating how the brain develops from infancy to adulthood across species, focusing on how the interplay between structural development, functional development, experience and affect brain computations and ultimately behavior.
NeuroPlant Initiative
The NeuroPlant Initiative aims to leverage a botanical armamentarium to manipulate the brain — by building a pipeline to explore chemicals synthesized in plants as potential new treatments for neurological disease and as a window into the chemistry of the brain.
NeuroChoice: Optimizing Choice
Optimizing choice: From neuroscience to public policy
Stroke Collaborative Action Network
Breaches barriers in our understanding of stroke to develop therapies and improve stroke recovery.
Big Ideas Award Announcements
Big Ideas Round 2, Phase 2 (2021)
Toolmakers aim to untangle fundamental challenges in neuroscience
Big Ideas Round 2 Phase 1 (2018)
Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute announces the second round of Big Ideas