Chapter Grants
The deadline has been extended to November 11.
For award consideration, chapters must have submitted at least one annual report during the previous two calendar years and must have provided reports from all other programs through which funding was received.
Chapters must spend grant money on the approved budget (submitted with the application) within one year of being awarded. A final financial and project report, with return of unused funds, is due to SfN 30 days after the event. Download the Final Report Guide (PDF).
Please complete the Chapter Grant Application through the online submission portal.
Only the individual who is designated as the Chapter Representative will have access to the Grant Application Portal. If you need to update your Chapter's Representative, please complete the Chapter Representative Form.
Applications for 2019 Chapter Grants are now open.
Applications submitted via email will not be accepted.
Email chapters@sfn.org with any questions.
How to Apply
In applying for grants, keep these points in mind:
- For Brain Awareness Week-related activities, the Global Membership Committee encourages the solicitation of matching funds.
- International chapters are encouraged, where applicable, to describe how the activities proposed in the grant application relate to and/or are supportive of similar efforts targeted by their national society (e.g., Brain Awareness Week activities). A letter of support from the national society will be taken into consideration in the review process, but is not required.
- Proposals for continuing medical education that can be better supported through fees and corporate sponsorship are not funded.
- Proposals that benefit the community and not only a single institution are usually more successful.
- Food/beverage and honorarium requests are discouraged.
- Grant funds may not be used to fund chapter website development. Please see the Chapter Resources page for some useful links if you need assistance with chapter website development.
Scoring Guide
- Significance — The proposed project(s) are aligned with the mission of SfN and/or BAW. The size and scope of the planned event are such that they are appropriately maximizing the impact of their efforts (e.g. impacting larger numbers of participants, or involving more diverse types of participants).
- Approach — The proposed project design is adequately developed, could be emulated by other chapters, and includes a self-evaluation method and plan for incorporating feedback. Outreach and advocacy are strongly encouraged.
- Innovation/Response to Assessment — The proposed project employs a novel concept and approach (e.g. the goals are original/innovative; and the project challenges the chapter to expand, become better organized, and/or develop new activities consistent with SfN's strategic plan) OR the project replicates and/or builds appropriately on a previously funded successful project and presents appropriate assessment outcomes and responses to those outcomes.
- Chapter Capacity/ Institutions Involved —The scope of the project is such that the chapter leaders and members are capable of carrying out the project. The project does not rely on recruitment of a significant number of additional participants and is not significantly underutilizing available human resources. The project is inclusive (as is appropriate and logistically feasible) of the institutions in the chapter.
- Budget — The proposed budget is clear and detailed. The amounts requested are within the scope of the funding guidelines and are sufficiently justified. Where needed, co-sponsors are identified including name of cosponsor and amount of support pledged.
- Report — If the chapter received funding in the previous year, the Chapter Grant Final Report was submitted and approved.
Previous grants have funded activities such as:
- Student-oriented regional conferences
- Beginning, continuing, or expanding Brain Awareness Week activities, including increased community involvement or the purchase of educational supplies
- Hosting a local political representative to promote neuroscience
- Hosting a lecturer from outside the chapter's geographic region (previously funded by the Distinguished Traveling Scientists program)
- Collaborating with local organizations on professional development initiatives
- Supporting a chapter annual meeting
