Offered by the International Brain Research Organization (IBRO), the programme focuses specifically on regions where stronger formal structures for neuroscience collaboration could expand scientific exchange, professional networking, representation and long-term research capacity.

Applications are open to eligible initiatives in:

• Africa
• Asia-Pacific
• Latin America

The 2026 application window runs from:

1 September 2026 to 30 September 2026

The application deadline is therefore:

30 September 2026

Applications must be submitted through the official IBRO Grants Portal.

Apply for the IBRO Seeding Neuroscience Grants

Read the official programme information

About the IBRO Seeding Neuroscience Grants

The IBRO Seeding Neuroscience Grants are intended to provide early-stage financial support for scientists who want to create stronger and more formal neuroscience communities.

The programme recognizes that in some countries or regions, neuroscientists may already be collaborating informally but lack:

• A formal professional society
• An organizational structure
• Governance arrangements
• A sustainable membership system
• A dedicated regional chapter
• A network focused on a particular neuroscience discipline

IBRO therefore provides funding for the inaugural activities needed to move from informal scientific collaboration toward a formal, sustainable structure.

This can include activities such as:

• Governance planning
• Strategic workshops
• Organizational development
• Discussions on leadership and membership
• Planning the structure of a new neuroscience society
• Developing a thematic scientific network
• Establishing a regional or sub-national neuroscience chapter

The central purpose is not simply to organize another scientific event. Instead, the funding should help scientists create something that continues beyond the initial funded activity.

What Is the Main Aim of the Programme?

The official aim of the programme is to:

Support the development of emerging neuroscience societies or thematic networks.

IBRO wants to empower local neuroscientists and organizations to come together, establish common objectives and build the governance structures necessary for a sustainable scientific community.

The programme can therefore support initiatives that lead to the creation of:

1. National neuroscience societies
2. Regional neuroscience societies
3. Formal neuroscience sub-societies
4. Regional chapters
5. Thematic neuroscience networks

The programme is particularly valuable where researchers are already interested in building a collaborative community but lack the financial resources needed to organize the planning process.

What Types of Neuroscience Communities Can Be Created?

The programme is broader than the establishment of a traditional national neuroscience society.

Applicants may also propose a formal community focused on a specific neuroscience field.

IBRO gives examples such as:

• Computational neuroscience
• Glial research

Other thematic networks may potentially fit the programme where they represent a genuine unmet need and are consistent with the call requirements.

A thematic network could be useful where researchers in a specialized field are spread across several institutions or countries but do not yet have a recognized body through which to:

• Coordinate activities
• Build research collaborations
• Support early-career scientists
• Share resources
• Organize training
• Advocate for their research field
• Develop regional scientific capacity

Who Can Apply?

IBRO welcomes applications from:

Emerging Neuroscience Societies

Groups that already function informally as a neuroscience community but have not yet become a formally established society may apply.

Groups of Scientists

A group of researchers actively planning to form a neuroscience society, chapter, sub-society or thematic network may submit an application.

Scientific Organizations

Organizations representing the interests of the neuroscience community may also apply where their proposed activities are directed toward establishing a formal neuroscience structure.

Groups in Regions With Limited Neuroscience Infrastructure

The programme particularly fits areas where there is:

• Little formal neuroscience organization
• Limited opportunity for scientific exchange
• No functioning neuroscience society
• Limited representation of a specific neuroscience discipline

Applicants With a Concrete Establishment Plan

Applicants should have a clear and actionable plan for moving from the initial funded activity to an actual formal society or network.

This is crucial.

IBRO is not looking simply for groups that say they may eventually form an organization. The proposal should demonstrate that the funded activities are part of a genuine process toward establishment.

Geographic Eligibility

The programme is open in three broad regions:

Africa

Groups of neuroscientists and eligible organizations based in African countries may apply where they meet the programme criteria.

Asia-Pacific

Eligible scientific groups and organizations from the Asia-Pacific region may also participate.

Latin America

The programme is additionally open to qualifying initiatives based in Latin America.

The official programme information provided does not list a single closed country-by-country eligibility table in the text supplied. Applicants should therefore check the IBRO Grants Portal or contact the IBRO programmes team if there is any uncertainty about whether their location falls within the relevant IBRO regional structure.

What if a National Neuroscience Society Already Exists?

The existence of an established national neuroscience society does not automatically prevent an application, but the rules become significantly more restrictive.

In countries where a national neuroscience society already exists, including an IBRO member society, applicants may apply only where they are formally seeking to establish something distinct, such as:

• A neuroscience sub-society
• A specialized thematic body
• A regional chapter

The proposed activity must focus on the planning and governance required to launch that new structure.

Applicants must also demonstrate that the proposed organization provides clear added value.

For example, it could address:

• An underserved geographic area
• A specialized neuroscience subfield
• A group of scientists not adequately represented by the existing society
• A particular scientific or professional need that the national organization does not currently meet

Creating a duplicate organization without a convincing reason is unlikely to fit the purpose of the programme.

A New Society Must Address an Unmet Need

Where an existing neuroscience society already operates, applicants should clearly explain:

• What is missing from the existing scientific ecosystem
• Which researchers are underserved
• Why a new sub-society or regional chapter is needed
• How the proposed group complements rather than competes unnecessarily with the existing organization
• What scientific or regional value the new structure will add

This is particularly important for thematic groups.

For example, if a national neuroscience society exists but there is no organized community for computational neuroscience, a proposal to create a formal computational neuroscience network may be relevant if the applicants can demonstrate a real scientific need.

What Activities Can the Grant Support?

The programme is intended for inaugural and organizational activities that directly contribute to the creation of a sustainable neuroscience body.

Examples can include:

Governance Planning

Applicants may organize activities to determine:

• Organizational structure
• Leadership arrangements
• Executive roles
• Decision-making procedures
• Membership models
• Constitutions or bylaws
• Internal governance processes

Governance is central because a sustainable professional society needs more than an informal network of scientists.

Strategic Workshops

A funded planning workshop could bring together researchers to decide:

• The mission of the new society
• Scientific priorities
• Membership strategy
• Leadership model
• Future activities
• Regional representation
• Funding plans
• Diversity and inclusion commitments

The workshop should produce a practical outcome rather than ending simply as a discussion event.

Community-Building Activities

Early activities may also help identify and connect neuroscientists who could become founding members.

This could involve:

• Mapping researchers
• Creating institutional links
• Engaging universities
• Developing communication structures
• Establishing working groups

The ultimate goal should still be the formal establishment of a society or network.

Standalone Conferences Are Not Eligible

One of the most important restrictions is that the Seeding Neuroscience Grants are not ordinary conference grants.

IBRO explicitly states that the programme:

Does not support standalone conferences or scientific meetings where the sole purpose is event organization.

This means applicants should not submit a proposal simply to fund:

• A symposium
• Scientific congress
• Research conference
• Workshop with no follow-up structure
• Academic meeting unrelated to formal organization-building

An event may form part of the proposal, but it must be tied to a clear and actionable plan to establish a:

• Society
• Sub-society
• Regional chapter
• Thematic network

The organizational outcome must be central.

Example of an Eligible Approach

Imagine neuroscientists from several universities in one country have never had a national professional society.

They could propose a planning workshop bringing together representatives from universities, research institutes and hospitals.

The workshop might focus on:

• Agreeing on a constitution
• Electing an interim steering group
• Defining membership rules
• Identifying scientific priorities
• Developing a two-year strategic plan
• Agreeing on registration procedures

If the outcome is a concrete pathway toward establishing a recognized national neuroscience society, that would align much more closely with the programme than simply holding a research conference.

Example of a Weak Proposal

A group proposes a two-day neuroscience symposium with:

• Keynote speakers
• Poster sessions
• Scientific presentations
• Networking

but provides no real plan for creating a continuing organization afterward.

Even if the conference is scientifically strong, it would not meet the fundamental purpose of the Seeding Neuroscience Grants.

The programme is about institution-building, not simply event delivery.

Building Sustainable Neuroscience Communities

Sustainability is an important underlying principle of this funding opportunity.

IBRO wants the initial grant to help create a neuroscience community that can continue functioning after the funded activities end.

Applicants should therefore think beyond the first workshop.

A strong proposal should consider questions such as:

• Who will lead the society after establishment?
• How will membership be maintained?
• How will future activities be financed?
• How will early-career researchers participate?
• How will leadership transition occur?
• How will institutions across the region be represented?
• How will communication between members continue?
• How will the network measure its development?

The stronger the pathway from the initial activity to a functioning organization, the more convincingly the proposal will reflect the purpose of the programme.

Diversity and Inclusion

Building a neuroscience community also requires thinking carefully about who is included.

Although the material supplied does not reproduce every detailed review criterion from the full call, the programme’s broader community-building approach makes representation and participation highly relevant.

Applicants should consider diversity across areas such as:

• Gender
• Career stage
• Institution
• Geography
• Neuroscience discipline
• Professional background

A national or regional society dominated by one institution may struggle to represent the wider neuroscience community effectively.

Applicants can strengthen their proposals by demonstrating meaningful participation from a broad range of researchers.

Supporting Early-Career Neuroscientists

Emerging societies can play an important role in supporting:

• Graduate students
• Postdoctoral researchers
• Early-career academics
• Young clinicians
• New research groups

A sustainable scientific society can give these researchers access to:

• Mentoring
• Networking
• Training
• Collaboration
• Leadership experience
• Scientific visibility

Applicants may therefore consider how their proposed society or network will create opportunities for emerging researchers.

Strengthening Regional Scientific Collaboration

The Seeding Neuroscience Grants can also help overcome fragmentation between institutions.

In some regions, neuroscientists may work in:

• Universities
• Hospitals
• Medical schools
• Psychology departments
• Biomedical laboratories
• Engineering departments
• Computational research centres

without having a common platform.

A formal neuroscience society or network can create stronger links between these communities.

This can contribute to:

• Interdisciplinary collaboration
• Shared research initiatives
• Training
• Resource exchange
• Regional visibility
• International partnerships

Thematic Networks and Specialized Neuroscience Fields

Thematic networks are particularly useful when researchers share a scientific specialization but are geographically dispersed.

IBRO explicitly welcomes proposals for new formal thematic networks that do not yet exist as recognized bodies.

Examples cited by IBRO include:

• Computational neuroscience
• Glial research

A successful thematic network could potentially:

• Connect laboratories
• Develop shared research priorities
• Organize specialist training
• Create mentorship relationships
• Support collaborative publications
• Advocate for investment in the field

The proposal should still explain how the network will become formal and sustainable.

Grant Amount

The official programme page identifies the:

Maximum grant amount: “See call details.”

The public text supplied does not specify a numerical maximum.

For accuracy, applicants should therefore consult the current 2026 call documents and IBRO Grants Portal for the applicable funding ceiling rather than relying on older grant figures or unofficial third-party summaries.

Open the official IBRO application portal

Grant Type

IBRO classifies the Seeding Neuroscience Grants under:

Event organization

However, the purpose is more specific than ordinary event funding.

The funded event or organizational activity must contribute directly to establishing a formal neuroscience:

• Society
• Sub-society
• Regional chapter
• Thematic network

Applicants should therefore avoid interpreting the “event organization” classification as general conference support.

Application Period

The 2026 application period is:

1 September 2026 to 30 September 2026.

Applicants should prepare their proposal well before the final day because first-time users will need to create an account on the IBRO Grants Portal.

How to Apply

Applications must be submitted through the:

IBRO Grants Portal

Apply for the 2026 Seeding Neuroscience Grants

First-time portal users must create an account.

Create an IBRO Grants Portal account

Applicants experiencing technical difficulties can use the customer support mechanism available through the Grants Portal.

IBRO also recommends consulting the portal FAQ where necessary.

Before Starting an Application

Applicants should first determine whether the proposed initiative truly fits the programme.

Consider the following questions:

1. Are we actively trying to establish a formal neuroscience society, sub-society, regional chapter or thematic network?
2. Is our group genuinely representative of an emerging neuroscience community?
3. Is there an unmet scientific or organizational need?
4. Do our planned activities result in concrete governance or institutional outcomes?
5. Will the proposed structure continue after the grant?
6. If another neuroscience society already exists, can we explain why our proposed group adds value?
7. Are we applying for organization-building rather than simply funding a conference?

If the answer to these questions is unclear, the project may need further development before submission.

What a Strong Proposal Should Demonstrate

1. A Clear Need

Explain why the proposed society or network is necessary.

Provide context about:

• Existing neuroscience activity
• Institutional gaps
• Geographic fragmentation
• Lack of formal networking structures
• Underrepresented neuroscience disciplines

2. A Concrete Establishment Plan

Avoid vague ambitions such as:

“We hope to create a neuroscience community.”

Instead, explain what will actually happen.

For example:

• Convene founding members
• Draft governance rules
• Establish an interim executive committee
• Develop membership procedures
• Register the organization
• Adopt a strategic plan
• Launch formal communication channels

3. Clear Outcomes

The project should produce outcomes that can be demonstrated.

Possible outcomes could include:

• Approved constitution
• Founding committee
• Membership framework
• Formal society registration process
• Strategic plan
• Regional chapter structure
• Thematic network governance system

4. Sustainability

Explain how the community will continue after IBRO support ends.

Potential sustainability mechanisms could include:

• Membership dues
• Institutional support
• Future sponsorship
• Partnerships
• Volunteer leadership
• Future grants

5. Broad Community Engagement

Demonstrate that the initiative represents more than a small circle of colleagues where possible.

The proposal can be strengthened by engaging researchers from:

• Different institutions
• Different cities or regions
• Different career stages
• Relevant neuroscience disciplines

Applications From Countries With Existing Societies

Applicants in countries where a formal national neuroscience society already exists should be especially careful.

They should clearly establish that they are pursuing:

• A formal sub-society
• A thematic organization
• A regional chapter

and that the proposed body serves a need not currently met by the existing society.

The proposal should not appear to create unnecessary duplication.

It should instead demonstrate:

Complementarity and added value.

Application Deadline

The deadline is:

30 September 2026

The application period opened on:

1 September 2026

Applications must be completed through the official IBRO Grants Portal.

Future Application Rounds

IBRO indicates that the next application round is expected to open around the same period next year.

Scientists who are not ready to submit in 2026 may therefore consider:

• Developing their founding group
• Building institutional partnerships
• Clarifying the scientific focus
• Drafting governance structures
• Joining the IBRO newsletter

so that they are better prepared for a future call.

Key Details at a Glance

Programme: IBRO Seeding Neuroscience Grants

Organizer: International Brain Research Organization

Purpose: Establishing new neuroscience societies, sub-societies, regional chapters and thematic networks

Grant type on IBRO website: Event organization

Eligible regions: Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin America

Applications open: 1 September 2026

Deadline: 30 September 2026

Eligible applicants: Groups of scientists and organizations working toward the formation of a formal neuroscience community

Examples of supported activities: Governance planning, strategic workshops and other inaugural organizational activities

Standalone conferences: Not eligible unless connected to an actionable society/network establishment plan

Countries with an existing society: Applicants may seek support for a new formal sub-society, regional chapter or thematic network where clear added value and unmet need can be demonstrated

Maximum grant amount: Not numerically stated in the supplied public-page text; applicants should consult the active call details

Application method: IBRO Grants Portal

Conclusion

The IBRO Seeding Neuroscience Grants 2026 provide an important opportunity for scientists in Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin America to move from informal scientific collaboration toward the establishment of formal, sustainable neuroscience communities.

Unlike a conventional conference grant, the programme is specifically designed to support the organizational foundations required to create new:

• National neuroscience societies
• Regional neuroscience societies
• Formal sub-societies
• Regional chapters
• Thematic neuroscience networks

Funding may support inaugural activities such as governance discussions, strategic workshops and other organizational steps that lead directly to the establishment of a durable scientific body.

The programme is particularly relevant in regions where neuroscience researchers currently lack a formal structure for collaboration and professional exchange. It may also support specialized groups in countries where a national neuroscience society already exists, provided the proposed new structure addresses an unmet need and offers clear added value.

The most important principle for applicants is that the proposed activity must lead somewhere concrete. A standalone conference or scientific meeting is not enough. Applicants need to demonstrate an actionable pathway toward establishing a society, chapter, sub-society or thematic network.

Applications opened on 1 September 2026 and must be submitted through the IBRO Grants Portal by: 30 September 2026.