Early Career Researcher Grants

Geographic Scope: United States and international

Focus Areas:

• Early-stage research on brain injuries from sports-related activities
• Prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of traumatic brain injury
• Biomarker development
• Neuroimaging research
• Innovative therapeutic approaches
• Research on concussions and repetitive mild traumatic brain injury

Eligibility:

• 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations
• Research institutions and universities
• Fiscal sponsors acceptable
• Early-career and established researchers

Award Amount: $125,000 per grant (typical award size based on 2023-24 cycle)

Selection Process:

• National Science Advisory Committee reviews all submitted proposals
• Committee recommends proposals to the board for funding consideration
• Multiple grants awarded per cycle

Example Recent Awards (2023-24 cycle, $500,000 total):
1. DeepVibe: A Maximally Minimally-Invasive Non-surgical Technique for Steerable Deep Brain Stimulation for TBI Treatment - Drs. Pulkit Grover (Carnegie Mellon University) and Boyle Cheng (Allegheny Health Network) - $125,000
2. MRI as an Imaging Biomarker for Recovery of Brain Bioenergetics Following Repetitive Mild Traumatic Brain Injury - Drs. Shaun Carlson and Yijen Wu (University of Pittsburgh) - $125,000
3. Evaluation of Four Different Web- or Mobile Phone-based Digital Neuropsychological Testing Platforms - Dr. Julia Kofler (University of Pittsburgh) - $125,000
4. Cerebellar Neuroinflammation after Mild Repetitive Traumatic Brain Injury - Drs. Patrick Kochanek (University of Pittsburgh) and Ruchira Jha (Barrow Neurological Institute) - $125,000

Contact:

• Email: ahavrilla@chucknollfoundation.org
• Website: www.chucknollfoundation.org