Lab tours, lectures, virtual escape rooms, art contests, and even theatrical performances are just a few examples of the types of activities you can expect each year during Brain Awareness Week. While varied in delivery, they all have one thing in common: Their focus is on the brain.
Every year in mid-March, organizations around the world host brain-themed activities for their communities, largely for free and open to the public. The goal is to get people excited about brain science and help them understand its importance to their everyday lives. There’s so much to explore within neuroscience, and the topics that resonate within each community can vary. These events are diligently planned by Brain Awareness Week organizers, who are often members of the scientific and educational communities, driven by a commitment to science outreach and engagement for the public good.
To aid these efforts, the Dana Foundation funds grants to the International Brain Research Organization (IBRO) and the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS), to support their Brain Awareness Week grant programs that cumulatively fund organizations across the globe. FENS administers grants to Europe, and IBRO administers grants to all regions outside of Europe.
Due to the high volume of impressive applications received in past years, particularly in regions challenged by a lack of resources, support, and/or public understanding about the brain, the Dana Foundation increased its support for the IBRO grant this year to $126,000. The increase of $51,000 allowed IBRO to support 103 grantees for the 2024 campaign, 44 more than in 2023. View the complete list of awardees here.
While the individual grants seem small, $1,250, they help organizers develop activities that can have profound impacts on their local communities: from inspiring students to consider neuroscience as a career path, to fighting stigma, to educating the public about preventative health measures. Read about some of these success stories in our recent Impact Story on the IBRO/Dana Brain Awareness Week grant.
To learn more about Brain Awareness Week, March 11-17, and how you can participate, visit our Brain Awareness Week homepage or follow the campaign on Facebook.
