News & Insights
Open Call: Brain Awareness Week Grants with IBRO and FENS
As summer winds down, Brain Awareness Week grant season is gearing up! Brain Awareness Week is a global, grassroots campaign designed to spark curiosity and excitement about neuroscience. From classrooms to community centers, organizers bring brain science to life through hands-on activities, interactive events, and creative outreach initiatives. In partnership with the Dana Foundation, the International Brain Research Organization (IBRO) and the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS) have once again opened their calls for Brain Awareness Week 2026 grant applications.
IBRO awards grants of up to 1,250 USD to organizers in Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and US/Canada. Applications are open now through October 31, 2025. For the 2025 campaign, 98 organizers across 41 countries received Brain Awareness Week grants. The range of activities to fill community needs was inspiring: at the Institute of Biomedical Research in Mexico City, Mexico, lab groups mixed science, art, and cultural heritage by designing and presenting neuroscience-themed piñatas for public voting. In Maroua and Mokolo, Cameroon, organizers focused on mental well-being and resilience in the trauma-affected communities, sharing brain-health habits that can improve their quality of life.
Brain Awareness Week hosted by the José Simeón Cañas Central American University in El Salvador. Photo courtesy of IBRO.
Brain Awareness Week at Dechenchholing Higher Secondary School in Bhutan. Photo courtesy of IBRO.
For Brain Awareness Week events and initiatives in European countries, organizers can apply for a grant of up to 1000 EUR from FENS to help fund their events. Applications are open now through October 15, 2025. During the 2025 campaign, FENS supported 33 organizers across 25 European countries with projects and events exploring things like how technology intersects with brain science and how stigma can affect mental health. At the HUN-REN Biological Research Centre in Hungary, lectures and lab demonstrations were held to show what dogs can teach us about the human brain. To raise awareness about Parkinson’s disease, researchers from the Oxford Parkinson’s Disease Centre in the UK facilitated virtual reality (VR) activities to help people understand the challenges people with Parkinson’s and dementia face.
Photo courtesy of FENS.
These grants empower educators, scientists, researchers, and community leaders to create programs that showcase the power and relevance of brain science. Past events have included everything from memory games and public lectures to brain-themed art contests and lab tours.
Photo courtesy of FENS.
Want to put your best foot forward? Check out IBRO’s recorded webinar for tips on crafting a strong grant application. FENS also has tons of resources to help you brainstorm your event or initiative as well as examples of past projects.
The 2026 Brain Awareness Week campaign will take place from March 16 to March 22. For more information about Brain Awareness Week and how to get involved—and to get inspired—visit the Brain Awareness Week homepage, and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
