Brain Awareness Week
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs for Brain Awareness Week Participants
When is Brain Awareness Week?
Brain Awareness Week takes place each year during the third week of March. Upcoming dates:
- March 16-22, 2026
- March 15-21, 2027
My events will take place outside of the campaign dates—is that okay?
Yes, we encourage participating organizations and institutions to organize neuroscience outreach and engagement activities in their communities throughout the year.
Does my organization have to register or seek permission from the Dana Foundation to participate in Brain Awareness Week?
No, you do not have to register or seek permission from the Dana Foundation to participate in Brain Awareness Week. Any organization or institution with an interest in neuroscience can participate in the campaign.
What types of activities and events take place during Brain Awareness Week?
Brain Awareness Week events are limited only by the organizers’ imaginations! Some popular event formats include lectures on brain-related topics; science cafes at pubs and coffee houses; open days at neuroscience laboratories; brain fairs with hands-on activities, games, and experiments; brain trivia contests; “Ask Me Anything” Q&A sessions; museum exhibitions about the brain; displays at malls, libraries, and community centers; art and literature competitions; classroom workshops; and social media campaigns.
For additional activity suggestions, visit our Event Ideas pages:
Can I use the Brain Awareness Week logo to publicize my event and spread the word about the campaign?
Yes, you can use the Brain Awareness Week logo on materials you develop to promote your events and the campaign more broadly. The Brain Awareness Week logo is available for download from the Social Media Toolkit. Please follow the guidelines for its use.
Does the Dana Foundation partner with participating organizations in presenting their Brain Awareness Week events?
As the founder of the campaign, which includes hundreds of event organizers worldwide, the Dana Foundation does not partner or collaborate with individual event organizers on their outreach and engagement activities.
The Dana Foundation supports Brain Awareness Week participants worldwide through two grants programs as well as through our free, digital resources.
Will the Dana Foundation help promote my organization's Brain Awareness Week events?
Given the hundreds of organizations and institutions that participate in Brain Awareness Week each year, the Dana Foundation cannot promote individual event organizer’s activities.
Instead, we’ve developed a Social Media Toolkit to provide tips and tools to help you publicize your activities to your intended audiences. The toolkit includes sample posts, images, and Brain Awareness Week logos to use in your promotional efforts. We’ve also put together some tips to help you Build Your Audience.
If you’re posting about your events on social media, be sure to tag Brain Awareness Week on Facebook and Instagram and use the hashtags #BrainAwarenessWeek and #BrainWeek so we can see and like your posts.
Are there educational resources available to use and/or distribute during my Brain Awareness Week activities?
Yes, visit our Resources section for links to lesson plans, activities, videos, and fact sheets on an array of topics about the brain.
Is there a Brain Awareness Week Calendar of Events?
The Dana Foundation no longer hosts a Brain Awareness Week Calendar of Events.
Have additional questions about Brain Awareness Week?
Please contact us at bawinfo@dana.org.