New York Academy of Sciences

This grant supports the New York Academy of Science’s BrainTech Innovation Challenge, a global inquiry-driven program that engages teens ages 13-17 in exploring brain-computer interfaces and brain wearables. Through guided inquiry and mentored collaboration, students are equipped to examine issues of privacy, consent, accessibility and equity that shapes not only their understanding of neurotechnology, but also their perspectives on how these tools are developed and governed in the future. 

Building on nearly a decade of global Innovation Challenges through its Junior Academy, the New York Academy of Sciences delivers a 10-week virtual, project-based program engaging approximately 500–800 students from 80–100 countries who self-assemble into 100 international teams and work under the guidance of trained mentors. Rather than one-way exposure to content, students participate in collaborative problem-solving alongside mentors, expert speakers, and peers from around the world, building understanding through discussion, reflection, and application. By integrating neuroscience concepts with ethical reasoning and design-based inquiry, the program fosters critical thinking, communication, and teamwork while strengthening pathways into neuroscience and related STEM fields. With Foundation support, the BrainTech Innovation Challenge teams are charged with designing concept solutions to the central challenge question: “How might brain–computer interfaces or brain-focused wearables improve everyday life by enhancing accessibility or enabling early disease detection, while remaining ethical, safe, affordable, and user-centered?” 

Across four structured phases, students begin with curated neuroscience and ethics resources, expert talks, and mentor-led discussions that introduce brain signals, cognition, and emerging neurotechnologies alongside considerations of privacy, consent, and equity. Teams then move into research and planning, examining existing brain–computer interfaces and wearables, developing research questions, and conducting user interviews using human-centered design. In later phases, students create and test low-fidelity concept prototypes; refine their ideas based on feedback related to usability, safety, inclusion, and trust; and submit a final project that includes a design storyboard, executive summary, and virtual presentation. Final projects are reviewed by judges, who select one winning team and two finalists for recognition at the Academy’s annual Virtual Student Symposium.  

This grant supports the Dana Education objective to engage K-12 students in learning about neuroscience and its relevance to society through structured education opportunities (formal and non-formal) that integrate relevant, real-world topics and issues to capture their interest and inspire continued study.