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    BRAIN Initiative

    Also known as Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies Initiative, NIH BRAIN Initiative

    The BRAIN Initiative (Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies) is a US research programme launched in 2013 with NIH, DARPA and NSF to develop tools for understanding and treating the brain.[1][2] Its NIH budget peaked at $680 million in 2023, fell to about $320 million in 2025 and was set at $429 million for fiscal 2026.[3][4][5]

    Editor reviewedStrict sourcingUpdated Neuroscience and brain-computer interfacesLife sciencesHealth and medicine
    Key facts

    What it is

    The White House announced the BRAIN Initiative on April 2, 2013, with the National Institutes of Health, DARPA and the National Science Foundation as founding agencies and about $100 million proposed for fiscal 2014.[1] Its stated long-term aim is to help researchers find new ways to treat, cure and prevent brain disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, epilepsy and traumatic brain injury.[2]

    The White House presented it as one of the administration’s “Grand Challenges”. An NIH working group co-chaired by the neuroscientists Cori Bargmann and William Newsome was to set detailed scientific goals, and the plan named private partners including the Allen Institute, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Kavli Foundation and the Salk Institute.[6]

    How it is organised

    NIH leads the initiative today. According to GAO, ten NIH institutes and centers take part, alongside four other federal partners: FDA, NSF, DARPA and IARPA, the intelligence community’s research agency.[7] GAO says the initiative aims to speed the development of new neurotechnologies, including brain-computer interfaces, and provided more than $3.5 billion for neuroscience research from 2014 to 2024.[7]

    What it has funded

    The initiative co-funded the MICrONS Project, whose 2025 map of a cubic millimetre of mouse cortex contains 523 million synapses.[8][9] It also funds cell atlases. In 2021 its Cell Census Network published, as its first major product, a multimodal census and atlas of the mammalian primary motor cortex, with a cell-type taxonomy conserved from mouse to marmoset and human.[10]

    On the clinical side, GAO notes that in 2021 the initiative funded research on BCIs meant to help people with severe paralysis communicate.[7] GAO’s 2024 assessment of brain-computer interfaces lists BRAIN Initiative funding among the federal activities that shape BCI development.[11] For the speech devices that came out of that line of work, see speech-neuroprostheses.

    Budget swings

    BRAIN Initiative money comes partly from regular NIH appropriations and partly from the 21st Century Cures Act, whose allocations rise and fall on a fixed schedule.[3][4]

    • 2023: $680 million, the peak.[3]
    • 2024: about 40 percent lower, largely because Cures Act money dropped.[3]
    • 2025: about $320 million, a further 20 percent cut, with Cures Act money at $91 million.[4]
    • 2026: $429 million, a rise of about one third, under an appropriations act signed on February 3, 2026.[5]

    The 2026 increase stems largely from a scheduled rise in Cures Act funds, to $195 million.[4][5]

    Why it matters for the field

    Large public datasets such as MICrONS took more than 150 scientists seven years and depended on public funders including the BRAIN Initiative and IARPA.[8]

    Who else funds neurotechnology

    The BRAIN Initiative is one of several public funders. MICrONS was co-funded by the US intelligence research agency IARPA.[8] The 2024 UC Davis speech neuroprosthesis, one of the field’s landmark clinical results, was funded by the US Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs and others.[12] Private capital has grown alongside: Neuralink raised $650 million in 2025 and Precision Neuroscience $250 million in 2026.[13][14]

    Timeline

    • April 2013: initiative announced with NIH, DARPA and NSF.[1]
    • 2023: budget peaks at $680 million.[3]
    • October 2021: the Cell Census Network publishes its motor cortex atlas.[10]
    • April 2025: MICrONS, co-funded by the initiative, publishes its cubic-millimetre map.[8]
    • February 2026: fiscal 2026 appropriations set funding at $429 million.[5]

    Questions readers ask

    What is the BRAIN Initiative?

    A US research programme announced in April 2013, with NIH, DARPA and NSF, to develop technologies for understanding the brain and ultimately to find new ways to treat, cure and prevent brain disorders.[1][2]

    Why did its budget fall after 2023?

    Much of the 2024 cut reflected a scheduled drop in money from the 21st Century Cures Act, which had funded a large share of the 2023 peak.[3]

    How much does it get in 2026?

    $429 million for fiscal 2026, about a third more than in 2025, under an appropriations act signed on February 3, 2026.[5]

    Sources

    Each numbered claim is a statement we checked against the sources listed with it. Status shows how well established it is.

    1. [1]

      The US BRAIN Initiative (Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies) was announced on April 2, 2013, with NIH, DARPA and NSF and about $100 million proposed for fiscal 2014. confirmedas of 2013-04-02

    2. [2]

      The BRAIN Initiative was launched with the aim of helping researchers find new ways to treat, cure and prevent brain disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, epilepsy and traumatic brain injury. confirmedas of 2013-04-02

    3. [3]

      BRAIN Initiative funding peaked at $680 million in fiscal 2023 and fell about 40 percent in 2024, largely because of a scheduled drop in 21st Century Cures Act money. confirmedas of 2024-04-18

    4. [4]

      Congress's 2025 budget set aside about $320 million for the BRAIN Initiative, about 20 percent less than in 2024, as Cures Act money fell to $91 million. confirmedas of 2025-04-01

    5. [5]

      For fiscal 2026 the BRAIN Initiative was funded at $429 million, a rise of about one third driven largely by a scheduled increase in 21st Century Cures Act funds to $195 million, under an appropriations act signed on February 3, 2026. confirmedas of 2026-02-03

    6. [6]

      At its 2013 launch the BRAIN Initiative was framed as one of the Obama administration's "Grand Challenges", with an NIH working group co-chaired by Cori Bargmann and William Newsome to set scientific goals, and planned partnerships with the Allen Institute, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Kavli Foundation and the Salk Institute. confirmedas of 2013-04-02

    7. [7]

      GAO reports that NIH leads the BRAIN Initiative, in which ten NIH institutes and centers take part alongside FDA, NSF, DARPA and IARPA, and that it provided more than $3.5 billion for neuroscience research from 2014 to 2024, including 2021 funding for BCIs to help people with severe paralysis communicate. confirmedas of 2024-12-17

    8. [8]

      More than 150 scientists worked on the MICrONS Project over seven years, with support from IARPA and the NIH BRAIN Initiative; institutions included the Allen Institute, Princeton and Baylor College of Medicine. confirmedas of 2025-04-09

    9. [9]

      The MICrONS map covers one cubic millimetre of mouse visual cortex, with 523 million synapses, about four kilometres of axons and 1.6 petabytes of data. confirmedas of 2025-04-09

    10. [10]

      In 2021 the BRAIN Initiative Cell Census Network published, as its first major product, a multimodal cell census and atlas of the mammalian primary motor cortex, including a consensus taxonomy of cell types conserved from mouse to marmoset and human. confirmedas of 2021-10-06

    11. [11]

      GAO's 2024 BCI assessment includes the BRAIN Initiative's funding levels as one of the federal activities that affect BCI development. confirmedas of 2024-12-17

    12. [12]

      The 2024 UC Davis speech neuroprosthesis study was funded by the US Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs and others. confirmedas of 2024-08-15

    13. [14]

      Precision Neuroscience closed a $250 million Series D in 2026, bringing its total funding to $430 million, to expand clinical programs, pursue further FDA review of Layer 7 and build commercial infrastructure. confirmedas of 2026-10-10

    Revision history (2)
    1. Page created.
    2. Refresh: added how the initiative is organised and funded (GAO), its 2013 framing and partners, the 2021 cell census atlas and its BCI funding.

    Created Oct 10, 2026. Last reviewed by an editor on Oct 10, 2026. Next scheduled review: Jan 10, 2027.

    Cite this page

    "BRAIN Initiative." ContentLora, updated Oct 10, 2026. https://contentlora.com/wiki/brain-initiative

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