Established in 2016, the Brainbox Initiative Research Challenge was specifically designed to help the most promising up-and-coming early-career neuroscientists with ambitious research proposals for integrated non-invasive brain stimulation and imaging studies to gain the equipment and support that they require to carry out these projects. If you are working with non-invasive brain stimulation or imaging methods including—but not limited to—TMS, tES, TUS, fNIRS, neuronavigation, or EEG, then we’d love to hear more about the research that you would like to carry out.

Research Challenge Award

The Prize

The comprehensive Brainbox Initiative Research Challenge prize will provide one lucky researcher with everything that they need to complete their proposed proof-of-principle or pilot study. In full, our Research Challenge winner will be supported with:

A loan of specialist non-invasive brain stimulation and/or imaging equipment*, courtesy of Brainbox Ltd, for a period of up to three months;
Expert technical help and product support from the Brainbox team of product and application specialists;
A presentation slot at the Brainbox Initiative Conference to share updates on their work;
Plus many other opportunities at Brainbox Initiative webinars, workshops, and more.

*Excludes MAG4Health 4He OPM-MEG System.

Eligibility

In order to be eligible for the Research Challenge, applicants must:

Be currently-enrolled graduate students or postdoctoral fellows within five years of gaining their PhD (excluding parental leave);
Be working with, or planning a study with, one or more non-invasive brain stimulation and/or imaging techniques, including:
- Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)
- Transcranial Electrical Stimulation (tES)
- Transcranial Focused Ultrasound Stimulation (TUS/tFUS)
- Electroencephalography (EEG)
- Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS/fNIRS)
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI/fMRI)
- Neuronavigation

How to apply

Please submit all applications in PDF format. The main body of submitted applications should be no longer than one page, and should clearly and concisely describe the proposed research project. Additional information, such as references, citations, equipment needed, and appendices, may be included on one additional page.

The winner of the Research Challenge award will be decided by our Scientific Committee, with members of the committee abstaining from voting in the event of a conflict of interest. In deciding the winner, submissions will be judged across several criteria that applicants should carefully consider when constructing their application, including, but not limited to:

The scientific value, uniqueness, and ambitiousness of the proposed research;

The feasibility of the applicant to carry out the proposed research within the allocated three-month timeframe;
And the value, impact, and overall benefit that the presentation of the award would have on the applicant, their colleagues, and their wider institution.

The Brainbox Initiative Research Challenge winner will be announced live at the Brainbox Initiative Conference.