The Dana Foundation Grants

 
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    CFDA#

    None     		 

    Funder Type

    Corporate Foundation

    IT Classification

    A - Primarily intended to fund technology

    Authority

    Dana Foundation

    Summary

    The Dana Foundation is a nonprofit grantmaking institution that works to advance neuroscience that benefits society and reflects the aspirations of all people. Currently, the Foundation supports three programs:

    • The Dana Education Program: The Dana Education program is particularly interested in receiving letters of interest (LOIs) for pilot experiential learning programs in Neuroscience & Society for middle and/or high school students. They particularly seek to support immersive programs that incorporate hands-on activities, experimentation, and real-world applications of neuroscience, enabling students to build the scientific, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills needed to address pressing socio-scientific issues. Proposed programs should expose students to the interdisciplinary nature of neuroscience, including connections to non-science disciplines (e.g., ethics, law, humanities, arts, social sciences, policy, journalism, education, and public engagement), and provide students with opportunities to engage in meaningful interactions with scientists and other professionals working in the field.
    • The Dana Frontiers Program: The Dana Frontiers program aims to strengthen neuroscience's positive role in the world through collaborative engagement with diverse groups of people, supporting opportunities for all people to shape neuroscience and benefit from its power and promise. They especially seek to develop practical engagement resources—such as toolkits, playbooks, or roadmaps—that empower practitioners (e.g., neuroscientists, policymakers, community leaders) to connect different communities, build trust-based relationships, and foster collaboration. These resources should be adaptable and actionable, leading to tangible outcomes, such as integration of community perspectives into neuroscience research and decision-making and increased capacity for communities to use neuroscience to address their priorities.
    • The Dana NextGen Program: The Dana NextGen program is particularly interested in receiving letters of interest (LOIs) for pilot experiential training programs in Neuroscience & Society for graduate students. These projects should target graduate students in neuroscience, the humanities, social sciences, law, medicine, and other fields relevant to Neuroscience & Society. Their goal is to support training programs that equip trainees to think deeply and reflexively about neuroscience and the many ethical, legal, and societal implications raised by its development. Opportunities should be interdisciplinary, combining science and non-science approaches.
     

    History of Funding

    Previous grantees can be searched for at https://dana.org/grants-database/

    Additional Information

    Across their grant programs: 

    • The Foundation does not make grants to political campaigns, to support political activities, or to lobby for or against legislation. 
    • The Foundation does not make grants to individuals. 
    • The Foundation does not generally make grants to for-profit institutions. 
    • The Foundation does not fund purely empirical or conceptual biomedical and/or behavioral research projects without a substantive, active emphasis on addressing complex societal problems. For example, an interdisciplinary team working on a purely empirical behavioral neuroscience study would not constitute a competitive application. 
    • The Foundation does not provide funding for one-off events or conference programming, unless otherwise specified. 
    • The Foundation does not fund requests to support ongoing programs or general operating support; instead, we are interested in applications proposing discrete projects that are well-aligned with our mission and our programmatic priorities. 

    Specific to the Dana Education program, they do not fund: 

    • Educational or training programs that target undergraduate and graduate students and postdocs.
    • Educational programs and resources that cover basic neuroscience concepts only, without exploring connections to society. 
    • Passive learning approaches, such as documentary films, videos, or podcasts, without a sustained educational component that provides opportunities for continued learning and engagement. 
    • Disease-specific public education campaigns. 

    Specific to the Dana NextGen program, they do not fund: 

    • Neuroscience research without a non-science component.  
    • Development of traditional course materials such as textbooks.  
    • Development of courses that lack an experiential component.  
    • Training or education models that utilize neuroscience to improve learning for students.  
    • Educational or training programs primarily targeting high school students, professional audiences, or the public.
    • The Dana Foundation champions efforts to broaden participation in neuroscience amongst individuals from groups that have been historically excluded, however, broadening participation in neuroscience alone is not a sufficient societal emphasis. 

    Specific to the Dana Frontiers program, they do not fund: 

    • Projects that primarily aim to increase awareness about brain health or specific brain-based diseases.  
    • Projects that primarily aim to remedy a knowledge deficit” for the benefit of science or medicine. 
    • Projects that primarily produce static deliverables such as reports or websites. 
    • Performances, art, films, or exhibits, except as part of larger sustained, multidirectional and collaborative community engagement.
    • Projects that promote engagement primarily of academics and/or other experts, except as also involves other community engagement or the cultivation of skills or resources to facilitate connection between academics/experts and non-scientific communities. 

    Contacts

    Mary Lucas

    Mary Lucas
    505 Fifth Avenue, 6th floor
    New York, NY 10017
    212-223-4040
    (212) 317-8721

    Dana Foundation Staff Contact

    Dana Foundation Staff Contact
    1270 Avenue of the Americas
    New York, NY 10020
    (212) 223-4040
    (212) 317-8721
     

  • Eligibility Details

    Applicants must be designated as a tax-exempt organization under the provisions of 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code to be eligible for a grant. Organizations must be able to provide an EIN number and additional financial and/or tax documentation to support their proposals.

    Deadline Details

    Interested applicants may submit letters of interest (LOIs) for pilot projects in Neuroscience & Society. LOIs may be submitted throughout the 2025 calendar year, however, applications submitted after February 18, 2025, will no longer be considered for our June funding cycle and will instead be considered for funding in our October 2025 cycle. Applicants should review the LOI guidelines for structural questions and to ensure alignment with the foundation's current areas of focus: https://dana.org/app/uploads/2024/12/LOI-Guidelines.pdf

    Award Details

    Award amounts vary. Applicants may request up to $150,000 for a project period of up to 18 months.

    Related Webcasts Use the links below to view the recorded playback of these webcasts


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