A team led by Washington University in St. Louis has been awarded $1 million over two years from the U.S. National Science Foundation’s Regional Innovation Engines, or NSF Engines, program. The team, called NEURO360, is among some 40 teams nationwide to receive NSF Engines Development Awards, which aim to spur collaborations to create economic, societal and technological opportunities for their respective regions.
The NEURO360 team also will involve St. Louis nonprofit BioSTL and other local entities, which together will work toward stimulating a thriving, inclusive, sustainable neuroscience ecosystem in the St. Louis region that will aim to improve wellness in underserved communities, address neurobiological health disparities, and inspire accountable, innovative, human-centered practices and technologies of the future. The engine will capitalize on St. Louis’ nationally recognized research in neuroscience and neurotechnology, a new academic neuroscience research building that will open this summer, and recent momentum by academic, corporate, philanthropic, civic and community leaders to strategically improve the economy through innovation and entrepreneurship.
The first phase of NEURO360 will bring together organizations around the region to identify what’s needed to capitalize on the strong research base St. Louis has in neuroscience.
“NEURO360 is a remarkable opportunity for the region,” said Dedric Carter, principal investigator and co-director of this effort, as well as vice chancellor for innovation, and chief commercialization officer at Washington University. “We are proud to take leadership here and work with BioSTL and across the metro area to identify what is needed to catalyze cutting-edge research into impact in our lives and community. … This NSF grant is the right next step in actualizing a transformative vision for the impact of neuroscience, neurotechnology and related disciplines on cognitive wellness.”
For more details, see the university’s Innovation website; view a map of the NSF Engines Development Awards; or see the NSF Engines program website.
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