Fattah Statement on NSF Awarding $10.8 Million in EAGER Grants for Neuroscience Research

WASHINGTON, Aug. 19, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Congressman Chaka Fattah (D-PA), lead Democrat appropriator for National Science Foundation (NSF) funding and creator of the Fattah Neuroscience Initiative, which in 2011 called on NSF and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy to increase the nation's investments in neuroscience, released the following statement on the National Science Foundation's announcement that they have awarded $10.8 million in Early Concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER) as part of the agency's support for neuroscience:

"The National Science Foundation's (NSF) awarding of more than $10 million in Early Concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER) is a strong testament to their commitment to funding early-stage, innovative approaches to neuroscience.  I commend the 36 projects announced as awardees today that will support more than 76 researchers at universities and labs across the country. Not only are many of the researchers first-time NSF grantees, but three of the awarded projects involve international collaborations.  These new grants will lead to pioneering new approaches for studying neuronal processes, and potentially landmark discoveries in the area of brain research.

"The early concept grants for brain research were made possible due in part to the increased funding for neuroscience that I have fought for in Congress. In FY2014, NSF received $ 84.61 million for brain research activities, a significant increase from past years. The EAGER grants represent one aspect of NSF's expanded neuroscience portfolio, and I am proud to have witnessed many of the other new initiatives firsthand, including visiting with faculty at the new MIT Science and Technology Center for Brains, Minds and Machines, made possible from a $25 million NSF grant, and speaking at one of NSF's brain mapping workshops earlier this summer.

"It has been a privilege to collaborate with the NSF on our country's investments in neuroscience and lead the charge for new funding to be used for groundbreaking, technology-based approaches to understanding the brain. I continue to be impressed by NSF's commitment to meet this mandate and expand the United States' capacity to make real progress in understanding how the human mind works."

SOURCE Office of Congressman Chaka Fattah