The McKnight Endowment Fund for Neuroscience
Accepts applications
The McKnight Endowment Fund for Neuroscience is a private foundation in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In tax year 2024 it gave $3.2 million in 45 grants; the typical grant was $75,000 and the largest $110,310. It accepts applications; its filing gives the instructions below.
From its IRS Form 990-PF for tax year 2024.
- Grants paid, 2024$3.2 million
- Number of grants45
- Typical grant$75,000
- Largest grant$110,310
- Assets$20,286
- New grantees48%
Giving in 2024 was up from $3.2 million the year before.
48% of its 2024 grantees had not received a grant from it the year before, a sign it is open to new organizations.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants paid | Number of grants | Assets |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $3.2 million | 42 | $25,588 |
| 2024 | $3.2 million | 45 | $20,286 |
How to apply
| Contact | MEFN Selection Committee 921 Washington Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55415-1257 |
|---|---|
| Phone or email | (612) 333-4220, neuro@mcknight.org |
| What to submit, deadlines | See supplemental information |
| Restrictions | See Supplemental Information |
Foundation website IRS filings on ProPublica
What The McKnight Endowment Fund for Neuroscience funds
Where it gives
Its grants went to recipients in 17 states, the most to California.
| State | Grants | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| California | 13 | $933,000 |
| New York | 9 | $558,000 |
| Massachusetts | 4 | $325,000 |
| Illinois | 2 | $210,310 |
| Utah | 2 | $175,000 |
| New Jersey | 3 | $166,500 |
| Florida | 2 | $150,000 |
| Alabama | 1 | $100,000 |
| Connecticut | 1 | $100,000 |
| Michigan | 1 | $100,000 |
Grants paid in 2024
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Northwestern University | Funds Transferred from Van Andel. Regulation mechanism of thermosensitive receptors in nervous system. Principal Investigator: Juan Du, Ph.D. | $110,310 |
| Carnegie Mellon University | Investigating Circuits and Mechanisms that Support Long-Lasting Recovery of Movement in Dopamine Depleted Mice. Principal Investigator: Aryn Gittis, Ph.D. | $100,000 |
| Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center | Adipocyte-brain mitochondrial signaling and its impacts on brain function. Principal Investigator: Akhila Rajan,Ph.D. | $100,000 |
| Mass General Brigham Incorporated | The Neurobiology of Glioma: Understanding Malignant Neural Circuits Instructing Tumor Growth. Principal Investigator: Humsa Venkatesh,Ph.D. | $100,000 |
| Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine | Dissecting the Gut-brain Dynamics Underlying Anorexia. Principal Investigator: Lisa Beutler | $100,000 |
| Regents of the University of California | Neurotensin mediated regulation of hedonic feeding behavior and obesity. Principal Investigator: Stephan Lammel Ph.D. | $100,000 |
| Regents of the University of California | Characterizing the Context: The Role of the Microenvironment in Shaping Human Glioblastoma. Principal Investigators: Aparna Bhaduri, Ph.D. and Kunal Patel, M.D. | $100,000 |
| Regents of the University of Michigan | In vivo Reprogramming of Astrocytes into Neurons for Treating Parkinson's Disease. Principal Investigator: Thanh Hoang, Ph.D. | $100,000 |
| St Jude Children's Research Hospital | Identifying Brain Circuits that Connect Respiration and Cognitive State. Principal Investigator: Lindsey Schwarz | $100,000 |
| Stanford University School of Medicine | Neuron-to-OPC synapses in adaptive and maladaptive myelination. Principal Investigator: Juliet K. Knowles, MD, PhD | $100,000 |
| University of Alabama at Birmingham | Leveraging Single-cell Epigenomics for Targeted Manipulation of Drug-activated Ensemble. Principal Investigator: Jeremy Day & Ian Maze | $100,000 |
| University of Utah | Virus-Like Intercellular Transmission of Tau in Alzheimer's Disease. Principal Investigator: Jason Shepherd, Ph.D. | $100,000 |
| Yale University | Mechanism and functions of repeat expansion self-exonization in C9orf72 ALS/FTD. Principal Investigator: Junjie Guo, Ph.D. | $100,000 |
| Albert Einstein College of Medicine | Unravelling the mechanisms of synapse development, from molecules to behavior. Principal Investigator: Dr. Peri Kurshan | $75,000 |
| Columbia University in the City of New York | Skin-brain axis for rewarding touch behaviors. Principal Investigator: Dr. Ishmail Abdus-Saboor | $75,000 |
| Columbia University in the City of New York | Neural Mechanisms of Courtship and Monogamy. Principal Investigator: Dr. Vikram Gadagkar | $75,000 |
| Columbia University in the City of New York | Cortical circuits for perceiving visual form. Principal Investigator: Dr. Yasmine El-Shamayleh | $75,000 |
| Columbia University in the City of New York | Molecular Mechanisms of Intergenerational Memory. Principal Investigator: Bianca Jones Marlin, Ph.D. | $75,000 |
| Harvard Medical School | Multiscale Neural Network Models to Infer Functional Motifs in the Brain. Principal Investigator: Kanaka Rajan, Ph.D. | $75,000 |
| Mass General Brigham Incorporated | Development, Function, and Dysfunction of Somatosensory and Viscerosensory Systems in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Principal Investigator: Lauren Orefice, Ph.D. | $75,000 |
| Max Planck Florida Corporation | Synaptic mechanisms and network dynamics underlying motor learning. Principal Investigator: Dr. Hidehiko Inagaki | $75,000 |
| New York University | Neural Circuit Mechanisms of Inference. Principal Investigator: Christine Constantinople, Ph.D | $75,000 |
| New York University | Modulation of striatal cells and synapses by dopamine movement signals. Principal Investigator: Dr. Tanya Sippy | $75,000 |
| Oregon Health & Science University | Mechanosensation for guiding cellular morphology. Principal Investigator: Dr. Swetha Murthy | $75,000 |
| Regents of the University of California | Evolution of neural diversity and patterning in the visual system. Principal Investigator: Dr. Karthik Shekhar | $75,000 |
| Regents of the University of California | Illuminating Oxytocin Signaling in the Brain with Near-Infrared Fluorescent Nanosensors. Principal Investigator: Markita Landry, Ph.D. | $75,000 |
| Regents of the University of California | The Molecular Basis of Psychedelic-Induced Plasticity. Principal Investigator: Andrea Gomez, Ph.D. | $75,000 |
| Regents of the University of California | Neural Representation of The World During Navigation. Principal Investigator: Sung Soo Kim, Ph.D. | $75,000 |
| Scripps Research Institute | Neural Population Dynamics Mediating the Balance of Competing Survival Needs. Principal Investigator: Ann Kennedy, Ph.D. | $75,000 |
| Scripps Research Institute | In vivo Neurogenomics at Scale. Principal Investigator: Xin Jin, Ph.D. | $75,000 |
| The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University | Machine Learning Methods for Discovering Structure in Neural and Behavioral Data. Principal Investigator: Dr. Scott Linderman | $75,000 |
| The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University | How Does 3D Genome Architecture Shape the Development and Aging of the Brain?. Principal Investigator: Longzhi Tan, Ph.D. | $75,000 |
| Trustees of Princeton University | Proportional-Integral Feedback in a Biological 'Gyroscope'. Principal Investigator: Bradley Dickerson, Ph.D. | $75,000 |
| Trustees of Princeton University | Computational Neuroendocrinology: Linking Hormone-Mediated Transcription to Complex Behavior Through Neural Dynamics. Principal Investigator: Annegret Falkner, Ph.D. | $75,000 |
| University of Florida | Neural Mechanisms of Shifts Between Social Competition and Cooperation. Principal Investigator: Nancy Padilla-Coreano, Ph.D. | $75,000 |
| University of New Mexico | Molecular Mechanisms Regulating Neural Diversity: From Stem Cells to Circuits. Principal Investigator: Mubarak Hussain Syed, Ph.D. | $75,000 |
| University of Utah | Neuropeptidergic Cortical Control of Social Isolation. Principal Investigator: Dr. Moriel Zelikowsky | $75,000 |
| UT Southwestern Medical Center | Understanding the Construction and Function of Glycinergic Post-Synaptic Assemblies. Principal Investigator: Weiwei Wang, Ph.D. | $75,000 |
| Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research | Molecular Anatomy of Hibernation Circuits. Principal Investigator: Sinisa Hrvatin, Ph.D. | $75,000 |
| New York University Grossman School of Medicine | McKnight Pecot Fellowship 2024. Principal Investigator: Buyong Kim | $16,500 |
Officers and trustees
- Dana Anderson
- Stephanie Duffy
- Catherine Dulac
- Michael D Ehlers MD PhD
- Vanessa Franke - Ruta
- Ming Guo MD PhD
- Kelsey Martin MD PhD
- Markus Meister
- Richard Mooney
- J Anthony Movshon PhD
- Leslie Vosshall
Questions people ask
Does The McKnight Endowment Fund for Neuroscience accept grant applications?
Yes. Its latest IRS filing says it accepts applications, with this on deadlines: See supplemental information.
How much does The McKnight Endowment Fund for Neuroscience give?
$3.2 million in tax year 2024, across 45 grants, with a typical grant of $75,000.
Who runs The McKnight Endowment Fund for Neuroscience?
Its 2024 filing lists Dana Anderson (Director), Stephanie Duffy (Secretary/Treasurer), Catherine Dulac (Director) and Michael D Ehlers MD PhD (Director) among 11 officers and trustees.
What does The McKnight Endowment Fund for Neuroscience fund?
Based on its grants, mainly education, health and science and research.