OPEN FUNDING OPPORTUNITY
Brain Research & Innovation Network: Grant Initiative of Texas
Bold ideas? Bring it.
The Rainwater Charitable Foundation is launching the Brain Research & Innovation Network: Grant Initiative of Texas (BRING IT), a new funding opportunity designed to support innovative ideas in brain health and dementia research across Texas.
BRING IT will provide one-year seed grants of up to $100,000 to Texas-based academic institutions and nonprofit organizations to accelerate promising research, foster collaboration, and generate the preliminary data and proof-of-concept evidence needed to pursue future larger-scale funding opportunities, including through the Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (DPRIT).
With the launch of DPRIT, Texas has a unique opportunity to expand its leadership in brain health and dementia research. BRING IT is designed to help build a strong pipeline of innovative projects positioned to take advantage of this growing research ecosystem.
Up to $100,000 in funding available
Letters of intent due November 13, 2026
What We’re Looking For
RCF is seeking focused, innovative pilot projects that can advance brain health and dementia research while positioning promising ideas for future development and larger-scale funding.
Projects should be designed for completion within 12 months and generate a clear foundation for next-stage research, implementation, validation, or funding. Competitive proposals should address an important unmet need or research opportunity, demonstrate a strong and feasible approach, and show how the work could position the team for future DPRIT or other external funding.
BRING IT is particularly interested in projects that leverage Texas-based expertise, populations, institutions, healthcare systems, community organizations, datasets, infrastructure, or collaborations.
Areas of Interest
BRING IT will support projects aligned with five strategic topic areas reflecting anticipated DPRIT priorities and emerging opportunities in dementia research.
- Implementation Science for Brain Health and Dementia Care
Support the translation of evidence-based innovations into real-world clinical and community settings. Areas of interest include brain and vascular health and dementia risk-reduction programs, blood-based biomarkers, AI-enabled clinical decision support, digital health technologies, community screening programs, care coordination models, and approaches that improve adoption in primary care, rural healthcare systems, and other medically underserved settings.
Projects should emphasize scalability and the potential to improve implementation of evidence-based brain health interventions, delay cognitive decline, promote timely diagnosis, reduce dementia risk, or enhance care.
- Next-Generation Disease Models and New Approach Methodologies (NAMs)
Develop, validate, or apply New Approach Methodologies that improve the efficiency, predictive power, and translational relevance of dementia research.
Areas of interest include human iPSC-derived models, organoids, organ-on-chip systems, computational and AI-driven disease models, digital twins, neurovascular models, and other innovative platforms that can accelerate therapeutic discovery, biomarker development, or target validation.
- Multimodal Sensing and Algorithmic Risk Stratification in Primary Care
Explore how digital health technologies and computational tools can help identify cognitive changes or risk factors within existing healthcare settings.
Projects may incorporate natural language processing, computer vision, clinical decision support systems, wearable sensors, speech analysis, retinal imaging, or other approaches that can be integrated into primary care and community health settings, particularly those serving rural and medically underserved populations.
- Drug Repurposing Opportunities to Treat Neurodegenerative Diseases
Use machine learning and computational approaches to identify promising opportunities to repurpose existing regulatory-approved drugs for dementia and related neurodegenerative diseases.
Projects may explore disease-modifying or symptomatic treatment strategies and should establish a computational workflow that can provide a translational bridge to future validation studies.
- Precision Prevention: Modifiable Risk Factors for Cognitive Decline and Dementia
Develop innovative approaches to identify and reduce dementia risk by addressing modifiable factors associated with cognitive decline.
Areas of interest include physical activity, nutrition, sleep, cardiovascular health, diabetes, obesity, hearing loss, and other modifiable risk factors. Projects may incorporate digital health technologies, wearable devices, AI, or community-based implementation approaches to improve brain health, reduce dementia risk, and support healthy aging across Texas populations.
Funding
BRING IT will provide one-year grants of up to $100,000 in direct costs to support focused pilot projects.
RCF anticipates funding approximately 10–20 awards, subject to the scientific merit of applications, programmatic priorities, and available funding. Indirect costs will not be awarded.
Process
BRING IT will use a competitive two-stage application process beginning with a Letter of Intent (LOI). Selected applicants will be invited to submit a full application for external scientific peer review. Only invited applicants may submit a full application.
The LOI deadline is November 13, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. Central Time. Late submissions will not be considered.
Eligibility Requirements
BRING IT is open to qualified research leaders at Texas-based academic institutions and nonprofit organizations.
The Principal Investigator must be authorized by the applicant organization to lead an independent research project and have access to the personnel, facilities, data, partnerships, and other resources needed to complete the proposed work.
Eligible applicants may include faculty investigators, clinicians, implementation scientists, community-based researchers, and other qualified research leaders. A formal faculty appointment or independent laboratory space is not required when it is not relevant to the proposed work, provided the applicant organization confirms the PI’s authority and capacity to conduct the project.
Collaborations with for-profit entities—including startups, university spinouts, contract research organizations, and technology companies—are permitted when scientifically justified. However, the eligible Texas-based academic institution or nonprofit organization must remain the lead applicant and retain responsibility for the award.
Important Dates
| Letter of Intent Submission Dates | September 25 – November 13, 2026 at 12 PM CT |
| Invitation to submit full application | December 16, 2026 |
| Full Application Deadline | February 12, 2027 at 5:00 p.m. CT |
| Award Notification | May 2027 |
| Anticipated Award Start | Third Quarter 2027 |
Ready to Apply?
Before beginning your submission, review the full application instructions, eligibility requirements, topic areas, and LOI requirements.
Questions about the opportunity or application process may be directed to medgrants@rainwatercf.org.
