NIH BRAIN Initiative
Overview
The BRAIN (Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies) Initiative is a large-scale US research programme launched in 2013 and funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), DARPA, NSF, FDA, and private partners. It funds key open neuroscience data infrastructure including DANDI Archive, NWB, and several large-scale electrophysiology and connectomics datasets. The BRAIN Initiative mandates data sharing for all funded projects, making it a key driver of open neuroscience practice in the US.
Key Data Infrastructure Funded
- DANDI Archive is the primary public archive for BRAIN Initiative neurophysiology data.
- NWB is the mandated data format for BRAIN Initiative electrophysiology data.
- The BRAIN Initiative Cell Census Network (BICCN) produced a multi-omics cell atlas.
- NeMO Archive stores genomic and transcriptomic data.
- The Brain Image Library (BIL) hosts large-scale volumetric microscopy.
- DABI covers clinical neuroscience data including epilepsy and traumatic brain injury.
Data Sharing Policy
- All BRAIN Initiative grants require data management and sharing plans under the NIH Open Science Policy.
- NWB is the mandated format for neurophysiology data submissions.
Connections
- Implements: NIH Open Science Policy