FedDev contributes $11 million to brain research

The Ontario Brain Institute (OBI) has received $11 million from the federal government to support 14 projects, leveraging an equal amount from the private sector. The funding comes from the Technology Development Program of the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario). The funded projects involve 12 not-for-profit organizations, 11 companies based in southern Ontario and five foreign-based firms. OBI was launched in 2010 with $15 million from the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation as a novel public-philanthropic initiative designed to make Ontario one of the world's top centres for neuroscience research and commercialization (R$, November 29/10). Since that time it has hired Dr Don Stuss as its president and scientific director, populated a board of directors, established scientific and industry advisory councils, funded an initial slate of research projects and participated last month in a bilateral Canada-Israeli panel on brain research. The Israeli connection is key as OPBI plans to solicit funds in both Canada and Israel — two countries that have deep existing expertise in brain research. Also last month, the Montreal-based Brain Canada launched the first of a planned suite of research funding programs. The Multi-Investigator Research Initiative will fund between five and eight multidisciplinary teams for three years for approximately $500,000 per year. The Canada Brain Research Fund aims to match $100 million from the federal government with private donations to boost both basic and applied funding for neuroscience by about 25% (R$, May 22/12)….