Neuroethics | BRAIN

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) BRAIN Initiative supports neuroethics research projects that examine the ethical and societal implications of BRAIN-funded tools and technologies. The neuroethics program uses several approaches to identify and analyze key neuroethical topics to help guide the development of BRAIN Initiative research and the application of BRAIN research findings.

What is neuroethics and why is it important for neuroscience?

Neuroethics is a field that studies the ethical and societal implications of neuroscience. The strategic plan for the NIH BRAIN Initiative, BRAIN 2025: A Scientific Vision , emphasizes: “Although brain research entails ethical issues that are common to other areas of biomedical science, it entails special ethical considerations as well. Because the brain gives rise to consciousness, our innermost thoughts and our most basic human needs, mechanistic studies of the brain have already resulted in new social and ethical questions.” Likewise, in " The BRAIN Initiative 2.0: From Cells to Circuits, Toward Cures " and " The BRAIN Initiative and Neuroethics: Enabling and Enhancing Neuroscience Advances for Society ."

20221024_brain_neuroethics_summary_508c.pdf (351.78 KB)

. Neuroethics is an essential partner to neuroscience. It can serve to better anticipate ethical questions surfaced by cutting edge neuroscience research and help guide neuroscience research and the application of neuroscience research findings.

How does the NIH BRAIN Initiative contribute to neuroethics?

BRAIN has a multi-part strategy to achieve proactive, ongoing assessment and management of the neuroethical implications of the development and application of BRAIN-funded tools and neurotechnologies (see Bianchi et al, 2018 ). This strategy, includes:

Managing the Neuroethics Working Group , a group of experts in neuroethics and neuroscience that provides the NIH BRAIN Initiative with guidance relating to neuroethics.
Funding neuroethics research projects. Facilitating collaborations to integrate neuroethics into neuroscience research.
Scanning the NIH BRAIN Initiative research portfolio to identify ethical questions.
Organizing workshops on neuroethics topics that are important for the NIH BRAIN Initiative.

What funding is available for neuroethics?

The NIH BRAIN Initiative has supported neuroethics research since 2017. Opportunities for BRAIN Initiative neuroethics research projects are described in the Highlighted Topic (HT) on Strengthening Biomedical Research, Promoting Trust, and Improving Health through Bioethics Research .
To view funded BRAIN neuroethics research, please visit Funded Awards .

Related Information

Contact

BRAIN Neuroethics

brainneuroethics@nih.gov