Spinal Cord Injury and Traumatic Brain Injury Research Grant Program

Eligible grant applicants are institutions/organizations located within Minnesota and fall into one or more of the following categories:

• Public/state controlled institution of higher education
• Private institution of higher education
• Nonprofit with 501(c)(3) IRS status (other than institution of higher education)
• Nonprofit without 501(c)(3) IRS status (other than institution of higher education)
• Small business
• For-profit organization (other than small business)

Eligible principal investigators must have the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research. This program is not for postdoctoral fellowships or residents (non-board eligible/board certified physicians); postdoctoral fellows and residents will not be considered as principal investigators. Post-doctorates, residents, or other individuals are eligible to be listed as key personnel or consultants.

Research topics may include, but are not limited to, pharmaceutical, medical device, brain stimulus, and rehabilitative approaches and techniques. The overall objective of this program is to foster and encourage innovative research for treatment and rehabilitative techniques for spinal cord and traumatic brain injuries.

There are three funding options available to grantees:

Tier 1: Pilot Project Grant

• Max Request: $125,000.
• Project Time: 2 years + 1 year no-cost extension.
• Project Details: Reflects early investment as the researcher prepares to seek a larger grant award from a federal program or nonprofit organization. Preliminary data is not required but encouraged.

Tier 2: Standard Research Grant

• Max Request: $250,000.
• Project Time: 2 years + 1 year no-cost extension.
• Project Details: Primarily for research with strong supporting/preliminary data. If the budget is justifiable, the Standard Research Grant may also fund pilot projects. Applicants are encouraged to attach papers; in-press, pre-published drafts, and accepted papers may be cited or submitted separately as an appendix.

Tier 3: Clinical/Translational Research Grant

• Max request: $500,000.
• Project Time: 3 years + 2 year no-cost extension.
• Project Details: Projects must have concurrent application for, or funding from federal or industry sources. Preliminary data must be published or in press in a scientific journal and cited or submitted separately as an appendix.

• March 2, 2026 - Request for Proposals available to applicants
• March 18, 2026 (12 p.m. CT) - Request for Proposal Workshop (virtual)
• March 25, 2026 - User Registration Deadline
• March 25, 2026 - Technical Questions Deadline
• April 15, 2026 (4:30 p.m. CT) - Deadline for receipt of full proposals
• Week of July 20, 2026 - Presentations and Q&A (virtual)
• No later than August 7, 2026 - All Applicants Notified

Proposals must be submitted by 4:30 p.m. CT on April 15, 2026 through OHE's secure online grants management system. 

Applicants must be available on the day of the virtual proposal review (TBD Week of July 20, 2026) to give a five-minute presentation on their proposed project and to respond to reviewers' questions. Invitations for presentations will be sent two weeks in advance.

The grants management system requires user registration. Click the link above and select "New User? Register Here!" and fill out the form.

When completing the User Registration form, please include both "SCI-TBI Research Grant" in the Notes field, and your role in the project: either Principal Investigator or Grantee Authorized Official.

OHE reviews and approves each user registration within three business days.

User registration submitted after March 25, 2026 may not be reviewed and approved prior to the proposal deadline.

If you need assistance with the portal, please read our OHE Application Grant Portal Manual.

NOTE: Only Grantee Authorized Officials (GAOs) can start a proposal. After the GAO starts a proposal, they will add a Principal Investigator to the proposal. At that point, both the GAO and the Principal Investigator may complete the proposal. Only GAOs can submit the proposal.

A Request for Proposals workshop was held on Wednesday, March 18, 2026. View the recording. 

As of March 29, 2026

Are proposals for scientific areas/projects related to SCI/TBI eligible? 

They may be, if the subject matter is relevant to the grant program. However, the core of the SCI-TBI Research Grant Program prioritizes projects that move beyond knowledge acquisition to demonstrate how that knowledge will be implemented for tangible, translatable benefit. Competitive proposals clearly articulate how the research will lead to improved function or overall quality of life for individuals with SCI or TBI. 

I can’t add others to my profile under the “Add/Edit People” tab? 

This tab is available only to OHE/Portal Admin Roles. Proposals should typically only need one GAO (Grantee Authorized Official) role and one PI (Primary Investigator) role. There is no “View Only” role, so anyone added to the proposal (as a GAO or PI) has full editing permissions. If you want additional staff to see the proposal, we recommend coordinating that outside of the portal. 

I’m a PI (Primary Investigator) and I can’t see or add a “My Opportunities” tab on my Dashboard when I login. How can I start a proposal? 

PIs cannot start proposals. They can contribute to them, once they’re added as a PI to the proposal. GAO (Grantee Authorized Official) Roles only can start proposals and add the PIs. 

Spinal Cord Injury Research

• Mayo Clinic: Use of genetically modified mesenchymal stromal cells or extracellular vesicles to deliver IL-10 following SCI to modulate local and systemic inflammation
• Minneapolis VA Healthcare System: Optimizing Epidural Spinal Cord Stimulation Care: A Comprehensive Approach Integrating PulseShare Utility, Mobile App Development, and Creating an Instructional Guide for Patients and Healthcare Professionals
• University of Minnesota: Reduction of oxidative stress by ROSASINA and promote neurological recovery in the Spinal cord injury (SCI)
• University of Minnesota: Neuromodulation for Recovery through ECAP Mapping and Personalized Stimulation
• University of Minnesota: Sustained delivery of therapeutic mRNAs for glial scar degradation and axonal regeneration
• University of Minnesota: Viral-based reprogramming platform for a SCI therapeutic approach of neurorestoration
• Mayo Clinic: Investigating the Effect of Purmorphamine on Endogenous Neural Stem Cell by Activating the Sonic Hedgehog Pathway to Promote Regeneration in Rats with Spinal Cord Injury
• University of Minnesota: Generating Exogenic Spinal Neurons in Homeobox Gene Knockouts for Repair in Spinal Cord Injury

Traumatic Brain Injury Research

• Minneapolis VA Healthcare System: Predicting the consequences of chronic effects of neurotrauma in pediatric patients using image processing, machine learning, and MRI
• University of Minnesota: Development of a Brain Organoid-Derived Exosome Product for the Treatment of Traumatic Brain Injury
• Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute: Reading after Traumatic Brain Injury: Development of a Guiding Model for Assessment and Treatment
• University of Minnesota: Mechanically-induced glymphatic dysfunction as a mechanistic link for TBI and neurodegenerative disease
• HealthPartners Institute: Personalized Accelerated Theta Burst Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
• University of Minnesota: Reprogramming for Neurorestorative Therapy after Traumatic Brain Injury
• University of Minnesota: Integrating Acute Phase Stem Cell Therapy and Chronic Phase Neurostimulation for PTSD Following Repetitive Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
• University of Minnesota: Exploring Neuroinflammation and Neural Circuitry Reorganization Associated with Exacerbation of Addiction Behavior in Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
• University of Minnesota: Mitochondrial Transplantation for Repair in Traumatic Brain Injury
• University of Minnesota: Closed head TBI in humanized mice: Histopathology, behavior, cortical neural dynamics, and novel therapeutics
• University of Minnesota: Trigeminal nerve stimulation to enhance brain clearance after TBI