Communities at Duke are vital to our intellectual growth and scholarly productivity. As fields of inquiry evolve, new communities are needed. They often emerge from the vision of a core group of enthusiasts. 

What is your dream for a new community in brain studies at Duke? 

Can you envision growing that community through the concerted effort of a diverse team of colleagues who share your passion? 

The new Dream Team award from the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences is here to help!

Overview

We are looking for visionary collectives of scholars who aspire to integrate ideas across disciplines to foster a new, energetic community in a field of brain studies. Dream Teams will receive three years of support at $30,000 per year to help fund their activities. The teams must be led by at least three faculty from two or more schools at Duke. We plan to fund up to four Dream Teams starting in Fall 2026.

Dream Teams may focus on any topic in discovery science, clinical translation, or scholarly inquiry (or any combination). The only constraint is that the topic must be related to the brain, the mind, and/or the intersection of brain studies and society.

Dream Teams will be expected to seek external funding for long-term continuation of their collective efforts. For teams demonstrating high impact and likelihood of external funding, we will advocate for them to continue as DIBS Research Centers.

Application Process

  • A Letter of Intent (LOI) is required. Invitations to submit full proposals will be extended on the basis of initial review of the LOIs.
  • LOIs and full proposals will be reviewed for potential impact, innovation, plans for community-building and alignment with DIBS’s mission.
  • Dream Teams are expected to include involvement of graduate students and postdocs, and plans for their participation must be described.
  • Plans for an undergraduate educational component are encouraged and will enhance competitiveness. This could include development of new classes, research independent study opportunities, summer research support, etc.
  • We encourage ambition. If $30k/year seems insufficient for a great Dream Team idea, we encourage applicants to seek cost-sharing through their home departments, schools or other partners to supplement the award.

Timeline

Letters of intent

Faculty interested in submitting proposals for Dream Team awards must submit a Letter of Intent by 11:59 pm on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. Email it as a PDF to dukebrain@duke.edu with Subject Line “Dream Team LOI”.

Letters of intent should contain the following information in a maximum of 2 pages:

  • Title of the Dream Team topic
  • Names and primary departments of the team leads. They must include at least three faculty from at least two schools across Duke.
  • A section (≤ 300 words) describing the planned activities of the Dream Team and its strategy for building a new, broader community. Be sure to include the specific contributions of each faculty member and the roles of trainees.
  • Timeline of proposed milestones for the Dream Team across all three years
  • A few sentences on the potential for receiving external funding to support the team beyond the three years of DIBS support
  • (Optional) A few sentences on tie-ins to undergraduate education
  • (Optional) A few sentences on potential cost-sharing to supplement the award
  • Brief narrative summary (≤ 200 words) of how the $30k budget, plus any proposed cost-sharing, would be used year-by-year. 

Outcomes of the LOI review will be communicated to applicants by June 1, 2026.

Full Proposals

For teams invited to submit full proposals, they will be due on July 17, 2026. Instructions for submitting full proposals will be sent to those invited. Full proposals will be reviewed by members of the DIBS Network Faculty and other internal and external reviewers as needed to provide adequate expertise. 

We expect funding decisions to be made by August 17, 2026. 

Funding will start September 1, 2026.

We look forward to receiving your Letter of Intent! If you have any questions about the Dream Team awards or the application process, please see the FAQ or contact the DIBS Director, Dr. Marc Sommer (marc.sommer@duke.edu).