Spinal Cord Injury and Traumatic Brain Injury Research Grant Program

 

The State of Minnesota established the Spinal Cord Injury and Traumatic Brain Injury Grant Program effective July 1, 2015. The Office of Higher Education administers the Spinal Cord Injury and Traumatic Brain Injury Research Grant Program through Minnesota Statute 136A.901 which provides funding for research into new and innovative treatments and rehabilitative efforts for the functional improvement of people with spinal cord and traumatic brain injuries.

Who is Eligible to Apply?

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.

What are Eligible Services and How Much Money Can a Grantee Receive?

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

Three funding options are available:

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.

2025 Request for Proposals

In consultation with the Spinal Cord Injury and Traumatic Brain Injury Advisory Council, the Minnesota Office of Higher Education is currently accepting proposals for the Spinal Cord Injury and Traumatic Brain Injury Annual Research Grant.

Please review the FY25 SCI-TBI Grant Request for Proposals before beginning the submission process.

FY25 SCI-TBI Grant Request for Proposals

2025 SCI-TBI Request for Proposals Timeline

Date		Description
February 26, 2025		Request for Proposals available to applicants
1 p.m. CT, March 12, 2025		Request for Proposal Workshop (virtual)
April 1, 2025		User Registration Deadline
April 11, 2025		Technical Questions Deadline
4:30 p.m. CT , April 23, 2025		Deadline for receipt of full proposals
June 26, 2025		Presentations and Q&A (virtual)
No later than July 11, 2025		All Applicants Notified

Proposals must be submitted by 4:30 p.m. CT on April 23, 2025 through the secure online grants management system. 

Applicants must be available on the day of the virtual proposal review (June 26, 2025) to give a five-minute presentation on their proposed project and respond to reviewers' questions. Invitations for Presentations will be sent two weeks in advance.

How Do I Login to Apply?

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 the role you will be for the project: either Principal Investigator or Grantee Authorized Official.

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

User registration submitted after April 1, 2025 may not be reviewed and approved prior to the proposal deadline.

If you need assistance with the portal, please see the Applicant/Grantee Manual: How to Naviagate the Portal. 

How Do I Start a Proposal?

Only Grantee Authorized Officials can start a proposal. 

GAOs will start a proposal, add a Principal Investigator and hit Save. 

At that point, both the GAO and the Principal Investigator may complete the proposal.

Request for Proposals Applicant Workshop

A Request for Proposals workshop was held on Wednesday, March 12, 2025.

• SCI-TBI Research Grant 2025 RFP Workshop Video (Content starts at 8:58)
• SCI-TBI Research Grant 2025 RFP Workshop Presentation Slides

Who do I Contact with Questions?

For SCI-TBI questions, please contact the Minnesota Office of Higher Education at GWI.OHE@state.mn.us.

Frequently Asked Questions

FAQs last updated February 28, 2025

Grant Recipients - Fiscal Year 2024

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

Reports

• 2025 Report to the Legislature
• 2024 Report to the Legislature
• 2023 Report to the Legislature
• 2022 Report to the Legislature
• 2021 Report to the Legislature

Download reports to the Minnesota Legislature on the institutions receiving grants and their purpose.