Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The University of Washington received a $345,822 Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation's Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) program (CFDA 47.070) effective April 1, 2026, through March 31, 2031. This CAREER award funds research to elucidate neural population mechanisms underlying learning by investigating how neurons in the primary motor cortex change their coordinated firing activity during both rapid and slower learning processes. The project will deliver computational modeling and machine learning methods that integrate experimental data from primate brain-computer interface (BCI) learning tasks, with particular focus on distinguishing whether rapid learning reflects changes in neural inputs versus slower learning reflecting changes in local recurrent circuitry. Research deliverables will include recurrent neural network models characterizing circuit-level mechanisms that reshape neural population activity and behavior, along with machine learning inference methods to identify which learning mechanisms best explain recorded neural activity.

In addition to core research products, the award supports significant educational and workforce development outcomes including modernized university training curriculum, publicly available online mini-courses, classroom outreach programs for middle and high school students, and public-facing science communication initiatives. The project's findings are intended to inform neurorehabilitation strategies following injury or disease, enhance guided skill training methodologies, and advance development of artificial intelligence systems that operate more efficiently and interpretably by mimicking biological learning principles.