Project Grant R21EY037441
- Federal Project Grant Award Summary Massachusetts Institute of Technology received a $4.59 million Project Grant from the National Eye Institute under the Vision Research program (CFDA 93.867), awarded September 1, 2025, with completion targeted for June 30, 2029. The research project, titled "How Retinal Silencing Restores Synaptic Strength in Visual Cortex of Adult Amblyopia," will investigate the mechanisms by which temporary local retinal anesthesia enables recovery from...
- Federal Grant Award Summary The National Eye Institute (NEI), under the Vision Research program (CFDA 93.867), awarded Harvard Medical School a $802,355 Project Grant effective May 1, 2026, with an ultimate completion date of February 28, 2030. This research initiative, titled "Experience-Driven Astrocytic Glucocorticoid Signaling as a Regulator of Visual Plasticity," investigates the molecular mechanisms controlling visual system development during critical developmental periods....
- Federal Project Grant Award Summary Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary received a $467,277 Project Grant award from the National Eye Institute (NEI) under the Vision Research program (CFDA 93.867), effective July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2028. The award funds development and validation of a comprehensive testing battery to characterize the visuoperceptual profile of cerebral (cortical) visual impairment (CVI)—a brain-based visual disorder and the leading cause of pediatric visual impairment...
- Federal Grant Award Summary Boston Children's Hospital received a $136,512 Project Grant from the National Eye Institute (NEI) under the Vision Research program (CFDA 93.867) effective July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2027. The award supports research investigating how intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) transform light information in melanopsin pathways to regulate physiological and behavioral responses. The research employs advanced imaging techniques to measure...
- Federal Grant Award Summary The National Eye Institute (NEI) awarded The Schepens Eye Research Institute Inc. a $878,988 Project Grant under the Vision Research program (CFDA 93.867) beginning May 1, 2026, and concluding April 30, 2031. The project develops comprehensive navigation assistance technology for blind and visually impaired (BVI) individuals through three integrated modules: AllWalk (macro-navigation with sub-foot precision guidance on sidewalks), NavGPT (micro-navigation using...
- Federal Grant Award Summary The National Eye Institute (NEI), under the Vision Research program (CFDA 93.867), awarded a $244,150 Project Grant to the University of California, Los Angeles, effective April 15, 2026, with completion targeted for March 31, 2028. The research project, titled "The Molecular Gradients Underlying Wiring Plasticity in the Visual Cortex," delivers foundational neuroscience research designed to elucidate how visual experience regulates neural circuit...
- Federal Project Grant Award Summary The National Eye Institute (NEI) awarded $173,016 to the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research under the Vision Research program (CFDA 93.867) for a project grant effective August 1, 2025, through July 31, 2027. This award supports systematic identification and mechanistic characterization of novel oxidative protective genes to prevent retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) degeneration in age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The research involves...
- Federal Project Grant Award Summary Yale University received a $132,030 Project Grant from the National Eye Institute (NEI) under the Vision Research program (CFDA 93.867), awarded December 21, 2025, with completion targeted for May 31, 2028. The grant funds research into the mechanisms of experience-dependent plasticity in mouse visual cortex, specifically examining how repeated visual stimulus exposure induces long-term adaptation of sensory responses and whether behavioral salience alters...
- Federal Project Grant Summary Harvard Medical School received a $2.54 million Project Grant from the National Eye Institute (National Institutes of Health) under the Vision Research program (CFDA 93.867), awarded September 15, 2025, with completion targeted for January 31, 2029. The grant funds research to understand the neural and computational mechanisms underlying natural viewing behavior in primates, including humans and macaques. The project integrates behavioral assays in macaques,...
- Federal Project Grant Award Summary Award Overview Massachusetts General Hospital received a $453,750 Vision Research (CFDA 93.867) Project Grant from the National Eye Institute, effective September 1, 2025, through August 31, 2027. The award supports fundamental neuroscience research aimed at characterizing the cellular architecture and genetic organization of the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN), a critical visual processing center in the brain. Research Products and Services The project...
Award Overview The National Eye Institute (NEI), under the Vision Research program (CFDA 93.867), awarded a $406,439 Project Grant to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for the period August 1, 2026, through July 31, 2028. The project, titled "Myelin Plasticity in the Visual System Following Extended Visual Deprivation," investigates activity-dependent modifications to myelin—the insulating sheath around nerve fibers—in response to late-onset visual experience in children with surgically correctable congenital blindness. Research Products and Deliverables The research employs behavioral, electrophysiological, and neuroimaging techniques to examine myelin changes in early sensory processing pathways following visual restoration surgery. The study leverages a unique participant population of children who were born with curable blindness but remained untreated for several years, enabling longitudinal examination of whether myelin plasticity can occur beyond the traditional critical period of visual development. The project addresses a gap in current neuroscience literature by investigating myelin plasticity—a less studied form of neural change compared to synaptic and dendritic remodeling—and its role in modulating temporal aspects of neural signal processing. Pilot data already demonstrate evidence of activity-dependent myelin plasticity, positioning this research to advance understanding of adaptive neural mechanisms in sensory system recovery and to inform potential therapeutic interventions for vision restoration in patients with congenital blindness.Federal Grant Award Summary
Mod # | Description | ReasonForModification | Federal Obligation | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Not listed | $406.4k | 7/17/26 |