Project Grant R25NS149357

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke awarded Catalystneuro, LLC $137,501 on August 1, 2026, under the Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders program (CFDA 93.853) to deliver the NeuroData AI Summer School, an intensive five-day residential training program in advanced neurophysiology data analysis.

The program trains 35 participants annually in hands-on neurophysiology data standards and analysis tools including NWB, DANDI, SpikeInterface, PyNapple, VAME, and NeuroSift. Instruction covers AI-enhanced approaches including foundation models, machine learning for neural decoding, and transfer learning methods applied to neural data. The curriculum progresses from foundational data skills to advanced AI applications, culminating in collaborative research projects using datasets from OpenScope, the International Brain Laboratory, and MICRONs. Participants work with faculty who are developers of key neurophysiology tools and leading researchers in AI applications to neural data. The program fosters a community of practice through collaborative learning and team-based projects, with the goal of generating novel scientific insights through secondary analysis of high-quality open datasets. The residential format is held at Janelia Research Campus in Fredericksburg, Virginia.

Performance of performance extends from August 1, 2026, through July 31, 2031. The program builds on four years of successful NeuroDataRehack programs, which reported unanimous 5/5 satisfaction ratings and 100 percent peer network formation.