The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) approved a new program called ReMIND at its September ICOC meeting. The program will award up to $110 million to advance basic research in neuropsychiatric diseases—one of California’s largest investments in this area.
ReMIND (Research using Multidisciplinary, Innovative Approaches in Neuro Diseases) aims to accelerate discoveries that improve understanding of neuropsychiatric disease biology through stem cell or genetic research. The program offers two separate funding opportunities: ReMIND‑L for large, collaborative multidisciplinary projects, and ReMIND‑X for exploratory, high‑risk, high‑reward studies. It will support research at academic, non‑profit, and for‑profit institutions in California from 2024 to 2028.
CIRM developed ReMIND in response to Proposition 14, which directs at least $1.5 billion of CIRM’s $5.5 billion bond funding to brain and central nervous system research.
“Effective treatments for neuropsychiatric diseases remain a major unmet need in California, the US, and worldwide. The ReMIND program reflects CIRM’s commitment to multidisciplinary discovery research as a catalyst for innovation,” said Dr. Rosa Canet‑Avilés, VP of Scientific Programs and Education at CIRM.
The ReMIND program will strengthen basic research in this field and advance CIRM’s mission.
Collaborating to Address Unmet Needs in Neuropsychiatric Research
CIRM’s scientific team developed the ReMIND program in close collaboration with the agency’s neuroscience and medicine task force over the past year. The 13‑member task force, led by Dr. Larry Goldstein of UC San Diego, includes scientific experts and patient advocacy representatives.
CIRM shaped the program’s vision through three years of discussions and workshops with scientific leaders. These conversations underscored the need to strengthen multidisciplinary collaboration and expand the sharing of knowledge and resources across the research community.
While CIRM has funded neuroscience discovery research before, ReMIND is its largest coordinated, multidisciplinary investment to date. The funding focuses on both advanced stem cell models and genomic technologies applied to neuropsychiatric disorders. It also supports larger, collaborative research teams.
By investing in multidisciplinary groups rather than individual investigators, CIRM aims to spur innovation in neuropsychiatric research.
More details will be available in the ReMIND‑L Request for Applications, expected in October. Applications should open by the end of November, with submissions due in March. To stay updated on CIRM funding opportunities, sign up for notifications. For questions about the program, email discovery@cirm.ca.gov.
For media inquiries, please contact press@cirm.ca.gov.
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