Survey

Recent articles

Two hands hold a paper airplane.

How will neuroscience training need to change in the future?

Training in computational neuroscience, data science and statistics will need to expand, say many of the scientists we surveyed. But that must be balanced with a more traditional grounding in the scientific method and critical thinking. Researchers noted that funding concerns will also affect training, especially for people from underrepresented groups.

By The Transmitter
15 November 2025 | 11 min read
A book in which one page is a door.

How will the field’s relationship to industry change over the next decade? Will a larger neurotechnology sector emerge?

Interactions between academic neuroscience and industry will grow, and the neurotech sector will expand, most survey respondents predict. The current funding upheaval in the United States may accelerate this trend as the field searches for new funding models.

By The Transmitter
15 November 2025 | 10 min read
Two bouncing balls.

What are the fastest-growing areas in neuroscience?

Respondents pointed to computational neuroscience, systems neuroscience, neuroimmunology and neuroimaging, among other subfields.

By The Transmitter
15 November 2025 | 6 min read
Glasses with a pie chart in one of the lenses.

How have funding cuts affected early-career scientists’ futures?

Some say they feel terrified and anxious over all the uncertainty; many are thinking about leaving the United States, academia or science altogether; others plan to stay the course.

By The Transmitter
15 November 2025 | 9 min read
Archery target.

What should the field prioritize over the next 10 years?

Respondents pointed to a range of challenges in basic neuroscience—such as understanding naturalistic behaviors, intelligence and embodied cognition—and called for more circuit-level research, more precise brain recordings and more work in alternative models. Just as many pushed for a translational pivot.

By The Transmitter
15 November 2025 | 11 min read
Aerial view of a house isolated on an iceberg.

Is neuroscience a coherent field? Or is it becoming more fragmented?

The latter, say about half of the neuroscientists we surveyed. They note the sheer volume of research being generated, an increasing trend toward specialization in neuroscience education, and competition among labs. About another quarter told us it is “becoming much more interconnected.”

By The Transmitter
15 November 2025 | 9 min read
Deconstructed scissors in the shape of a percentage sign.

How do you anticipate the field changing in the wake of recent funding cuts?

Most survey respondents said they are bracing for a major reduction in the scientific workforce in the United States; some foresee research and staff shifting from academia to the private sector; and a few predict growth in translational studies and research on artificial intelligence.

By The Transmitter
15 November 2025 | 10 min read
Concentric circles.

What are the most transformative neuroscience tools and technologies developed in the past five years?

Artificial intelligence and deep-learning methods featured prominently in the survey responses, followed by genetic tools to control circuits, advanced neuroimaging, transcriptomics and various approaches to record brain activity and behavior.

By The Transmitter
15 November 2025 | 14 min read
View from inside a piggy bank show coins falling through the slot.

Neuroscience funding: A source directory

Our list features expected and lesser-known governmental and nongovernmental sources of funding for basic neuroscience research.

By The Transmitter
15 November 2025 | 4 min read
Two test tubes filled with coins.

Which sources fund your neuroscience research?

Government sources are the main overall contributors to neuroscience labs, but funding breakdown varies across labs, career stages and neuroscience subfields, a survey by The Transmitter shows.

By Claudia López Lloreda
15 November 2025 | 5 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

A human silhouette with lines connecting the brain to various organs.

PIEZO channels are opening the study of mechanosensation in unexpected places

The force-activated ion channels underlie the senses of touch and proprioception. Now scientists are using them as a tool to explore molecular mechanisms at work in internal organs, including the heart, bladder, uterus and kidney.

By Calli McMurray
30 January 2026 | 6 min read
US Department of Health and Human Services building.

Latest iteration of U.S. federal autism committee comes under fire

The new panel “represents a radical departure from all past rosters,” says autism researcher Helen Tager-Flusberg.

By Angie Voyles Askham
29 January 2026 | 9 min read
Progenitors cells in the medial ganglionic eminence become increasingly organized during development as rows of brain imaging progress from top to bottom.

‘Tour de force’ study flags fount of interneurons in human brain

The newly discovered cell type might point to the origins of the inhibitory imbalance linked to autism and other conditions.

By Holly Barker
29 January 2026 | 4 min read

privacy consent banner

Privacy Preference

We use cookies to provide you with the best online experience. By clicking “Accept All,” you help us understand how our site is used and enhance its performance. You can change your choice at any time. To learn more, please visit our Privacy Policy.