ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - Over the summer, KMOX News told you about an effort from the neuroscience community of St. Louis to secure millions of dollars in federal grants.
On Wednesday, the NEURO360 initiative from Bio STL and Washington University has been named a finalist for $160 million in federal grants.
"This is the single largest award of any kind in what we call innovation ecosystem building, so to turn a community into a hub before a specific advanced technology," said Justin Raymundo, Vice President of Innovation Ecosystem-Building at BioSTL on KMOX News. "For St. Louis, it really capitalizes on the research, technology and manufacturing strength that we have in biosciences, our incredible healthcare strength, to really create new economic opportunities, jobs and products that can advance American competitiveness."
NEURO360 leverages St. Louis’ unique strengths in neuroscience and neurotechnology to advance research, commercialization, and workforce development. Anchored by Washington University School of Medicine, the initiative unites regional assets to address global challenges, including health inequities, through groundbreaking innovation and inclusive economic growth.
"WashU and our partner BioSTL are proud of our long-standing relationship with the NSF and pleased to be among the Missouri institutions invited to submit a full proposal for the engines competition," said Washington University Chancellor Andrew Martin. "We’re grateful to the NSF for its consideration, as well as to Governor Mike Parson and our partners in Jefferson City whose support allows us to push the boundaries of what’s possible to benefit all Missourians. We’re excited for the opportunity to contribute to our regional workforce ecosystem with this potential federal funding."
NEURO360 initiative seeks to create career pathways across diverse fields—from manufacturing to lab management—including opportunities for workers without four-year degrees.