The Internal Research Program is developing methods of (i) gene discovery, (ii) gene network informatics, (iii) drug discovery and (iv) chemistry to identify small molecules for use as therapies for various brain disorders. To this end, three long-range research goals are (i) development of new computational technologies to predict positive and negative regulators of gene network functions, (ii) development of new algorithms and chemistries to explore a wider range of chemical space and (iii) development of new technologies to identify small molecules that interact with human proteins. DNS also will develop methods to diagnose functional deficits in various cognitive domains and then to rehabilitate those cognitive domains with effective brain exercises.
The External Research Program is designed to probe academia for emerging areas of relevant research and to develop working relationships with the intellectual forces (scientists) behind the research.
The DNS Prize will be an open competition designed to create crucial new technologies for DNS. After announcement of a prize objective, DNS will choose from among interested applicants one proposal, which its scientific advisers deems to be most likely to succeed. The selected research team then will assemble at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole MA in a DNS-funded facility for the ensuing 12-week summer in a focused attempt to achieve the Prize objectives. If successful, participating scientists will receive a cash prize in exchange for DNS's rights to the research results.