u/Helpful_Cockroach774

The Pitch:

I am about to push my brain to its absolute limits, and a top-tier US medical institute is going to track what happens to its structure.

For the next 365 days, I will be engaging in an extreme cognitive marathon: analyzing highly complex, ancient logical texts (Talmudic Aramaic) for 12 to 14 hours every single day. No days off.

The Science:

I've partnered with a leading neuroscientist to conduct fMRI scans (baseline, mid-year, and post-project). The goal is to physically document the neuroplasticity, memory expansion, and structural brain changes that occur when a human is subjected to this level of sustained analytical load.

What I Need:

I am operating as a solo citizen-scientist. I am looking for leads on funding or private grants to support this research. Specifically, funding is required to cover the high clinical costs of the fMRI scans (which run ~$1,000 per session, and the PI wants multiple scans), as well as the technical infrastructure to log and document this journey.

Does anyone know of any foundations, fellowships, or private grants that specifically fund independent neuroscience projects, "citizen science", or extreme cognitive research? Any direction would be huge. Thanks!