New program will build shared infrastructure to advance adolescent learning in the age of AI
NEW YORK (Oct. 14, 2026) — Today, the Advanced Education Research and Development Fund (AERDF) announced the launch of Neuroscience and the Future of Learning, a new Advanced Inclusive R&D program backed by a $20 million foundational investment from Lemnis. The initiative will bring neuroscientists, educators, and young people together to study how the adolescent brain develops and learns in real classrooms and to translate those findings into practical tools, practices, and learning environments.
The program’s launch expands AERDF’s collaboration with Lemnis and marks AERDF’s fifth advanced R&D program. Lemnis’ investment will provide sustained support to connect scientific discovery with educational practice.
Adolescence is a formative period when young people explore their identities, build relationships, and develop greater independence – and much of what shapes learning is difficult to see from the outside. Young people and educators need a fuller understanding of how learning occurs in real time and practical ways to use those insights to shape students’ futures and education.
“As AI changes how young people learn, solve problems and connect, we need to better understand what helps them thrive,” said Auditi Chakravarty, CEO of AERDF. “This is exactly the kind of challenge AERDF was built for: ambitious problems that no single researcher, school system, or organization can solve alone. Our collaboration with Lemnis brings the wisdom of educators and students together with brain science in order to unlock new insights and create more powerful learning experiences for our students.”
The Neuroscience and the Future of Learning program grew out of a fellowship of six neuroscientists and three education leaders, working alongside advisory groups of students, teachers, and field leaders.
This interdisciplinary coalition identified an opportunity to better understand the processes that shape learning, such as attention, motivation, stress, and belonging, that are difficult to observe directly. They designed the program around a core hypothesis: combining neuroscience with community knowledge can deepen our understanding of adolescent learning and help translate those insights into learning environments that support young people and strengthen their critical thinking in a rapidly changing digital world.
“Two students who look equally engaged can be having two totally different experiences,” said Jennie Grammer, Ph.D., Professor of Education at UCLA, a Neuroscience and the Future of Learning Program Fellow. “Our research shows that student engagement is shaped by their interactions with teachers, peers, and their everyday experiences. Neuroscience gives us powerful tools to make visible what’s happening in the brain and body as students learn, while student and teacher perspectives help us understand those experiences. This program brings researchers, educators, and young people together to develop and expand our understanding of what’s possible for students.”
“Breakthroughs don’t come from playing it safe,” said Melissa Johnston, CEO of Lemnis. “This is the single largest investment we’ve ever made in our philanthropic portfolio because the stakes for young people have never been higher. We’re backing a team with a proven record of turning ambitious ideas into results, and we’re ready to learn from what doesn’t work along the way, because that’s how real progress happens.”
Learn more about Neuroscience and the Future of Learning at aerdf.org/neuroscience.
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About Lemnis: Lemnis is a public charity dedicated to expanding learning for all. Our vision is to create a future of the Unlimited Learner, where every young person can thrive in a time of dramatic change. Lemnis, whose name is inspired by the lemniscate (∞), believes that to unlock limitless possibilities for learners, we must create a sense of belonging and community, apply findings from neuroscience of learning and social sciences, leverage pro-social artificial intelligence and digital technology, and generate new ecosystems and supports that are learner centered. Lemnis acquires mission-aligned education organizations, both for-profit assets and nonprofits with earned revenue, that provide learners with purpose and belonging, career and life readiness skills, and equitable opportunities for academic, career and life success.
InsideTrack, Mainstay, and Wayfinder are the first divisions to form the Lemnis Collective. To support the broader ecosystem, Lemnis also makes grants to intermediaries and accelerators through its Alliance strategy and makes strategic investments in mission-aligned funds and for-profit organizations through its Initiatives strategy. For more information, visit www.lemnis.org.
Advanced Education Research & Development Fund (AERDF) is a national nonprofit that harnesses the power of education research and development (R&D) to unlock scientific discoveries and deliver research-backed inventions to address the most pressing challenges in teaching and learning. AERDF’s R&D programs (multi-year initiatives) produce scientific knowledge, technical advancements, and scalable, classroom-ready prototypes that are evidence-based, demonstrate impact, and catalyze transformative improvements across our nation. Learn more at https://aerdf.org.
