The nervous system is consistently viewed as a target of high interest for stem cell-based therapeutics. In the USA, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) are the two largest funders of neuroscience-related research within the NIH. Research spanning the spectrum of basic, translational and clinical science is conducted both on the NIH campus and through funding of extramural research organizations across the USA, and, to a lesser extent, worldwide. In this brief survey, we will present an overview of stem cell-related activities at the two neuroscience-focused NIH institutes.