Dana Foundation Awards $150,000 to SfN for New Leadership Development Program for Trainees
Washington, D.C. – The Society for Neuroscience (SfN) was awarded $150,000 from the Dana Foundation to support the creation of a new Leadership Development Program (LDP) designed to offer a professional development experience for exceptional trainees and future leaders in the field of brain science. The grant will complement funding approved by SfN Council.
“With this new programmatic support from the Dana Foundation and SfN Council, we will be able to offer training in a high-demand area for a number of talented, next generation neuroscientists,” said Diane Lipscombe, SfN president. “This program addresses an area of great potential, offering comprehensive professional development training in an area of great interest to our trainee members.”
The three-year pilot program will enroll a subset of high-performing recipients of SfN’s Trainee Professional Development Award (TPDA), which provides trainees travel funds to attend the SfN annual meeting, as well as year-round online programming. The LDP will focus on topics such as adaptive leadership, strategic thinking, effective team work, and cultural competencies and inclusion – topics that are typically not covered in traditional academic or other training settings. The year-long program will enroll its first cohort in fall 2019. Prospective applicants for the first LDP cohort must submit abstracts by May 2, 2019 to Neuroscience 2019, SfN’s annual meeting, and also apply to the TPDA program by May 24, 2019.
The idea for a new Leadership Development Program emerged from SfN volunteer leadership serving on the Professional Development Committee and Training Advisory Committee. Committee members jointly discussed the need for a multi-faceted, year-long professional development experience for motivated trainees, extending from a one-time financial mechanism through TPDA.
The Dana Foundation and SfN have a long history of successful collaborations in support of the neuroscience community, and this program is another great example of the organizations’ common interest. “Reflecting our shared commitment to education and public outreach initiatives in neuroscience, the Dana Foundation is pleased to offer support for this important, inaugural leadership training initiative and to deepen our strong relationship with the Society in support of the field of brain science,” said Barbara Gill, executive vice president of the Dana Foundation.
The Dana Foundation supports SfN’s annual Science Educator Award. The Dana Foundation also coordinates Brain Awareness Week, of which SfN is a partner.
The TPDA program is made possible through support from the Friends of SfN Fund, SfN Council, Nancy Rutledge Zahniser Fund, and other corporation and foundation supporters.
The Society for Neuroscience (SfN) is an organization of more than 37,000 basic scientists and clinicians who study the brain and the nervous system.
