Training and Resources

Training Opportunities and Resources

SfN provides members with numerous training opportunities, as well as access to resources both within the Society and beyond.

Learn about training opportunities and resources provided through SfN and its partners:

Workshop and courses
Resources
Training Programs
Funding Opportunities

Workshops and Courses

The Neurobiology of Disease Workshop provides students and early-career scientists with in-depth overviews of diseases of the nervous system. The workshop:

Lasts all day.
Consists of slide presentations by leading experts, panel discussions, patient presentations, and small discussion groups.
Is offered each year the Friday before SfN's annual meeting.
Requires registration and the payment of a $35 fee; Register online.

For information about this year's programs, see the Neuroscience 2010 Program.

Short Courses offer an in-depth look at specific topics and techniques in neuroscience research. Short Courses:

Last all day.
Consist of lectures and slide presentations by leading experts followed by breakout groups.
Are offered each year the Friday before SfN's annual meeting.
Include a bound course syllabus for the attendees.
Require registration and the payment on a sliding scale according to membership status.

For information about this year's programs, see the Neuroscience 2010 Program.

The Meet-the-Expert Series at SfN's annual meeting invites experts to discuss research techniques, accomplishments, and other factors influencing their work. The series:

Consists of several "topic" tables facilitated by the "experts."
Is free of charge to meeting attendees.

For information about this year's programs, see the Neuroscience 2010 Program.

Other Sponsored Workshops at the SfN Annual Meeting
Each SfN annual meeting features professional development workshops. Topics include: selecting careers, finding employment, managing conflict in a lab, teaching neuroscience, and more. If you are interested in organizing a professional development workshop at an annual meeting, submit the proposal form to Liz Larabell, llarabell@sfn.org.

International Courses
The Ricardo Miledi Program for Neuroscience Training offers several weeks of intensive courses and professional development for 15 neuroscience students from Latin America and the Caribbean. Expenses are paid and students also receive a fellowship including SfN membership and registration and travel to the Society's annual meeting.

Resources

NeuroJobs
NeuroJobs is SfN's online neuroscience career center. NeuroJobs connects our members with employment opportunities and employers with the best professionals within our membership. Employment opportunities range from post-doc positions, faculty positions, neuroscience jobs in industry and alternative careers.

Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience
FUN is an international organization that is focused on neuroscience education and research at the undergraduate level. FUN’s members and supporters include businesses and organizations; private liberal arts colleges, state and research university departments and programs; and individual faculty and students, all sharing a common interest in undergraduate neuroscience. FUN publishes an online peer-reviewed journal.

Responsible Conduct in Research
The book On Being a Scientist: A Guide to Responsible Conduct in Research offers researchers guidance on how to conduct research responsibly and avoid misconduct such as fabrication and plagiarism. The guide, issued by the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, and Institute of Medicine, includes new case studies and has been updated to reflect the emergence of electronic publishing and globalization of research.

Preparing Future Faculty in Math and Science
This guide by Preparing Future Faculty (PDF) offers a new vision for the preparation of college and university faculty in the sciences and mathematics. This volume describes the benefits and challenges of creating programs in the sciences and mathematics, as well as the structure and content of the programs.

What Colleges Want In New Faculty
This guide published by the Association of American Colleges and Universities, highlights what colleges and universities look for in new faculty.

Best Places to Work 2010: Academia
2010 Survey results published by The Scientist. Scientists at the top-ranked institutions in this year’s survey celebrated their organization’s strong focus on collaboration, team building and unique funding opportunities.

Promoting Your Research
This article published by the Lab Times details tips and strategies for researchers promoting their research to the general public.

Training Programs

Burroughs Wellcome Fund Career Awards at the Scientific Interface
These awards provide $500,000 to bridge advanced postdoctoral training and the first three years of faculty service. These awards are intended to foster the early career development of researchers with backgrounds in the physical/mathematical/computational sciences and engineers whose work addresses biological questions.

The National Center for Institutional Diversity (NCID) at the University of Michigan
NCID is accepting applications for the Institutional Diversity Postdoctoral Fellowship Program for the 2011-2012 academic year. Visit NCID for more information.

American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science & Technology Policy Fellowships
AAAS Fellowships help to establish and nurture critical links between federal decision-makers and scientific professionals to support public policy that benefits the wellbeing of the nation and the planet.

The Carl Storm Underrepresented Minority (URM) Fellowship Program
Established by the Gordon Research Conference (GRC) Board of Trustees, to honor Director Emeritus Carl Storm's many years of service to GRC and to support his commitment to increasing diversity at the Conferences. This Fellowship Program provides an opportunity for URM graduate students, post docs, faculty and scientists to receive funding assistance to attend their first GRC.

Research Initiation Grants (RIG)
With the goal of broadening participation to all biologists including members from groups under-represented in biology, the Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO) at NSF continues to offer Research Initiation Grants (RIG). Currently, African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders are under-represented in biology. These grants are intended to increase the diversity of researchers who apply for and receive BIO funding to initiate research programs early in their careers.

Support Of Mentors And their Students from Underrepresented Minority Groups in the Neurosciences (SOMAS-URM)
This summer fellowship program is designed to support junior faculty in the neurosciences seeking to launch research programs with undergraduate student collaborators. Faculty from predominantly undergraduate institutions will be eligible for awards of up to $8,000 to cover a supply budget, summer student housing, faculty and student stipends, and travel expenses to the joint Annual Meetings of the Society for Neuroscience and Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience. For more information, please visit http://www.somasprogram.org/.

National Research Council Research Associateship Programs (RAP)
The mission of the Research Associateship Program is to promote excellence in scientific and technological research conducted by the U. S. government through the administration of programs offering graduate, postdoctoral, and senior level research opportunities at sponsoring federal laboratories and affiliated institutions.

Helen Hay Whitney Foundation Research Fellowships
These fellowships support early postdoctoral research training in all basic biomedical sciences. To attain its ultimate goal of increasing the number of imaginative, well-trained and dedicated medical scientists, the Foundation grants financial support of sufficient duration to help further the careers of young men and women engaged in biological or medical research.

Funding Opportunities

Alzheimer’s Association International Research Grant Program
Several grant categories including conference grants, previously funded studies, the Association’s partnership with Intel Corporation to fund the Everyday Technologies for Alzheimer Care (ETAC) grants, the Tomorrow’s Leader in Alzheimer’s Research Award and Neuroimaging Awards.

Neuroscience Research Funding Contacts in the Federal Government
An informal compendium (PDF) of names and contact information for nearly 300 research grant and scientific review administrators in 21 organizational units of the federal government

Rapid Response Innovation Awards (RRIA)
These are one-year, $75,000 awards open to both principle investigators and postdoctoral fellows (in conjunction with an administrative PI) that support high-risk, high-reward ideas geared towards developing novel therapy for Parkinson’s disease. This program, sponsored by the Michael J. Fox Foundation, is open to proposals focused on basic science, pre-clinical and clinical research.