SfN Awarded NINDS Grant to Support Neuroscience Scholars Program
Washington, DC — The Society for Neuroscience (SfN) has received funding from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) through July 2019 in support of its award-winning Neuroscience Scholars Program. The NSP is a multidimensional training program designed to enhance career development and professional networking opportunities for underrepresented and diverse graduate students and postdoctoral researchers in the field of neuroscience.
With the new grant, SfN is expanding the program to broaden its reach and impact and to enhance its service to the field. Each year up to 14 young scientists, known as NSP fellows, will receive intensive mentoring as well as annual travel awards and access to a wide range of professional development opportunities. In addition, all eligible applicants, as many as 135 in recent years, will be invited to serve as NSP associates, gaining access to live events and webinars, a rich library of educational resources, and an online diversity affinity group of NSP mentors for those seeking career connections and guidance over the course of a two-year program.
“The resources made available through the NSP help participants to overcome obstacles that may otherwise have led to their early exit from the scientific research career pipeline,” said Julio Ramirez, a member of SfN’s Professional Development Committee who co-manages the program. “Through this program, SfN has made great advances in preserving the diversity of perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences necessary for scientific innovation.”
The program builds on a 30-year commitment to diversity, consistently funded by NINDS. The Neuroscience Scholars Program has served nearly 600 underrepresented minority scholars through its efforts to address barriers that prevent potential scientific contributors from pursuing advanced careers in science. In the coming years, SfN will build on this strong foundation to guide and support underrepresented racial and ethnic minorities and neuroscience researchers with disabilities as they progress in their careers, help them to succeed as neuroscientists, and motivate NSP alumni to stay engaged in neuroscience to garner long-term professional success.
More information is available at SfN.org/NSP or by contacting nsp@sfn.org.
The Society for Neuroscience (SfN) is an organization of nearly 40,000 basic scientists and clinicians who study the brain and nervous system. More information about the brain can be found at BrainFacts.org, a public information initiative of The Kavli Foundation, the Gatsby Charitable Foundation, and SfN.
