Proposals for 2026 Professional Development Workshops
Proposal submissions are now open.
The Society for Neuroscience (SfN) Professional Development Committee is pleased to invite active 2026 members to submit proposals for Professional Development Workshops to be held at Neuroscience 2026 in Washington, DC. Proposal submissions will be accepted from Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025, until the deadline of Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026, 5 p.m. EST.
**There are important changes to the 2026 proposal submission process, so please read the below in its entirety.**
Not a 2026 member? Join or renew today, then start planning your proposal.
- What is a Professional Development Workshop?
- Organizer and Speaker Requirements
- Funding
- How to Submit Your Proposal
- Selection Process
- Growth and Opportunity
- Presenter Guidelines and Policies
What is a Professional Development Workshop?
Professional Development Workshops provide invaluable networking and career development opportunities at the SfN annual meeting for neuroscientists at all career stages. They are especially popular with early career stages attendees. Professional Development Workshops are typically two hours in length and feature a panel of expert speakers on topics related to funding, career paths, career skills, responsible conduct of research, diversity, and more. View the complete list of Professional Development Workshops offered at Neuroscience 2025.
Organizer and Speaker Requirements
To submit a Professional Development Workshop proposal, you must be an active member of SfN. Participating speakers may be SfN members or nonmembers but must have a free My SfN account (see below). Although submitters are not required to secure the participation of their speakers prior to proposal submission, all submitters are asked to include the names and titles of the speakers they intend to invite to participate within their proposal. The maximum number of speakers is six, including the organizer. The Professional Development Committee understands that the panel of speakers proposed may be updated following proposal submission.
Please verify that all speaker names, institutions, and email addresses are accurate. All speaker blocks must be finalized by the submission deadline: Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026, at 5 p.m. EST. Proposals will be flagged if any co-presenters do not have an SfN account by this date. The precise date and time of your session will be communicated this summer. Workshops will not have a virtual component, and all speakers are required to attend in person.
During the proposal submission and review process, the submitter will be the primary contact for the Professional Development Committee and SfN staff. If the workshop is selected, the submitter will be considered the workshop’s organizer and will be responsible for working with staff and participating speakers to secure all logistical and programmatic details for the professional development workshop. Furthermore, the organizer will be responsible for relaying any and all important information to and from participating speakers.
My SfN account requirement
For data privacy and accuracy, all co-presenters included on presenter blocks are required to have a free My SfN account. Learn more .
Room layout
It is also important for the speakers to be aware that the room settings cannot be changed. SfN will do its best to accommodate requests for one of two preset rooms, but given the number of workshops, this cannot be guaranteed. Once the room is set, the furniture cannot be moved.
Funding
Professional Development Workshops organizers and speakers may be eligible to receive support to attend the annual meeting. More details will be provided if the proposal proceeds to a workshop. This will differ year to year. If you have any questions, contact SfN at profdev@sfn.org.
How to Submit Your Proposal
When you are ready to submit your proposal, follow these steps:
- Go to the SfN Awards submission page
- Click on “Sign in” button at the top of the page
- Log in using your SfN username and password
- In the "Award Type" drop-down box, select the PDW Proposal option
- Upload the complete PDW proposal
- Click Save and Submit
The Professional Development Workshop proposal form asks submitters to provide the following:
- Name, institution/organization, title, and contact information of submitter
- Workshop overview, including title and short description
- Indication of willingness of submitter to collaborate with another organizer, and willingness of submitter to organize a webinar instead of, or as a supplement to, a live professional development workshop
- Name, institution/organization, and title of planned speakers
- Workshop objective, including intended audience and explanation of workshop relevance to the intended audience and field at large
- Preference for audience seating style (will be accommodated if possible but NOT guaranteed)
Selection Process
The Professional Development Committee selects the proposals they think best serve the interests of SfN and the success of the annual meeting. The committee may suggest a submitter substitute one or more of their planned speakers or make other amendments to their proposal. Suggestions arising from discussions of the Professional Development Committee will be passed on directly to the submitter.
Proposals that are not selected for one year will not be held over for consideration for the next year. However, a proposal may be resubmitted the following year and will receive the same consideration as all other proposals.
If your proposal is not selected to be part of the annual meeting program, you may still be invited to organize your workshop as a webinar sometime in the following year. If selected for a webinar, note that the workshop length is reduced to an hour with a maximum of three speakers and a moderator.
Growth and Opportunity
Growth and opportunity are organizational priorities of SfN and programming must ensure representation of all members. SfN encourages and promotes participation, accessibility, active representation and leadership from all populations. Recognizing that opportunity advances the field of neuroscience, SfN encourages membership and participation. The Society promotes an environment that is supportive of all individuals in the interest of advancing science.
Presenter Guidelines and Policies for SfN Events
By accepting the invitation to participate in an SfN event, you are agreeing to follow the SfN speaker guidelines and policies.
Questions?
Questions? Contact profdev@sfn.org.
