NEURON
NEURON: NORTHWESTERN EDUCATION AND
UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ON NEUROSCIENCE
The NEURON Scholars program is a competitive research and professional skills development program for students with a strong commitment to research and who are considering a career in neuroscience research. The goals of NEURON are to increase opportunities for Northwestern undergraduate students to participate meaningfully in research, enhance their learning from research, promote interdisciplinary interactions, and integrate undergraduates more fully within the broader Neuroscience community at Northwestern.
NEURON Scholars must identify an in-lab research mentor (faculty, post-doctoral researcher, or graduate student member of the lab) who will be responsible for actively guiding and advising the student in their research project.
A separate role is played by NEURON Partners—postdocs or senior grad students who are not specifically paired with one student, instead serving as direct mentors to the group of NEURON students.
Undergraduate NEURON candidates must be declared Neuroscience majors who have completed one year of study at Northwestern, hold sophomore, junior, or senior status, and have completed at least 2 quarters of research in their current lab.
NEURON provides:
- Enhanced mentorship support, peer guidance from postdoc and grad student mentors, and an opportunity to interact with like-minded students.
- Monthly group meetings that include lab tours, scientific skills workshops, journal clubs, information on careers in science, student presentation, and information interactions among faculty, postdocs and graduate students.
- Free membership, registration, and an opportunity to present at the Chicago chapter of the Society for Neuroscience Meeting.
- The opportunity to apply for travel awards (up to $1000) to attend scientific meetings.
Online applications for NEURON Scholars are due October 15, 2023. Click here to apply.
NEURON Scholars must meet certain minimum requirements to remain in the program.
NEURON Partners
Postdoctoral fellows or senior graduate students (3rd year and above) who have a strong interest in mentoring undergraduate students should apply to be NEURON Partners. NEURON Partners are expected to actively engage in student mentorship and interactions throughout the year. This includes helping to organize and present monthly meetings which will include presentations on science communication, lab tours, journal clubs, student research presentations on informal discussions. NEURON partners must have support and consent of their research advisors to take part in the program.
NEURON offers a $2000/year stipend to each partner.
Online applications for NEURON Partners are due September 15, 2023. Click Here to apply.