REU Sites: Summer Research Experience in Brain and Cognitive Sciences

南卡罗来纳大学的大脑和认知科学暑期研究体验(SREBCS)REU为来自全国各地的十名本科生提供了九周的沉浸在如何在该领域进行研究的机会。学生参加1)每周小组实验室，提供对大脑和认知科学方法的实践学习，2)半周研讨会，整合大脑和认知科学的主题，以及3)每天与国际公认的行为神经科学、认知科学、认知和发展神经科学子领域的科学学者进行个人研究。SREBCS培养少数族裔和非少数族裔学生对大脑和认知科学基础研究的兴趣。每周一次的小组实验室让学生体验不同的方法，包括MRI、fMRI、EEG、ERP、眼睛跟踪、动物观察、神经组织分析和基本认知实验。每半周举行一次研究研讨会，激发学生对教师提出的研究的讨论，因为它涉及到更广泛的大脑和认知科学领域。教师实验室的日常研究为学生提供了对研究过程所有阶段的见解，包括有机会在充满活力和支持的研究人员导师的个人指导下制定和实施研究项目。小组研讨会、小组实验室和个人实验室经验的结合为学生提供了从创新和实践学习经验中收集研究的多种视角。小组实验室和研讨会促进了对该领域相关问题和方法的理论和实践理解。从导师正在进行的研究计划中得出的研究项目通常使用高度复杂的方法和设备来研究学科中的关键主题。因此，学生可以在特定的实验室中接受个别培训，以及对大脑和认知科学不同领域的主题和方法进行综合抽样。SREBCS为本科生提供了一个创新和综合的论坛，教育他们关于大脑和认知科学的知识，并鼓励他们在这一领域追求职业生涯。尽管美国被认为在大脑和认知科学领域处于领先地位，但我们的大学必须能够激励和培养最优秀的学生，为未来在这些关键研究领域的职业生涯服务。SREBCS通过提供经验来帮助填补这一角色，这些经验激发和激励学生申请脑科学和认知科学的基础研究研究生培训计划，从而在这些重要领域建立研究和教育基础设施。学生们体验了不同的方法和理论取向，变得更加开放地接受多学科方法来理解该领域。该计划为那些在自己的机构进行研究的机会有限的学生提供了增强的和令人兴奋的研究体验。SREBCS特别努力增加少数群体在这些领域的机会，增加该领域的多样性。该计划还影响了与该研究所相关的研究生的培训，目的是拓宽他们作为研究人员和教育工作者的学术经验。该项目由NSF EPSCoR Office共同资助。

The Summer Research Experience in Brain and Cognitive Sciences (SREBCS) REU at the University of South Carolina provides ten undergraduate students from across the country a nine week immersion into how research is conducted in the field. Students participate in 1) weekly group laboratories that provide hands-on learning of brain and cognitive science methods, 2) semi-weekly seminars that integrate topics within brain and cognitive sciences, and 3) daily individual research with internationally recognized scientific scholars in the subfields of behavioral neuroscience, cognitive science, and cognitive and developmental neuroscience.Intellectual Merit. The SREBCS fosters minority and non-minority student interest in basic research within brain and cognitive sciences. A weekly group laboratory engages students in hands-on experiences with diverse methodologies that include MRI, fMRI, EEG, ERP, eye-tracking, animal observation, neural tissue assays and basic cognitive experimentation. Semi-weekly research seminars stimulate student discussion of research presented by faculty as it relates to the broader field of brain and cognitive sciences. Daily research in faculty laboratories provides students with insights into all phases of the research process, including an opportunity to formulate and conduct research projects with individual guidance from energetic and supportive research faculty mentors. The combination of group seminars, group laboratories and individual laboratory experiences provides students with multiple perspectives on research gleaned from innovative and hands-on learning experiences. The group laboratory and seminar foster theoretical and practical understanding of relevant issues and methods in the field. Research projects derived from the mentors' ongoing research programs investigate critical topics within the discipline, often using highly sophisticated methodology and equipment. Thus, students receive the benefits of individual training within specific laboratories as well as integrative sampling of topics and methods across the diverse areas of brain and cognitive sciences.Broader Impacts. The SREBCS provides an innovative and integrative forum for educating undergraduate students about the brain and cognitive sciences and encouraging them to pursue a career in the field. Although the U.S. is perceived as a leader in the brain and cognitive sciences, our universities must be able to motivate and train the best students for future careers in these vital areas of research. The SREBCS helps fill this role by providing experiences that excite and motivate students to apply to basic research graduate training programs in the brain and cognitive sciences and hence build the research and educational infrastructure in these vital areas. Students experience diverse methods and theoretical orientations, becoming more open to multidisciplinary approaches to understanding the field. The program provides enhanced and exciting research experiences to students who may have limited opportunities for research at their own institutions. The SREBCS makes a special effort to increase minority opportunities in these areas, adding to the diversity of the field. The program also impacts the training of graduate students associated with the institute, with the aim of broadening their academic experiences as researchers and educators.This project is co-funded by the NSF EPSCoR Office.