Undergraduate and Graduate Training in Computational Neuroscience

描述（由申请人提供）：本提案是布兰迪斯大学计算神经科学的五年T90/R90培训计划，包括研究教育计划部分（R90），本科生研究培训部分（R90）和博士前研究培训计划（T90）。该计划每年申请资助6名本科生（R90）， 4名符合NRSA条件的研究生（T90）和2名非NRSA条件的研究生（R90）。我们的目标是识别早期职业学生，并为他们提供正式和非正式的教育和培训，他们将需要发展成为下一代计算/定量神经科学家。长期目标和目的是增加在神经科学方面具有强大定量和建模技能的科学家的数量，因为这一队列将需要了解健康和疾病中的大脑功能。13名培训教师拥有从人类认知到细胞和分子神经科学的研究专业知识，因此学员可以在多个层面上进行广泛的研究问题和分析。之所以选择培训教员，是因为他们已经证明了对使用理论和计算方法来理解健康和疾病中的神经系统的承诺。学生将学习计算神经科学课程，获得建立神经元、突触和网络模型的技能，并在各种独立研究项目中使用这些技能。两组潜在的学员将被瞄准：1)希望在神经科学领域工作的物理、数学和计算机科学学位课程的个人。这群人已经具备了重要的定量分析技能，但还需要神经科学方面的培训。2)攻读生物学、生物化学、神经科学或心理学学位的个人，希望学习使用定量和计算方法，作为解决神经科学中重要问题的能力的一部分。除了课程作业和实验室研究，学生和受训者还将参与大量旨在提高他们的口语技能、写作技能和与其他科学家合作能力的其他活动。所有学生和受训者都将接受负责任的科学行为方面的培训，来自代表性不足人群的学生和受训者也将包括在内。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This proposal is for a five-year T90/R90 training program in Computational Neuroscience at Brandeis University containing the Research Education Program component (R90), the Undergraduate Research Training Component (R90), and the Predoctoral Research Training Program (T90). The proposed program requests funding to support 6 undergraduates (R90), 4 NRSA eligible graduate students (T90), and 2 non-NRSA eligible graduate students (R90) each year. Our goal is to identify early career students and provide them the formal and informal education and training they will need to develop into the next generation of computational/quantitative neuroscientists. The long-term goals and objectives are to increase the number of scientists with strong quantitative and modeling skills in neuroscience, as this cohort will be needed to understand brain function in health and disease. The 13 training faculty has research expertise from human cognition to cellular and molecular neuroscience, so a wide range of research problems, at numerous levels of analysis are available to trainees. The training faculty was chosen because they have demonstrated commitment to the use of theoretical and computational methods to understand the nervous system in health and disease. Students will take courses in computational neuroscience, obtain skills in building models of neurons, synapses, and networks, and employ these in a variety of independent research projects. Two cohorts of prospective trainees will be targeted: 1) Individuals in degree programs in Physics, Math, and Computer Science who wish to work in neuroscience. This cohort already has significant quantitative skills, but needs training in neuroscience. 2) Individuals in degree programs in Biology, Biochemistry, Neuroscience, or Psychology who wish to learn to employ quantitative and computational methods as part of their ability to tackle important problems in neuroscience. In addition to course work and laboratory research, students and trainees will be engaged in a large number of other activities designed to enhance their speaking skills, writing skills, and ability to collaborate with other scientists. All students and trainees will receive training in the responsible conduct of science, and students and trainees from underrepresented populations will be included.