# Interdisciplinary Predoctoral Neuroscience Training Program in the Neuroscience Graduate Program.

> **NIH NIH T32** · BROWN UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $393,991

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY / ABSTRACT
Our Interdisciplinary Predoctoral Neuroscience Training Program strives to provide individualized, high quality
training to predoctoral students interested in pursuing scientific careers in the biological and biomedical sciences.
This training grant will support 8 students in their first two years of graduate studies, before they start their
dissertation research. Graduate students in our program receive broad, multi-disciplinary training that spans
many levels of inquiry, from genes through cognition, and emphasizes concepts, methodologies, experimental
design, quantitative skills and program, and sophisticated analysis of the primary literature. Our core curriculum
consists of graduate only courses, seminars, and workshops that provide a strong scientific foundation in
neuroscience and develop skills that are essential for successful, independent research careers in neuroscience,
such as effective science writing and oral presentation, knowledge of scientific review processes, and training in
ethics. New initiatives include a revised advising system, more structured program evaluation, and greatly
expanded quantitative training. We foster an environment unconstrained by traditional discipline boundaries,
where graduate students are encouraged to work at the interfaces of these disciplines. The training program
includes 39 core participating faculty and ~60 predoctoral trainees. The faculty trainers are drawn from eight
different Brown University departments: Neuroscience; Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences;
Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry; Engineering; Molecular Pharmacology, Physiology and
Biotechnology; Biostatistics; Neurology; and Neurosurgery. They are a distinguished and energetic group of
brain scientists that collectively cover the spectrum of modern neuroscience research: they work with a wide
variety of model organisms, from worms to humans, and use an array of modern neuroscience techniques,
including functional MRI, applications of robotics and neuroprosthetics, optogenetics, advanced in vivo and in
vitro electrophysiological recordings, mouse transgenics, behavioral studies, molecular manipulations of
neuronal genes, functional proteomics, and human genome-wide association studies. We encourage and
facilitate collaborations between labs as well as research in computational and translational neuroscience that
typically reside at the interface of disciplines. Key features of the Neuroscience Graduate Program at Brown
include: Excellence in research along with excellence in education and mentorship; a focused effort on
addressing shortcomings related to diversity and equity across our program, including recruitment and retention
of students as well as broad representation of trainer backgrounds; a history of interdisciplinary and translational
research; rigorous training in experimental design and quantitative methods, and an environment of highly
productive labs where gradua...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10205327
- **Project number:** 2T32MH020068-21
- **Recipient organization:** BROWN UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Diane Lipscombe
- **Activity code:** T32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $393,991
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 1999-07-01 → 2026-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10205327

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10205327, Interdisciplinary Predoctoral Neuroscience Training Program in the Neuroscience Graduate Program. (2T32MH020068-21). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10205327. Licensed CC0.

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