Abstract This application seeks support for early-stage training of doctoral students in the neurosciences at Duke University. The goal of this comprehensive, broad-based, interdisciplinary Neurobiology Training Program (NBTP) is to train top-level neurobiologists for research-oriented positions in academia, industry, and related arenas. The application seeks funding for 8 predoctoral trainees each year, 4 in their first year and 4 in their second year. Drs. Richard Mooney, Jörg Grandl, and Lindsey Glickfeld serve as the Program Director, Director of Graduate Studies, and Assisting Student Advisor, respectively, and direct the program in concert. Preceptors are drawn from 16 departments across the School of Medicine, the School of Engineering and the College of Arts and Sciences and represent a broad diversity of fields including molecular, cellular, circuits, systems, behavioral, computational, translational and cognitive neuroscience. Preceptors include scientists with long and distinguished records of achievement as well as recently recruited, talented young faculty. A large pool of >250 applicants per year permits recruitment of a talented, diverse class of ~10 new trainees each fall. Close to half of the matriculants will be supported in their first year by the Duke Graduate School, which enables the program to pull from international as well as domestic pools. Trainees undergo extensive training including demanding coursework addressing the depth and breadth of fundamental and translational neuroscience, including experimental design, technical implementation, data analysis, and interpretation. Required course work emphasizes molecular and cellular neuroscience; circuits and systems neuroscience; the neurobiology of disease; quantitative, statistical and computational neuroscience methods; scientific writing and grant writing; written and oral presentation; teaching and career development. Individual thesis committees, the Director of Graduate Studies and Assisting Student Advisor, and the Program Steering Committee carefully monitor trainees progress throughout the entire period of graduate training. Students in our program are expected to obtain their doctoral degree within 5-6 years and to publish original research articles stemming from their doctoral studies. Upon completion of postdoctoral fellowships and clinical training (where applicable), we expect that our graduates will secure tenure-track faculty positions in research institutions, obtain neuroscience-related jobs in industry, use their neuroscience training to practice medicine, and teach and train the next generation of neuroscientists at the graduate and undergraduate levels. The NBTP makes extensive efforts to recruit and retain students from underrepresented groups. The goal of the program is to train a new and diverse generation of scientists equipped with the knowledge, imagination and insight needed to cross disciplinary boundaries in search of a new and deeper understa...