This IRES project partners Montclair State University with three research institutes in Japan: Riken Institute, Aoyama Gakuin, and the National Institute of Basic Biology (NIBB) to support undergraduate and graduate students from the U.S. to work in Japanese laboratories. The project advances research in neurobiology related to how visual information is processed and integrated with other sensory inputs to drive behavioral responses. The project also enhances students’ research experiences through international collaborations, wherein pairs of students are mentored by researchers at the Japanese institutes on related projects. Each cohort of six U.S. students participates in online workshops on research techniques, cultural and language lessons, and professional development in the semester before departure and an on-site orientation week in Japan before their eight-week research experience at their respective laboratories. The scientific and educational components of this project provide U.S. students with the benefits that come from engaging in international research. Students enhance their understanding of science and current laboratory techniques and gain a newfound appreciation of and interest in international collaborations. The project represents a synergistic collaboration that aims to pinpoint specific mechanisms involved in neural circuits, sensory processing, and behavior in zebrafish and medaka. The overall research aim is to integrate advanced techniques in n