UC Davis NEURO Program

About This Grant

We propose implementing a UC Davis Neuroscience Education and Undergraduate Research Opportunities (NEURO) program to enhance the training of a workforce to meet the nation’s biomedical, behavioral and clinical neuroscience research needs. For this, we propose to offer a program that will include activities that are well-evidenced to increase the pipeline of students graduating in science majors who are interested in and prepared for graduate or medical school admissions and/or neuroscience research careers. We will support recruitment for our proposed undergraduate junior and senior training program by incorporating activities that kindle interest and engagement in neuroscience research into our highly successful Biology Undergraduate Scholars Program (BUSP), which serves talented freshmen and sophomores on our campus. We envision BUSP serving as a pre-NEURO curriculum and a vital source of applicants for our NEURO program. We will invite guest speakers to BUSP seminars, who will inform students about the scope and significance of neuroscience research, and about the opportunities offered by the NEURO program. We intend to recruit six UC Davis upper-division students per year to participate in the NEURO program, which will offer a one-year research-intensive experience (10 weeks of full-time research in the summer, and the equivalent of 5 weeks of full-time research during the academic year), advising, professional development opportunities, opportunities to practice science communication, and outreach opportunities. These activities are aimed at cultivating interest in neuroscience, developing scientific and professional skills, and facilitating participants’ advancement to the next step of their education and/or careers. We expect that NEURO participants will a) learn the importance of conducting biomedical research responsibly, ethically, and with integrity; b) increase their scientific expertise with respect to understanding scientific reasoning, rigorous experimental design, data analysis, and interpretation; c) develop skills to communicate scientific research to a variety of audiences, including those at national conferences; d) develop a science identity and sense of belonging within the scientific community; e) develop a professional network that includes supportive mentors at a variety of career stages; f) maintain/enhance interest in pursuing a neuroscience-related career and obtain tools for successful transition to graduate or professional programs and g) graduate with a science degree at a percentage of 90% with a GPA≥3.0. Our ultimate goal is that at least 80% of NEURO participants will enter graduate or medical school programs or research careers focused on neuroscience/neuroscience diseases, ultimately increasing the pool of well-trained neuroscientists.