IBRO Partnerships: career development and regional collaboration

As a partner of the Cajal Advanced Neuroscience Training Programme, an independent, international non-profit organization also supported by FENS, the Gatsby Charitable Foundation, Bordeaux Neurocampus and the Champalimaud Foundation, IBRO supports innovative hands-on neuroscience training opportunities within Europe.

Designed by first-class neuroscientists, six 2-to-3 week project-based courses are held each year in Bordeaux and Lisbon. Information about open training opportunities can be found here.

The Canadian Association for Neuroscience (CAN) is the largest association of neuroscientists in Canada. IBRO-USCRC offers travel grants for up to 12 awardees (students and postdoctoral fellows) to the association’s annual meeting, with the aim of supporting career development and networking.

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) has shaped contemporary biomedical research and education with programs in cancer, neuroscience, plant biology and quantitative biology. IBRO collaborates with CSHL to implement the IBRO-USRC MBL and CSHL Fellowships program, which aims to increase diversity in neuroscience in the US and Canada, by providing PhD students and postdoctoral fellows with access to cutting-edge research approaches in contemporary neuroscience.

FENS is the largest neuroscience member organization in Europe. In the context of their long-term collaboration, IBRO supports:

• Early-Career Training focused on early career scientists from an international background;
• Exchange Fellowships offering support for Master and PhD students and postdocs to complete short, goal-directed training visits within established European labs;
• Travel Grants to facilitate attendance at meetings such as the FENS Forum and FENS Regional Meetings;
• The Network of European Neuroscience Schools (NENS), which connects neuroscience graduate school programs in Europe, providing a platform for interaction and exchange of best practices. In 2023, the ‘Slots in NENS courses’ program will offer support for European and non-European MSc and PhD neuroscience students based in Europe to broaden their knowledge and acquire international experience by participating in short courses organized by NENS schools.

Visit the Grants & Training calendar for current opportunities.

FALAN was formed in 2013 with the aim of promoting the study and research of neuroscience, promoting links and exchanges between partners and with national and regional organizations and international related disciplines.

IBRO’s Latin America Regional Committee (LARC) supports FALAN’s administration and activities including FALAN Travel Grants and LARC-FALAN symposia, with a focus on early career scientists and scientists from countries with limited resources for research and/or teaching.

The International Bureau of Education at UNESCO is a global center of excellence in curriculum and related matters. As a leading UNESCO Institute, it is recognized and valued for the specialist knowledge and expertise that it bring to member states promoting new shared global understanding of curriculum issues.

In 2016, IBRO and the IBE-UNESCO established a program that offers 3 joint IBRO/IBE-UNESCO Science of Learning Fellowships each year. Selected Fellows pursue research projects at IBE-UNESCO headquarters for 3 months with the goal of helping to translate key neuroscience research on learning and the brain to educators, policymakers and governments. Find out more about the Science of Learning Initiative and discover annual calls for applications.

The International Neuroethics Society is an association of professionals and students interested in neuroethics. IBRO-USCRC supports INS travel grants, in a program which aims to help students and young faculty from diverse backgrounds from North America and from under-resourced countries to participate in discussions of the INS.

The Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) is dedicated to scientific discovery – exploring fundamental biology, understanding biodiversity and the environment, and informing the human condition through research and education. IBRO works with MBL to implement various programs aiming to support career development for scientists from underrepresented groups in neuroscience:

• IBRO-USRC MBL and CSHL Fellowships: this program, aimed at PhD students and postdoctoral fellows training in neuroscience in the US and Canada, aims to increase diversity in neuroscience in the region, by providing trainees with access to cutting-edge research approaches in contemporary neuroscience.
• USCRC SEE Diversity Fellowships: the goal of SEE-Diversity is to increase the successful transition to and retention of diverse, early career neuroscientists into academic positions. The program leverages the intellectual and scientific resources of the MBL to provide candidates with long-term mentoring and professional enrichment.

The Society for Neuroscience (SfN) has nearly 35,000 members in more than 95 countries devoted to understanding the brain and the nervous system. IBRO and SfN have established a long-term framework for their collaboration, encompassing career development support and travel grants to facilitate international attendance of their respective meetings. They have previously collaborated on the Latin America Training Program and are both partners in the ALBA Network, a network aiming to promote equity and diversity in the brain sciences,  and the International Brain Bee, a non-profit educational organization.

Information on travel grant opportunities can be found in the Grants & Training calendar.