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BIRC & IBACS Speaker Series: Dr. Andrew Jahn on 12/7

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Dear IBACS & BIRC Communities,

 
We are excited to announce a new talk series sponsored by BIRC and IBACS. Our first speaker will be Dr. Andrew Jahn at the Univeristy of Michigan. Andrew Jahn, PhD is a neuroimaging consultant at the University of Michigan’s UMOR Functional MRI Laboratory in the Radiology Department. Dr. Jahn teaches neuroimaging analysis, functional and structural connectivity, machine learning, and other topics related to cognitive neuroscience. He has hosted neuroimaging workshops at several research institutions across the United States, including the University of Washington, Michigan State University, Ohio State University, Harvard University, and others. His research focuses on the role of prediction within the medial prefrontal cortex, and how this applies to domains such as pain, cognitive control, and linguistic processing. He will give his virtual talk, Trends in Best Practices for fMRI Research on Thursday, December 7 via Zoom at 2:30pm ET. The attached flyer includes full details, including the abstract.  
 
Registration is required to attend this seminar. Please register here. We ask that you please use your university/institution email address so we can track attendance. Once you are registered, you will receive an email from Zoom with the meeting information.
 
If you have any questions, please email ibacs@uconn.edu.

11/10 COGS & SLHS Colloquium: Dr. Samuel Mathias

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The Cognitive Science Program and the Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences Department are co-hosting a talk on 11/10!   

Speaker: Dr. Samuel Mathias, Professor of Psychology from the Department of Psychiatry at the Harvard Medical School

Time & Location: 4PM, Friday November 10, 2023, in McHugh Hall Room 206

Talk Title: “Genetic and environmental influences on hearing, cocktail-party listening, and cognition”

Abstract: Everyday hearing requires solving the cocktail-party problem, or segregating and attending to the relevant parts of complex auditory scenes. There are huge individual differences in cocktail-party listening abilities. People with clinical hearing loss generally struggle with cocktail-party listening due to impaired basic auditory sensitivity; however, others experience similar difficulties despite having “normal” sensitivity. Conventional wisdom says that such individual differences are due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors, although the specific factors and their relative weights are poorly understood. This talk will describe preliminary work and future plans to identify specific genetic and environmental factors influencing hearing abilities, including basic auditory sensitivity and cocktail-party listening. We will also discuss how these abilities relate to cognition, with a view towards leveraging these relationships to better understand the distinct and shared etiologies of presbycusis, cognitive decline, and dementia.

Meetings: If you are interested in meeting with Dr. Mathias during the day before his talk or in dinner on Friday evening, please email Crystal: crystal.mills@uconn.edu. Thank you!

IBACS Fall 2023 Call for Seed Grant Applications

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The Institute for the Brain and Cognitive Sciences (IBACS) is pleased to announce a new call for applications to its seed grant fund.  

The seed grant program is intended to fund research consistent with the IBACS mission. Large Seed Grant applications (>$10,000 but <$25,000) are time-limited to accommodate GA assignment; the Fall deadline is October 2nd, 2023 (due to the 1st falling on a weekend). Please submit letters of intent as soon as possible, but at least 2 weeks prior to the seed grant application deadline (by 9/15/23), to allow time for review and feedback prior to submission of the full proposal. 

A reminder that our Spring deadline will be April 1st, 2024. Small Seed Grant applications (<$10,000) are accepted on a rolling basis until funds are exhausted.

Seed funding is intended to support direct research costs such as supplies, participant fees, animal costs, and student support. Review criteria seek innovative, novel, and collaborative projects in the field of brain and cognitive sciences.  Postdocs can also apply, with a faculty mentor as co-PI. Undergraduates are directed to separate academic/summer funding. Full details on the seed grant program, including applications (letter of intent and full seed app) and allowable costs, please check our website. 

The Institute also invites applications for affiliate memberships.  

Any questions should be directed to the Institute Coordinator, Crystal Mills at crystal.mills@uconn.edu or (860) 486-4937. 

Welcome Back!

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IBACS is pleased to welcome our affiliates back to the 2023/2024 academic year! We are excited to embark on yet another year of cross-disciplinary and collaborative research.   

Please find below some very important Fall 2023 reminders and updates:  

Fall 2023/Spring 2024 Large & Small IBACS Seed Grant Funding  

Effective Sept 1, 2023, we call for Seed Grant applications from affiliates to fund interdisciplinary research consistent with the IBACS Mission. Large Seed Grant (>10K) applications are time-limited to accommodate GA assignment. Fall deadline is October 2nd 2023; Spring deadline is April 1st 2024. Small Seed Grant applications (<10K) are accepted on a rolling basis until funds are exhausted. Seed funding is intended to support direct research costs such as supplies, participant fees, animal costs, and student support. Review criteria seek innovative, novel, and collaborative projects in the field of brain and cognitive sciences. Postdocs can apply, with a faculty mentor as co-PI. Undergraduates are directed to separate academic/summer funding. For more information on the Seed Grant and other funding programs, including allowable costs, please check our website.

IBACS Publication Awards   

The IBACS Publication Award provides a lump-sum up to $1.5K to cover full publication costs, or up to 50% of the costs with a $3K cap on IBACS contribution. The application process is rolling and will close once funds are exhausted. Please visit our award page for more information, including eligibility requirements and the form to apply.     

Summer Graduate Fellowships   

IBACS Summer 2024 graduate fellowship application opens on December 1, 2023, and will close January 30, 2024. Details can be found on the webpage.   

Undergraduate Research Awards 

We will be offering IBACS Undergraduate Research Grants this academic year and during the summer. Please note that our dates have changed from past cycles. The academic year application is now open – the Fall application will close on September 18, 2023, and the Spring app will close on February 6, 2024. A separate email with more information will be sent out soon. Our Summer 2024 application will open on December 1, 2023 and close on January 30, 2024. Please visit our undergraduate fellowships page for more information, including deadlines and instructions, as they become available.  

IBACS Meeting Support 

Please note that our mechanism for applying for meeting support is changing. Instead of applying through our small seed grant application, please visit our meeting support page. IBACS offers meeting, workshop, or conference support (either one-time or recurring) to IBACS affiliates and external/non-profit organizations. The event must relate to the Institute’s mission. The deadline is rolling and funds are limited, so the application will close once funds are exhausted.  

Travel Awards Program  

The IBACS Travel Award Program funds up to ten $500 awards to be used for meeting/conference travel expenses where data will be presented that was directly supported by IBACS. These awards are available to undergraduate and graduate students, as well as post-docs. This program operates with a rolling deadline. Please visit the travel award webpage for more information.      

Arjona Desks Available  

There are desk spaces available for graduate students and sponsored undergraduates working in IBACS-affiliated labs in Arjona 311. Please contact Crystal to sign out a desk.  

Arjona Meeting Space Available   

IBACS has some Arjona meeting spaces available for use by affiliates, including OWL/hybrid support. Room booking requests and OWL reservations should go through Crystal.   

IBACS Soapbox 

Have something you want to share with our affiliates? Please submit to the IBACS soapbox at soapbox.uconn.edu. Anyone can submit on topics such as events, courses, talks, funding opportunities, and more. Our soapbox is sent out on our listserv every Monday at 2pm.  

Refer a Colleague to IBACS  

The Institute is always looking to expand our base of University affiliates, helping researchers network and connect to generate collaborative research.  If you know of others in your department that would like to be affiliated with the Institute, please forward this email or recommend they check out the benefits of affiliation on our IBACS website.  

   

Best wishes for a safe and productive year ahead!  

  

John Salamone, Director of Communication and Outreach, IBACS  

Inge-Marie Eigsti, Director of Research, IBACS 

Emily Myers, Director of Training, IBACS 

Crystal Mills, Senior Institute Coordinator, IBACS  

IBACS Summer 2023 Call for Seed Grant Applications

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IBACS Summer 2023 Undergraduate Research Grant Program 

The application period for the summer research grant program opens TODAY, Monday February 20th, and the deadline for applications will be 11:59 pm on March 13th, 2023. It is expected that applicants will be conducting research with IBACS faculty members, focusing on any research area associated with the IBACS mission.  Faculty sponsors will need to supply a letter of recommendation. Once the applicant lists the faculty advisor of the project in the form, an email will be sent to the faculty member with directions for how to submit the letter. Applicants must fill out the online application, submit a relatively short research plan and a budget that explains in detail how the funds will be spent.

The budget should be constructed in the following manner:  The total award will be for up to $5,000. $3,500 should go to providing the student with a summer stipend, and it is expected that the student will spend at least 10 weeks of the summer working on this project at UConn.  Up to $1,500 can be allocated for any supplies or materials that contribute to the research, including software, participant costs and any animal expenses. 

Students who received a Fall 2022/Spring 2023 IBACS grant are eligible for the summer award. However, students cannot take the summer IBACS award in combination with any other major summer award (e.g. SURF). Thus, a student can apply for multiple awards, but can only accept one. The results of the grant review will be given to the student awardees in time for them to make a decision about which grant they will accept, in case they receive more than one. 

The IBACS undergraduate award applications are reviewed based on the following criteria:

  • The project description is well written and clearly explains the project.
  • The project clearly focuses on a research area associated with the IBACS mission.
  • The budget is itemized, appropriate to the project described, and reports the total cost of the project (even if it exceeds the funding requested).
  • The advisor is familiar with the student’s project and rates the student’s work to date highly. 
  • Where project applications are equally meritorious, the reviewers will take note of how the student’s project will contribute to the advisor’s research goals.
  • The student and his/her project meet the eligibility criteria.
  • The student has secured research compliance approval(s) if necessary for the project. No award will be issued until documentation of approval(s) is received.
 

Save the Date- IBACS Meet & Speak 2023

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We are excited to invite you to Save the Date for the IBACS 2023 Meet & Speak Event on Friday, April 28th from 10AM-3PM. This event will be held in the Konover Auditorium at the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center. 
The IBACS Meet & Speak will explore the diverse research of IBACS affiliated faculty and graduate students, and will provide an opportunity for cross-disciplinary networking. We hope you can join us; please check back here for updates!
Event Flyer: Meet & Speak 2023

Call for IBRAiN Applications

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The Institute for the Brain and Cognitive Sciences (IBACS) is inviting graduate students to apply for theIBACS-BIRC Research Assistantships in Neuroimaging (IBRAiN) Program. These graduate assistantships are for 10 hours per week during the Fall (2023) and Spring (2024) semesters at the Brain Imaging Research Center (BIRC). During the first year, assistants will be trained in neuroimaging methods, data science, and reproducibility. Assistants will spend the remaining allocated hours at BIRC, supporting users of BIRC facilities. This could involve helping design and implement experimental procedures for fMRI, EEG, TMS etc., recruitment and prepping of participants, data analysis, or overseeing use of equipment by others. Applicants will be expected to commit to the full duration of the assistantship (Fall & Spring). Funds may be available during Summer 2024 to enable IBRAiN students to pursue their own research at BIRC. IBRAiN students also receive an allocation of 20 hours of resource time to be used at BIRC during the course of the fellowship. 

Up to three students will be supported in the 2023-2024 cycle. Students will participate in common training activities, but will primarily specialize in one of three roles at BIRC. Applicants should indicate which role(s) they wish to be considered for. 

1. Research software engineer. This role assists researchers in data analysis, particularly functional MRI, using existing software, and engineering and implementing new analytic tools when needed. Qualified candidates will have demonstrated proficiency in Python, MATLAB, or Julia, and Unix like computing environments. 

2. User support. This role assists researchers in using BIRC facilities, including experimental design and setup, equipment training, data management, and maintaining documentation resources. Qualified candidates will have prior experience in designing and running in-person experiments. Familiarity with Python or MATLAB is preferred. 

3. MR Operator. This role assists researchers in obtaining functional and structural MRI data by learning how to operate the Siemens Prisma 3T MRI Scanner to perform brain research studies. Qualified candidates will have demonstrated an understanding of MRI safety, a high level of reliability, and the ability to work with participants across the lifespan.

The deadline for receipt of applications will be midnight on Friday, February 24, 2023

Subject to funding constraints, these assistantships could be renewed for a further year. Please refer to the full details and access the application on our IBRAiN webpage. 

If you have any questions, please contact the Institute Coordinator, Crystal Mills at crystal.mills@uconn.edu. 

COGS & SLAC Talk on 12/16: Jonathan Peelle

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The Cognitive Science and SLAC programs invite you to a talk on 12/16!

 

Speaker: Dr. Jonathan Peelle, an Associate Professor from the Center for Cognitive and Brain Health at Northeastern University.

Time & Location: 4PM, Friday December 16th, 2022, in the Dodd Center Konover Auditorium. Light refreshments will be provided. Please RSVP so we can order accordingly.

Talk Title: “Cognitive consequences of acoustic challenge during spoken communication”

Abstract: Everyday communication is full of acoustic challenges, including background noise, competing talkers, or assistive devices. How do listeners understand speech in the midst of this noise? Evidence from multiple sources is consistent with a shared resource framework of speech comprehension in which domain-general cognitive processes supported by discrete regions of frontal cortex are required for successfully understanding speech. These increased cognitive demands can be captured using behavior, pupillometry, and functional brain imaging. Although frequently studied in the context of hearing loss, these principles have broader implications for our understanding of how auditory and cognitive factors interact during spoken language comprehension.

 Bio: Jonathan is a cognitive neuroscientist who studies the neuroscience of human communication, aging, and hearing impairment at the Center for Cognitive and Brain Health at Northeastern University. He also has two podcasts: “The Brain Made Plain” where he interviews cognitive neuroscientists about their work, and “The Juice and the Squeeze” in which he and a co-host talk about different aspects of being in academia.

Meetings: If you are interested in meeting with Dr. Peelle during the day on Friday or joining the dinner, please email: crystal.mills@uconn.edu. 

Reminder: IBACS Summer Grad Fellowship Applications Due 12/2

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The Connecticut Institute for the Brain and Cognitive Sciences (CT IBACS) is inviting applications to its Graduate Fellowship Program.

These summer fellowships are intended for graduate students working on topics with relevance (broadly construed) to the Brain and Cognitive Sciences. IBACS Graduate Fellows attend a short grant-writing workshop and will be expected to submit an application to the NSF GRFP, NRSA (pre- or post-doctoral fellowship), or equivalent.

Deadline for receipt of applications is Friday, December 2nd, 2022.

Graduate students who are not US citizens are eligible to apply and are expected to work with their advisor to develop an external research proposal if they are not eligible for graduate fellowships. Students who were fellows in summer 2021 may apply if they submitted the external grant proposal they developed last year and it was not funded, with the expectation that they will revise their previous grant or develop a new one.

Please refer to the full details here before you apply. If you have any questions, please contact Crystal Mills at crystal.mills@uconn.edu.