ISNI (Illinois Summer Neuroscience Institute)
There's the case of the stroke patient who woke up screaming that someone had placed a severed limb in his bed and attempted to hurl his own leg onto the floor, convinced it didn't belong to him. There's the long-distance runner who, after having brain surgery to stop debilitating seizures, lost all sense of time and could run for days without knowing how long she'd been on the road. There's the unforgettable case of H.M., the amnesiac who could form short-term memories, but lost the ability to encode new long-term memories. Then, there are the smaller wonders-the mystery of neuronal plasticity, the puzzle of peripheral nervous system regeneration, and the challenge of studying an organ that is intricate, ever-changing, and fundamental to not just our health but our personalities, our identities, and our relationships. There is no field quite like neuroscience.
Whether you're just getting interested in the field of neuroscience or are actively pursuing postgraduate opportunities, The Illinois Summer Neuroscience Institute offers the chance to explore for yourself the wide range of neuroscience research at the University of Illinois. ISNI is a one-week, all expense-paid program that will offer a select group of students a firsthand look at what a research career in neuroscience entails, as well as the opportunity to connect with faculty studying neuroscience from engineering, psychological, behavioral, and molecular perspectives. ISNI is organized and led by the UIUC Neuroscience Program, and ISNI 2012 will run from May 21 - 25.
Students attending ISNI may expect a very full week of activities. Specific activities include research presentations by Neuroscience faculty, discussions of current and future developments in neuroscience, laboratory exercises that acquaint students with the methods and the challenges of research, a chance to interact with graduate and medical students pursuing careers in neuroscience, tours of the campus and facilities, breakfast and lunch discussions of careers, graduate school, and minority issues, and social activities with the Neuroscience Program.
Admission to ISNI is limited to 26 students and will be based on our assessment of each applicant's potential and enthusiasm for research. We seek students from around the country with a wide variety of backgrounds; prior experience with neuroscience is helpful but is not required.
Students from underrepresented minority groups, and those in their freshman and sophomore years, are particularly encouraged to apply.
Students who qualify may apply for admission to both ISNI and the Summer Research Opportunities Program (SROP) (http://grad.illinois.edu/srop/) at Illinois. SROP runs for ten weeks, from early June through the first week of August. Students applying for both ISNI and SROP need to complete both the ISNI and the SROP application, located at the link above.
If you are interested in ISNI, or have questions, please e-mail Annie Weisner (isni@life.illinois.edu).
Admission
How to Apply
The 2012 ISNI application is due on February 1st. However, exceptional applicants may be admitted early and you are encouraged to submit your application as early as possible. To be considered for participation in the Illinois Summer Neuroscience Institute, you must complete the following by February 1st, 2012:
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Online completion of ISNI application, Part I: The application is a three-step process. The first part of the application includes general information that we encourage interested students to complete AS SOON AS POSSIBLE at:
Online letters of reference, Part II: You must provide one reference from a faculty member, academic advisor, or other person familiar with your academic work and interest in the neurosciences and neuroscience research. For current freshman students, this reference must be provided from a faculty member at your current institution. Your second reference may be from any person who is familiar with your interests and experience in research or neuroscience. You must provide the name, e-mail address, and contact telephone number for your references by the deadline via the application web site after completing Part I. Your references will be submitted by the indicated individuals via an online process.
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ISNI Application, Part III: This part of the application includes specific academic information (such as current GPA), a 500-word Personal Essay, and an official undergraduate transcript that includes graded coursework from the 2011 fall semester. The official transcript must be received by the deadline and submitted via mail to the following address:
Illinois Summer Neuroscience Institute
Re: Official Transcript
Neuroscience Program
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
405 North Mathews, Room 1624
Urbana, IL 61801
The Personal Essay must be typewritten, single-spaced, in Microsoft Word and uploaded to the online Web site as a .doc document. Part II of the application must be completed by February 1st, 2012 by visiting the application web site after completing Part I.
The Personal Essay (500 words or less) should address the following:
When and how did you become interested in neuroscience and/or research?
How would ISNI participation aid in shaping your academic and career goals?
Questions and Additional Information:
Please note that ISNI applicants who are eligible for participation in the SROP program must complete both the ISNI application AND the SROP application. If you have additional questions, please contact the Illinois Neuroscience Program at:
Annie Weisner
Illinois Summer Neuroscience Institute
UIUC Neuroscience Program
405 North Mathews, Room 1624
Urbana, IL 61801
(615)-478-1163
isni@life.illinois.edu
ISNI