ISNI (Illinois Summer Neuroscience Institute)
The Illinois Summer Neuroscience Institute is a one-week program designed to introduce students to neuroscience research and to the range of potential careers in neuroscience. ISNI 2010 will run from May 18th to 21st. The ISNI is organized and led by the Neuroscience Program.
Students attending ISNI may expect a very full week of activities. Specific activities include research presentations by Neuroscience faculty, discussions of current and future areas of neuroscience, laboratory exercises that acquaint students with the methods and the challenges of research, 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 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://www.grad.uiuc.edu/srop/)
at Illinois.
SROP runs for ten weeks, from Friday June 4 through Friday, August 6.
If you are interested in ISNI, or have questions, please e-mail Samit Shah (isni@life.illinois.edu).
Admission
How to Apply
To be considered for participation in the Illinois Summer Neuroscience Institute and the Summer Research Opportunities Program, you must provide the following:
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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:
http://isni-apply.life.uiuc.edu/
The deadline for completion of Part I of the application is March 1st, 2010.
Online letters of reference, Part II: You must provide two references from faculty members, academic advisors, or other persons familiar with your academic work and interest in the neurosciences and neuroscience research. For current freshman students, one of these references must be provided from a faculty member at your current institution. 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 2009 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
c/o: Dr. Samuel Beshers
Neuroscience Program
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
318b Morrill Hall, MC-118
505 S. Goodwin
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 the deadline 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 ONLY complete the ISNI application. If you have additional questions, please contact the Illinois Neuroscience Program at:
Samit Shah
Illinois Summer Neuroscience Institute
UIUC Neuroscience Program
318b Morrill Hall, MC-118
505 S. Goodwin
Urbana, IL 61801
(217) 689-1010
isni@life.illinois.edu
