The Neuroscience Training Committee (NTC) enhances the value SfN provides to individual and institutional members (neuroscience departments and programs) through programs, activities, and initiatives that advance higher education and training in neuroscience.
Roles and Responsibilities
- Oversee the implementation of SfN's Higher Education and Training Strategy and make recommendations for updates to the strategy.
- Monitor trends in neuroscience education and training, as well as potential funding and collaboration opportunities, to provide resources and programs to support members engaged in scientific training activities.
- Provide resources and programs to support members engaged in higher education and training, including programming for neuroscience program directors and faculty at the SfN Annual Meeting and faculty, an exhibit booth for neuroscience departments and programs at the SfN annual meeting, a graduate school fair, and a survey and report on trends in neuroscience education.
- Actively promote Institutional Program (IP) membership.
- Facilitate communication and sharing of information among IP members.
- Engage neuroscience departments and programs in SfN advocacy efforts, including the annual Capitol Hill Day.
The Neuroscience Training Committee is part of the Professional Development and Training Committee Cluster, which also includes the Professional Development Committee.
Mission
The Neuroscience Training Committee will promote strategies to address education and training needs at multiple career stages. The committee will take into account a broad set of considerations, including: providing career-long training on topics such as scientific rigor and emerging scientific tools and technologies; helping inform evolving neuroscience workforce and training needs; advise Council on workforce policy needs; and increasing the value of Institutional Program (IP) membership. The Committee's Core Functions should consist of:
- Providing IP members with a specific set of educational programming and networking opportunities throughout the year and at the Annual Meeting.
- Promoting life-long scientific learning for all career stages: Design programming that addresses the needs of a changing, multidisciplinary global neuroscience workforce.
- Providing resources to SfN members directly through Neuronline and/or through IP members.
- Developing format programming at the annual meeting and through web-based platforms.
- Promoting sharing of information on best practices and innovations in higher education and neuroscience training, through networking and outreach for SfN members.
- Assessing trends in the neuroscience workforce and inform educational training needs at all career stages both inside and outside of academia.
- Advising Council on issues related to workforce and training to inform policies of funding agencies.
Responsibilities
Monitor
- Needs of the neuroscience workforce to inform future programming as detailed below.
- Trends in policies of funding agencies and/or institutions related to workforce and training issues.
- Available information and data and, as needed, recommend input on information gathering efforts in regards to the neuroscience workforce.
- Best practices and policies around neuroscience education and training.
Advise On
- Initiatives to support neuroscience education and training and workforce matters.
- The evolving composition of the modern neuroscience workforce in terms of technological advancements and diverse career trajectories.
- Topics may be scientific issues, such as scientific rigor, tool and technology diffusion, or career issues such as building careers outside of academia.
- Trends in undergraduate and graduate neuroscience education and training and recommend policies to Council based on:
- members' needs related to the training and education of future neuroscientists
- trends related to "scientific workforce" size and composition
- Strategies for increasing IP membership retention and growth.
- Capturing information reflecting institutional programs through tools such as an IP member survey.
Manage Activities
- Oversee the programming of workshops and other training related activities at the annual meeting.
- Address emerging issues in neuroscience education and workforce and training by promoting dissemination of training and related information on Neuronline.
- Provide support to IP members, including addressing related topics within their programs.
- Provide training to all SfN members through in-person and online programming.
- Conduct a workshop at the annual meeting to promote networking opportunities for IP members.
Coordinate and Communicate
- Between SfN, the training and higher education community, and employers of neuroscientists as available and appropriate.
- With science agencies on workforce and training issues, working in collaboration with the Government and Public Affairs Committee and Council.
- With the Global Membership Committee to develop recommendations related to international training needs and IP membership where appropriate.
- With relevant committees through the Professional Development Cluster regarding potential activities of interest to IP members and to promote activities related to training.
- Involvement in SfN's advocacy efforts and other outreach activities that inform policymakers about neuroscience research and workforce needs.
- With the Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience (FUN) and other relevant partner organizations.
- With SfN's growing international membership on workforce and training issues.
Composition
The committee consists of a chair and committee members who all serve a three-year term. Committee members and the chair are recommended by the Committee on Committees and approved by the SfN Council. Committee members should represent a variety of perspectives, including: representation from SfN IP Membership (undergraduate, graduate, and post-doctoral program members), representation from outside of academia (e.g. science policy, writing, publishing, advocacy, program administration, teaching, government, or industry), representation that contributes a global perspective, and representation from educators with a broad role in helping shape the field of neuroscience through their curriculum or other professional efforts. Liaisons may be drawn from the Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience (FUN) and the Association of Medical School Neuroscience Department Chairpersons (AMSNDC). The incoming chair of the NTC and Principal Investigator of the Neurobiology of Disease Workshop (NDW) Advisory Board serve as ex officio members.
Schedule
The Neuroscience Training Committee (NTC) holds a yearly meeting during the annual meeting in the fall. Additional correspondence is conducted by email and conference call, as needed, throughout the calendar year to address issues that arise between meetings of the full committee.
Neuroscience Training Committee (NTC)
Chairperson | Term Ends |
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Coolen, Lique M
Kent State University |
11/18/2025 |
Incoming Chair | Term Ends |
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Ramirez, Julio J
Davidson College |
11/18/2025 |
Members | |
---|---|
Gold, Joshua I
University of Pennsylvania |
11/18/2025 |
Katz, Paul S
University of Massachusetts, Amherst |
11/18/2025 |
Hunter, Richard G.
University of Massachusetts |
11/18/2025 |
Friedman, Wilma J
Rutgers, The State University of NJ - Newark |
11/18/2025 |
Glater, Elizabeth E.
Pomona College |
11/18/2025 |
Rasband, Matthew N
Baylor College of Medicine Department of Neuroscience |
11/18/2025 |
Levine, Eric S
University of Connecticut School of Medicine |
11/18/2025 |
Spijker, Sabine
Vrije Universiteit |
11/17/2026 |
Gabel, Lisa A
Lafayette College |
11/17/2026 |
Mong, Jessica A
University of Maryland School of Medicine |
11/17/2026 |
Warrington, Junie Paula
University of Mississippi Medical Center |
11/17/2026 |
O'Dell, Thomas J
David Geffen Sch Med UCLA |
10/26/2027 |
Lantz, Crystal L
NIH BRAIN Initiative |
10/26/2027 |
Liaisons | Term Ends |
---|---|
Neugebauer, Volker
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center |
6/1/2026 |
Stavnezer, Amy Jo
College of Wooster |
10/26/2027 |