The Institute for the Brain and Cognitive Sciences (IBACS) is pleased to announce another year of our Undergraduate Research Supply Awards! Please share this opportunity with undergraduate students in your labs.

The Undergraduate Research Supply Award provides funding of up to $1,000 to support undergraduate students conducting independent research projects consistent with the IBACS mission.

Eligibility: Undergraduate students working with an IBACS-affiliated faculty member. Recipients may not receive another Undergraduate Research Supply Award within the same academic year; however, they remain eligible for the IBACS Summer Research Grant Program, provided they are still a UConn student at the time of the award.

Application Deadlines:

• Fall: September 21, 2026
• Spring: February 2, 2027

Award Information & Application:
https://braincognitivesciences.institute.uconn.edu/services/undergraduate-research-supply-award/

Applicants must complete the online application and submit a brief research plan (maximum 6,000 characters, approximately three pages). Funding is intended to defray research-related expenses, including materials and supplies, software, and animal- or participant-related costs. The submitted budget should be itemized and reflect these expenditures.

Applications are reviewed based on the following criteria:

• The project description is well written and clearly explains the proposed research.
• The project focuses on a research area consistent with the IBACS mission.
• The budget is itemized, appropriate to the project, and reports the total cost of the project, even if it exceeds the amount requested.
• The faculty advisor is familiar with the proposed project and rates the student’s work to date highly.
• The student and project meet all eligibility requirements.
• The student has secured any necessary research compliance approvals. No award will be issued until documentation of required approvals is received.

Please visit the Undergraduate Research Supply Award webpage for additional information. Questions may be directed to IBACS Institute Coordinator Crystal Mills at crystal.mills@uconn.edu or (860) 486-4937.

IBACS is pleased to welcome our affiliates back to the 2026/2027 academic year! We are excited to embark on another year of cross-disciplinary and collaborative research.

Please find below some important reminders and updates about our services, resources, and funding opportunities:

Staffing and Research Support

IBACS-BIRC Research Assistantships in Neuroimaging (I-BRAIN) Fellow Support

IBACS affiliates can work with I-BRAIN Fellows, who offer specialized skills to support projects that use the Brain Imaging Research Core’s facilities. Please email us at ibacs@uconn.edu if interested.

Research Facilities

Electrophysiology Resource Laboratory (E-Lab)

E-Lab is a shared research facility administered by IBACS. It offers space, equipment, training, and support for researchers who wish to monitor the human body’s physiological responses to a wide range of stimuli. Current equipment includes EEG (32- and 64-channel), eye-tracking, and tDCS.

Murine Behavioral Neurogenetics Facility (MBNF)

MBNF is a shared research facility administered by IBACS. It provides behavioral phenotyping services for engineered mouse models and other mouse models with human clinical relevance.

Science Alliance Mobile (SAM)

This shared facility is a mobile laboratory for research, community outreach, training, and clinical services. It is available to anyone in the UConn community by reservation. Visit our website to view photos and the fee structure. IBACS affiliates can also apply for awards to use SAM if other funds are not available.

Other Resources & Services

Desks in Arjona 311 Available 

There are desk spaces available for graduate students, post-docs, visiting scholars, and sponsored undergraduates working in IBACS-affiliated labs in Arjona 311. Desks can either be signed out individually or, if you plan to use the space sporadically, access can be provided to our flex-space desks. Access to our kitchen/lounge and meeting rooms will also be provided. Please contact Crystal to sign out a desk. 

Arjona Meeting Space Available  

IBACS has three Arjona meeting spaces available for use by affiliates, including OWL/hybrid support. Please email Crystal to inquire about access to the space and making reservations.   

External Application Review

EAR supports faculty affiliates applying for competitive external awards. IBACS-affiliated investigators can submit their proposal drafts for formal review by an advisory committee, which will provide recommendations for the final proposal. Additionally, external advisors with domain-specific expertise can provide input to help strengthen applications.

Open to: Faculty affiliates

Key Application Dates: accepted on a rolling basis

Funding Opportunities

Fall 2026/Spring 2027 Large & Small IBACS Seed Grant Funding 

Seed Grants provide funding to eligible faculty for interdisciplinary projects and research initiatives. Successful applications typically involve collaborations that require expertise across laboratories and traditional disciplinary boundaries. We prioritize projects that will lead to publications and external awards.

Open to: Faculty and postdoctoral affiliates

Key Application Dates: Large awards (>$10K) fall deadline: Oct. 1, 2026; spring deadline: April 1, 2027. Small awards (<$10K): accepted on a rolling basis until funds are exhausted.

Publication Awards  

The Institute awards funding to help researchers cover publication costs, providing affiliates with greater access to the top publications in their fields. The award provides a lump-sum of up to $1.5K to cover full publication costs, or up to 50% of the costs with a $3K cap on the IBACS contribution.

Open to: Faculty, graduate student, and postdoctoral researchers

Key Application Dates: accepted on a rolling basis until funds are exhausted

Meeting/Event Support

IBACS offers funding for one-time or recurring meetings, workshops, and conferences that support the Institute’s mission.

Open to: Faculty, graduate students, postdoctoral, and external affiliates

Key Application Dates: accepted on a rolling basis until funds are exhausted

Science Alliance Mobile Awards

IBACS affiliates can apply for awards to use our Science Alliance Mobile (SAM) for research or outreach. Please visit the webpage for more information and use the meeting/event support form to apply.

Undergraduate Opportunities

Undergraduate Research Supply Awards

This award provides funding for undergraduate students conducting an independent research project. The student’s project must contribute to the Institute’s mission. Students can apply for awards of up to $1,000.

Open to: Undergraduate students working with an IBACS-affiliated faculty member

Key Application Dates: Now open. The fall deadline is September 21, 2026; spring deadline is February 2, 2027.

Undergraduate Summer Research Awards

This award provides funding for undergraduate students conducting an independent research project. The student’s project must contribute to the Institute’s mission. The award consists of $5,000 for a single summer. Students may use up to $3,500 of the award on fellowship funds to covering living expenses, with the remaining funds available to purchase materials and equipment in support of the research project.  

Open to: Undergraduate students working with an IBACS-affiliated faculty member

Key Application Dates: Opens on December 1, 2026, and closes on February 1, 2027.

Graduate Student Opportunities

Summer Graduate Fellowships  

IBACS offers three-month summer research fellowships to graduate students working on topics with relevance to the brain and cognitive sciences. This program prepares students to apply for competitive external funding and equips them with valuable career skills via a summer grant writing workshop taught by Prof. Nicole Landi.

Open to: Graduate student affiliates

Key Application Dates: Opens on December 1, 2026, and closes December 31, 2026.

Outreach Fellowships

This fellowship offers affiliated graduate students the chance to inspire the next generation of brain and cognitive sciences scholars. Fellows receive funding and specialized training, develop outreach programs, and engage K-12 students from underrepresented groups at UConn.

Open to: Graduate student affiliates

Key Application Dates: Application dates for 2027 will be announced soon.

Research Assistantships in Neuroimaging (I-BRAIN) Program

IBACS offers assistantships for graduate students to work at the Brain Imaging Research Core (BIRC), supporting scientists with imaging experiments. Ph.D. students with MRI experience will receive advanced neuroimaging training and professional experience supporting BIRC users in implementing, running, and analyze studies using MRI, tDCS, TMS, NIRS, and EEG imaging methods.

Open to: Graduate student affiliates

Key Application Dates: We anticipate this application will open in Spring 2027. Stay tuned!

Additional Funding & Resources

Travel Awards

These awards provide up to $500 to be used for meeting/conference travel expenses where data will be presented that aligns with the IBACS mission.

Open to: Graduate student and postdoctoral affiliates; undergraduate students who are members of an IBACS-affiliated lab

Key Application Dates: accepted on a rolling basis until funds are exhausted

Bright Path Mansfield Child Care Fellowship

This fellowship provides 20 weeks of free, full-time daycare to graduate students affiliates who have become new parents.

Open to: Graduate student affiliates

Key Application Dates: accepted on a rolling basis until two awards are made

Stay Connected

IBACS Soapbox

Have something you want to share with our affiliates? Please submit to the IBACS soapbox! Anyone can submit announcements about events, training opportunities, courses, talks, funding opportunities, and more. Our soapbox is sent out to our listserv every other Monday at 2pm.

Refer a Colleague to IBACS 

The Institute is always looking to expand our community of University affiliates, helping researchers network and connect to generate collaborative research.  If you know of others in your department who would like to be affiliated with the Institute, please forward this email or encourage them to learn more about the benefits of affiliation on our website.

Join the IDEA Committee

The IBACS Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) Committee meets monthly and focuses on facilitating activities and events that foster discussion around these topics for undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty, postdocs, staff, and more in the brain and cognitive sciences community. All are welcome to join our committee and help plan and run these events. Email us if you are interested!

Best wishes for a productive year ahead!

Inge-Marie Eigsti

Director, IBACS

Crystal Mills

Institute Coordinator, IBACS

The Institute for the Brain and Cognitive Sciences (IBACS) Seed Grant application is now open. Seed Grants provide funding to eligible affiliates for interdisciplinary projects and research initiatives consistent with the IBACS mission. Successful applications typically involve collaborations that require expertise across laboratories and traditional disciplinary boundaries.

IBACS prioritizes projects that will provide pilot data in support of applications for external funding and publications. Seed funding is intended to support direct research costs such as supplies, participant fees, animal costs, and student support.

Letter of Intent Deadline: Letters of intent must be submitted at least two weeks prior to the Seed Grant application deadline (by September 17, 2026) to allow time for review and feedback before submission of the full proposal. Earlier submission is encouraged.

Open to: Faculty and postdoctoral affiliates. UCH investigators are eligible to apply as long as a Storrs collaborator is listed as a Co-PI. Please view the Seed Grant webpage for full eligibility requirements.

Key Application Dates:

• Fall Large Seed Grant Deadline (>$10K): October 1, 2026 — applications are currently open.
• Spring Large Seed Grant Deadline (>$10K): April 1, 2027 — applications will open at a later date.
• Small Seed Grants (<$10K): Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until funds are exhausted.

Current Priorities:

1. Given the current funding landscape, IBACS will prioritize proposals in areas aligned with current federal funding priorities and relevant to brain and cognitive science, including critical and emerging technologies (such as AI), health, and related areas.
2. Applications with efficient, well-justified budgets will also be prioritized so that we can support as many projects as possible. Applicants are encouraged to request only funds that are critical to the proposed project, rather than aiming for the maximum allowable funding amount.

For full details on the Seed Grant program, including the letter of intent, full Seed Grant application, eligibility requirements, and allowable costs, please visit our Seed Grant webpage.

Questions may be directed to Institute Coordinator Crystal Mills at crystal.mills@uconn.edu or (860) 486-4937.

IBACS is always looking to expand our community of University affiliates and help researchers connect across disciplines. If you know colleagues in your department who are not yet affiliated with the Institute, please share the benefits of affiliation with them.

We invite applications for the E-Lab Manager position for the academic year 2026/2027 with possible summer 2026 funding.

In this 10-hour / week position, the E-lab (Electrophysiology and Eye Tracking) manager assists lab users with training of lab members, scheduling, inventory, troubleshooting equipment, and enforcing lab policies & procedures.

APPLY HERE

Application Deadline: March 9, 2026

Learn more about the E-Lab on our webpage. If you have questions, please email the IBACS Coordinator, Crystal Mills at crystal.mills@uconn.edu.

The Institute for the Brain and Cognitive Sciences (IBACS) seed grant application is now open. Seed Grants provide funding to eligible affiliates for interdisciplinary projects and research initiatives consistent with the IBACS mission. Successful applications typically involve collaborations that require expertise across laboratories and traditional disciplinary boundaries. IBACS prioritizes projects that will provide pilot data in support of applications for external funding and publications. Seed funding is intended to support direct research costs such as supplies, participant fees, animal costs, and student support. Please submit letters of intent as soon as possible, but at least 2 weeks prior to the seed grant application deadline (by 3/25/26), to allow time for review and feedback prior to submission of the full proposal.

Open to: Faculty and postdoctoral affiliates. UCH investigators are eligible to apply so long as a Storrs collaborator is listed as a Co-PI. Please view the webpage for full eligibility requirements.

Key Application Dates: Large awards (>$10K) spring deadline: April 8, 2026. Our small seed grant awards (<$10K) are accepted on a rolling basis, but funds have been exhausted. However, we encourage those who wish to submit a small seed grant proposal to still do so following the large seed grant deadline.

Current Priorities:

1. Given the current funding landscape, we will be prioritizing proposals on topics of federal priority and relevance to brain and cognitive science fields such as critical and emerging technologies (AI), Health, and more.
2. Applications with more efficient budgets will be prioritized so we can fund as many projects as possible. You are encouraged to request only funds that are critical to the proposed project (rather than aiming for the maximum allowable funding amount).

For full details on the seed grant program, including the letter of intent application, full seed grant application, and allowable costs, please check our seed grant webpage.

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

• Helping design and implement experimental procedures for functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), electroencephalogram (EEG), transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), etc.
• Advising users on how to effectively prepare research participants.
• Advising users on data analysis.
• Overseeing use of equipment by others.
• Training undergraduate students with basics of equipment use.

Students will participate in common training activities but will primarily specialize in one of three roles at BIRC. Note – this call is for the Research Software Engineer role ONLY: 

1. Research Software Engineer. This role assists researchers in using BIRC facilities including equipment training, data analysis, sing existing software, and engineering and implementing new analytic tools when needed, implement changes to BIRC webpage when necessary. Qualified candidates will have demonstrated proficiency in Python, MATLAB, or Julia, as well as Unix-like computing environments.

Key Application Dates: Opened on Feb. 2, 2026 and will close on Feb. 23, 2026. 

Subject to funding constraints, these assistantships could be renewed for a further year. Please view full details on our IBRAiN webpage before applying. 

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