Author: Crystal Mills

Welcome Back, IBACS Affiliates!

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Please find below some very important Spring 2026 reminders about our services:  
 

Staffing and Research 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 

 
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.
 
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.  
 
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. Click on the link above to view photos and the fee structure. IBACS affiliates can apply for awards to use SAM if 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 use 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/classroom spaces available for use by affiliates, including recent technology additions for hybrid participation. Please email Crystal to inquire about access to the spaces and making reservations (Arjona 324, 340, and 307 with capacity up to 22 people).    
 
Facilities, Resources, & Equipment Documentation for NIH/NSF Applications
The Institute offers extensive documentation of facilities, resources, and equipment that can serve as a template for your external grant application. Email Crystal to request a copy.
 
EAR supports faculty affiliates applying for competitive external awards. IBACS-affiliated investigators can submit their proposal drafts for formal review by an advisory committee, who will make recommendations for the final proposal. Additionally, external advisors with domain-specific expertise can provide input to significantly enhance the likelihood of achieving a fundable score.  
Open to: Faculty affiliates  
Key Application Dates: accepted on a rolling basis 
 
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) spring deadline: April 1, 2026.
A reminder: All proposals with a UCH investigator must also have at least one Storrs investigator. We hope this will change as we negotiate future support from UCHC.  
 
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 
 
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. 
 
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: spring deadline is February 2, 2026.  
 
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  or a single summer. Students may use up to $3,500 of the award on fellowship funds to covering living expenses and remaining funds 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: closes on January 30, 2026.  
 
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 
 
Have something you want to share with our affiliates? Please submit to the IBACS soapbox! Anyone can submit on topics such as events, training opportunities, course announcements, talks, funding opportunities, and more. Our soapbox is sent out to our listserv every other Monday at 2pm.  
  
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 by clicking on the link above.   
 
Join the IDEA Committee
The IBACS Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) Committee meets monthly and focuses on facilitating activities and events that offer discussion around these topics for undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty, post-docs, staff, and more in the brain and cognitive sciences community. All are welcome to join our committee to plan and run these events. Email us if you are interested!
   
Best wishes for a safe and productive semester ahead!  
  
Emily Myers, Director of Training, IBACS 
John Salamone, Director of Communication and Outreach, IBACS  
Holly R. Fitch, Interim Director of Research, IBACS 
Crystal Mills, Institute Coordinator, IBACS  

IBACS Undergraduate Summer Research Award Apps Due 1/30/26

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IBACS is offering another year of the undergraduate summer research awards! Please share with the undergraduate students in your labs.
 
Note: The summer award is different from the academic year research supply award application for up to $1,000 which is still open – the spring deadline is 2/2/26. See separate email for details. 
 
This summer award provides funding for undergraduate students conducting an independent research projectover the summer consistent with the Institute’s mission. Funds can be used for research supplies and a stipend to support students over the summer. Students can apply for awards of up to $5,000.
 
Open to: Undergraduate students working with an IBACS-affiliated faculty member. Students who received academic year funding are eligible to apply for the summer research grant program, provided that they are still a UConn student at the time.
Key Application Dates: The summer application deadline is January 30, 2026.
Applicants must fill out the online application including a research plan, budget, and letter of support from a faculty sponsor. The funding is meant to defray the research-related costs such as materials & supplies, software, animal or participant-related costs. The budget should reflect these expenditures.
The IBACS undergraduate award academic year applications are reviewed based on the following criteria:
  • The project description is well-written and clearly explains the project and the project timeline is feasible.
  • 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 faculty advisor is familiar with the student’s project and rates the student’s work to date highly.
  • Students are expected to develop the submission with the mentorship of their research advisor, and research mentors are encouraged to provide feedback to applicants, but the submission should be primarily the student’s own work. 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.
Please visit the award webpage for more information and contact our Institute Coordinator, Crystal Mills at crystal.mills@uconn.edu f you have any questions.

Reminder: IBACS Undergraduate Research Supply Award Apps Due 2/2/26

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A reminder that the Institute for the Brain & Cognitive Sciences (IBACS) undergraduate research supply award spring 2026 deadline is February 2, 2026. Please share with the undergraduate students in your labs.
 
This academic year award provides funding for undergraduate students conducting an independent research project consistent with the Institute’s mission. Students can apply for awards of up to $1,000.
 
Note: The academic year supply award is different from the undergraduate summer research award, which is for up to $5,000 as it includes funds to support student living expenses over the summer. The application deadline for the summer award is 1/30/26. See separate email for details. 
 
Open to: Undergraduate students working with an IBACS-affiliated faculty member. Recipients cannot apply for another grant within the same academic year, however, are eligible for the summer research grant program, provided that they are still a UConn student at the time.
Key Application Dates: The fall deadline has passed; spring deadline is February 2, 2026.
Webpage Link: https://braincognitivesciences.institute.uconn.edu/services/undergraduate-research-supply-award/
Applicants must fill out the online application, and also submit via the online application, a relatively short research plan (maximum of 6,000 characters, approximately 3 pages). The funding is meant to defray the research-related costs such as materials & supplies, software, animal or participant-related costs. The budget should reflect these expenditures.
The IBACS undergraduate award academic year 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 faculty advisor is familiar with the student’s project and rates the student’s work to date highly.
  • The student and his/her project meet the eligibility criteria.
 
Please visit the award webpage for more information and contact our Institute Coordinator, Crystal Mills at crystal.mills@uconn.edu if you have any questions.

IBACS Summer 2026 Graduate Fellowship Application Now Open!

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

These $5,000 summer fellowships are intended for 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. IBACS Graduate Fellows attend a short grant-writing workshop where they will write an NIH F31 or F32 application and participate in a mock review panel, styled after NIH review panels, during which fellows review peer applications. Students who eventually submit an NIH F31 or F32 will have the scientific portion of the application finished by the end of the workshop. Students interested in submitting NSF GRFP, NRSA (pre- or post-doctoral fellowship), or equivalent should still apply. 

Open to: IBACS Graduate student affiliates  

Key Application Dates: Opens on December 1, 2025, and closes December 31, 2025.  

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 federal funding. Students who were fellows in summer 2025 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. If you are fully funded for the summer period (e.g. you are a UConn Health graduate student or grant -funded), you are eligible to apply and attend the workshop without the funding component. If you are a student in any of these situations, please see the details on our website for more information. 

Please refer to the full details on our webpage, including eligibility and conditions on awards before you apply. If you have any questions, please contact Crystal Mills at crystal.mills@uconn.edu. 

IBACS Undergrad Research Supply Awards

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This award provides funding for undergraduate students conducting an independent research project consistent with 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. Recipients cannot apply for another grant within the same academic year, however, are eligible for the summer research grant program, provided that they are still a UConn student at the time.
Key Application Dates: Now open. The fall deadline is September 15, 2025; spring deadline is February 2, 2026.
Applicants must fill out the online application, and also submit via the online application, a relatively short research plan (maximum of 6,000 characters, approximately 3 pages). The funding is meant to defray the research-related costs such as materials & supplies, software, animal or participant-related costs. The budget should reflect these expenditures. The IBACS undergraduate award academic year 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 faculty advisor is familiar with the student’s project and rates the student’s work to date highly.
  • 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.

IBACS Seed Grant Applications Due 10/1

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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. Applicants are strongly advised to submit efficient budgets to maximize the number of projects we are able to fund and to be fiscally responsible in the current budget climate. Please submit letters of intent as soon as possible, but at least 2 weeks prior to the seed grant application deadline (by 9/17/25), to allow time for review and feedback prior to submission of the full proposal.  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.
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) fall deadline: Oct. 1, 2025; spring deadline: April 1, 2026. Small awards (<$10K): accepted on a rolling basis until funds are exhausted.

IBACS Undergraduate Research Event

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The IBACS Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) Committee is excited to invite you to participate in our upcoming Undergraduate Research Event on Monday September 22nd from 11am – 12:30pm in SU 304 & 310. This event is designed for students interested in research opportunities within the brain and cognitive sciences. Anyone from your lab is welcome to join—PIs, post-docs, grad students, lab managers, Ras, and especially undergrads (past or current).

Why Participate?

For Your Lab:

  • Connect early with students specifically interested in brain and cognitive science fields (as opposed to an event like research connections, which is university-wide).
  • Recruit new lab members through independent study, student labor, or work-study.
  • Find participants for ongoing studies.
  • Share information about courses you teach that align with student interests.

For Students:

  • Learn why research experience matters and how to get involved (and get compensated!).
  • Meet labs face-to-face and makes research/talking with faculty less intimidating than cold emails
  • Gain confidence and discover how research builds valuable, transferable skills.

What We’ll Provide:

  • Two 30-minute presentations with Q&A offered at 11:15am and 12pm, highlighting undergraduate research options at UConn.
  • A 6ft table, nametags, and a printed sign for your lab.
  • A sign-in sheet at our info booth with details about participating labs.

Want to Make Your Table Stand Out?

Optional, but here are some ideas:

  • Email sign-up sheets or QR codes (we’ll have templates ready).
  • Flyers, posters, or handouts.
  • Interactive demos (e.g., EEG caps). Let us know if you need an outlet.
  • Freebies or promo items your lab already has.
  • A tablecloth if your lab has one.

If your lab is interested, please fill out this quick form: https://forms.office.com/r/z5bsTxuzhc

Please feel free to share with your students! No need for them to sign-up. We hope to see you there and help students take their first steps into research!

IBACS End-of-Year Event 5/7/25

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Registration is now closed for the 2025 Institute for the Brain & Cognitive Sciences (IBACS) End-Of-Year Event on Wednesday, May 7th from 9am-1:30pm. This celebration of the 10th anniversary of IBACS will be in-person in the Rome Ballroom on the Storrs Campus. Affiliated faculty and graduate students will give 5-minute talks on their IBACS-funded research. 

Schedule:

9:00AM – Welcome & Opening Remarks from UConn Leadership 
IBACS Directors
Inge-Marie Eigsti, Director of Research
Emily Myers, Director of Training
John Salamone, Director of Outreach and Communications
UConn Administrators
Anne D’Alleva, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
Pamir Alpay, Vice President for Research, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship
Ofer Harel, Dean for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
9:30AM – Data Blitz (5-minute talks) 
Natale Sciolino, Physiology and Neurobiology
Matthew Frost, UCH Neuroscience
Heather Read, Psychological Sciences (BNS)
Whit Tabor, Psychological Sciences (PAC)
Yulia Bereshpolova, Psychological Sciences (BNS)
Pengyu Zong, UCH Calhoun Cardiology Center
Jun Yan, Statistics
Hannah Mechtenberg, Psychological Sciences (PAC)
Kelly Mahaffy, Psychological Sciences (DEV)
Wesley Leong, Psychological Sciences (PAC)
10:30AM – Keynote Talks (30-minute talks)
James Li, Genetics and Genome Sciences
James Magnuson, Psychological Sciences (PAC)
11:30PM – Closing Remarks 
11:45PM  – Poster Session & Lunch
   1:30PM – End Time

 

 

Call for nominations: The Phillip P. Smith Award in Cognitive Science

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Call for nominations: The Phillip P. Smith Award in Cognitive Science: Recognizing Vision and Innovation in the Study of Mind and Body

Phil Smith was a urologist at UConn Health during the earliest days of IBACS – his curiosity and vision led him to ask in what ways cognitive science might inform the relationship between the brain and the organs of the body whose regulation can at times be automatic and outside of conscious control, and at other times under seemingly full control of the conscious mind. Phil sadly passed away in 2022. His legacy continues through an ongoing research project across the Storrs and Farmington campuses. He brought together a band of “unusual suspects” – urologists, geriatricians, gerontologists, psychiatrists, cell biologists, and cognitive psychologists who are still working together today. In recognition of his vision, IBACS has created an award in Phil’s memory. The award consists of a crystal trophy inscribed with the recipient’s name and a design that captures Phil’s research into the relationship between brain and bladder.

IBACS seeks nominations for this year’s recipient of the Phillip P. Smith Award. Nominees can be students at any level, postdoctoral researchers, or pre-tenured faculty. Nominators should explain in what way the nominee has exhibited vision and innovation in respect of the relationship between mind and body (defining “body” to include physical aspects and systems of the body, and the “mind” to include anything that can loosely be construed as implicating cognition, emotion (and its regulation), human experience, and so on). We do not rule out any particular area or topic, so long as it is related to some aspect of psychological and bodily function (health policy, for example, that touches on such issues, the health and psychological sciences more broadly, and philosophy, as well as others, are all domains in which such vision and innovation might be expressed). A letter describing why the nominee is a worthy recipient of this award, as well as a copy of the nominee’s CV, should be sent to ibacs@uconn.edu by April 15, 2025. 

The award will be presented at the IBACS End of Year Event on May 7, 2025.

IBACS Spring 2025 Seed Grant Applications Due 4/1

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The Institute for the Brain and Cognitive Sciences (IBACS) spring 2025 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. Applicants are strongly advised submit efficient budgets to maximize the number of projects we are able to fund. Please submit letters of intent as soon as possible, but at least 2 weeks prior to the seed grant application deadline (by 3/18/25), to allow time for review and feedback prior to submission of the full proposal.
 
Open to: Faculty and postdoctoral affiliates
Key Application Dates: Large awards (>$10K) spring deadline: April 1, 2025.
Please note an important change for the academic year: Unfortunately, UCHC has pulled their financial contribution to IBACS for the 24/25 year due to budget cuts. As a result, we will be requiring that all proposals with a UCH investigator also have PIs with a Storrs collaborator. We hope this will change as we negotiate future support from UCHC.
 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.
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 not yet affiliated with the Institute, please share the benefits of affiliation with them!