USC-Neural Summer Program
The USC Neuroscience Experience Undergraduate Research And Learning Program (USC-NEURAL) is devoted to providing outstanding research experiences and professional development opportunities for undergraduates who have a strong interest in pursuing an advanced degree in the neurosciences. USC-NEURAL provides an enriching on-campus experience where visiting NEURAL scholars work in a neuroscience laboratory for 8 weeks during the summer. Students completing their sophomore or junior year at outside institutions that will be local to the Los Angeles Area during the summer are encouraged to apply.
Application Requirements
- Personal statement and research interests
- Short statement on academic and professional goals
- Resume or CV
- Current transcript (unofficial or official)
- 1-3 letters of recommendation
Program goals:
- Connect NEURAL scholars with an NGP faculty member.
- Provide a roadmap for the scholar to learn about a specific area of neuroscience, read original literature, perform experiments and learn analytical strategies.
- Foster interactions with current NGP graduate students and other faculty to learn about advanced training in the neurosciences.
- Discover outstanding opportunities for career development in academic, private sector, education and policy arenas.
Weekly discussion sessions include:
- Ethics and Data Reproducibility Issues
- Science Advocacy
- Producing a competitive graduate school application, personal interview and written statement strategies
- Poster and Manuscripts – The Keys to Reporting
- Professional career opportunities beyond the Ph.D.
At the end of the program, each NEURAL scholar will have the opportunity to prepare and present a poster during a USC hosted research poster session.
