Thalamostriatal projections revisited - British Neuroscience ...

SPOTLIGHT ON FENS SCHOOLSNEUROSCIENCE EDUCATION PROGRAMMESSUPPORTED BY FENS - a closer lookMike Stewart, Professor of Neuroscience at the Open University is a member of the FENS Schools Committee.Here, he reviews the involvement of FENS in neuroscience education through the schools programmes,NEUROTRAIN, and PENS (the Programme of European Neuroscience Schools). In addition, within the Federation ofEuropean Neuroscience Societies (FENS), there is a programme called NENS (Network of European NeuroscienceSchools) which represents graduate schools and programmes across European countries that offer Master’s, MD anddoctoral degrees in neuroscience.A major aim of the Federation of Neuroscience Societies (FENS) sinceits inception in 1998 has been to enhance education in Neuroscience,and to train students and young investigators through a schoolsprogramme spread across Europe and the FSSU. Funding is providedfor these schools (though may be supplemented by other resources)but applicants must bid for resources and the process canbe very competitive.The NEUROTRAIN project aims to provide a standard platform forneuroscience training in Europe by offering a series of four eventsfrom 2006 - 2008 to implement a training system standardisedcoherently in relation to structure, programme frame, patientsperspectives, industrial aspects, complementary skills, eventmanagement, selection of high-quality scientists, topics and tutors,and evaluation after events to enable continuous improvement.NEUROTRAIN is supported by the European Commission,Research Directorate General, Marie Curie Conferences andTraining Courses, Contract No. MSCF-CT-2005-029703. For moreinformation see http://neurotrain.fens.orgPENS, the Programme of European Neuroscience Schools, is aFENS - IBRO collaboration. This programme, aimed to trainstudents and young investigators throughout Europe, bringstogether educational activities previously sponsored by FENSthrough its Schools Committee and by IBRO's RegionalCommittees for Europe: Western Europe Regional Committee(WERC) and Central and Eastern Europe Regional Committee(CEERC).Student selection: Student applicants (which is a term thatincludes post-docs) are selected on the basis of their researchrecord, e.g. how many publications the student has, conferencesattended, the relevance of their research topic to the school, andreferences provided by their supervisors. There are usually manymore applicants than places available and selection also examinesthe geographical location of successful applicants to ensure thatno particular country is over-represented. Effort is also made toensure the participation of students from central and easternEuropean countries (some of whom suffer from the addedcomplication of needing to obtain visas). Costs for students areusually kept to a minimum and there are bursaries for students fromcentral and eastern European countries to provide help with traveland subsistence. The locations are held in attractive geographicallocations and the schools include a mix of lectures and practicalsessions. There is time for social activities, which are designed toencourage interaction between students. As a follow up to theprevious schools, FENS has established a Schools Alumni andthere was a special Alumni symposium at Geneva with speakerschosen from amongst those who have attended a past school. Inaddition, there was an Alumni party in Geneva at a very attractivelocation in the city, to which Schools Alumni were invited to applyto attend.For organizers, PENS provides funds to support high-qualitySchools and Courses on a wide range of important topics in theNeurosciences. Particular attention is given to proposals from themembership that encourage an active involvement of the studentsand the teachers during the entire event. The overall goals are to:• increase the quality of Neuroscience education in Europe.• decrease gaps between different European neurosciencecurricula and between Europe and the rest of the world, whilemaintaining regional research priorities.• increase the mixing and collaboration of young Europeanneuroscientists.• create a network of alumni and teachers capable of enhancingscientific collaboration and the establishment of internationalresearch projects within Europe (e.g. The Alumni Programme).• alert scientists from the graduate student to the young facultylevel to the research possibilities offered by laboratories inEurope and outside (e.g. publicizing the Network of EuropeanNeuroscience Schools (NENS) and IBRO's International Registryof Neuroscience Programme).• increase the visibility of European neuroscience educationalprogrammes and their role in and outside Europe.• assist the development of Neuroscience outside of Europe byproviding opportunities in Europe for the training of promisingstudents who intend to return to their home countries (e.g. thepresent IBRO-FENS Fellowships programme, as well as thetravel grants offered to students accepted to the Europeanschools).The programme provides full or partial support for the followingeducational activities in all of Europe:Lecture-based PENS-Blackwell Summer School.In 2008, PENS will sponsor one lecture-based Blackwell SummerSchool. Minimum duration of the School is 1 week. PENS willprovide a budget of up to 40.000€.The PENS-Blackwell Summer School is intended for about 40doctoral students and young scientists who have sufficientscientific background and experience to fully benefit from thecourse. The format of this lecture-type school is similar to thePENS-Hertie Winter School. Registration fees for the students(covering also lunch and lodging) must not exceed 300€.Lecture-based PENS-Hertie Winter School (Tirol, Austria).Scheduled for the winter season 2008/2009, this school takesadvantage of local arrangements and organization established inprevious years. Hence, applications from neuroscientists only haveto focus on the Scientific Programme. The duration of the School isone week. The daily schedule includes 4-5 daily lectures of 40minutes each with an additional 20 minutes for discussion and 3poster sessions. The School accepts 40 students and youngscientists who provide evidence of sufficient scientific backgroundand experience to benefit fully from the course.The budget is administered by Professor Alois Saria who servesas the local organizer. Total travel costs for teachers must notexceed 10.000€.5