Gunther Stent Neuroscience Research Scholars Program
Department of Neuroscience, UC Berkeley
The Stent Neuroscience Research Scholars Program recognizes undergraduate students who have passion and strong talent for research, and provides financial support for them to conduct targeted research or scholarship in the laboratory of an established Neuroscience Department faculty member for one year. The goal is to allow students who have shown initial success in research to be able to immerse themselves in a research experience with a leading faculty member. In the long run, we hope this encourages students to embark on research careers, to advance understanding of neuroscience and address neurological disease.
This research scholars program is named for Gunther S. Stent, who was an early molecular biologist and visionary neuroscientist at UC Berkeley. Professor Stent worked at the intersection of molecular biology, developmental biology and neuroscience, to understand how the nervous system develops and generates behavior. In addition to being an experimentalist, Professor Stent was an especially broad thinker who also produced influential theoretical work, including on neural plasticity and philosophy of neuroscience.
The award provides financial support ($7500 for AY2024-2025) to support an undergraduate researcher during their junior or senior year. Students should already have identified a faculty mentor and have demonstrated successful initial research in that faculty laboratory. The faculty member must have at least 3 years' experience as an Assistant Professor, or more senior, and must not be emeritus.
The award consists of a stipend to the student for one year (Fall and Spring semesters), as they work under the supervision of the faculty member. The student will be recognized as a Stent Undergraduate Research Scholar, and the adviser as a Stent Faculty Scholar. At the end of the award year, students will present a poster at the Neuroscience Department's undergraduate research symposium. Scholars will also be recognized at graduation.
Application process and guidelines
Faculty will apply on behalf of the faculty-student pair. Faculty will fill out a nomination form that describes the proposed project and evaluates the student's aptitude for research based on the work they have done already in the faculty lab. The student will complete a student information form describing their motivation for doing research, the goals of the proposed project, and how this award would be transformative in allowing them to pursue research at a higher level. The student will also provide a resume and transcript.
Selection will be based on the both the research aptitude and passion of the student and the research productivity and excellence of the faculty member. Any area of neuroscience will be supported, with a preference for interdisciplinary research.
Number of expected awards. For 2024-2025, we expect to name 2 faculty-student pairs as Stent Scholars. We hope to expand this program in the future.
Please note that this award may affect the financial aid of students who are receiving financial aid.
Application Instructions
The application deadline is 5 PM, Friday, August 23, 2024.
The application has two parts, one from the faculty and one from the student.
Faculty should complete the on-line faculty nomination formThis form asks for the student nominee's name, a brief project description, a rating of the student's research aptitude, and a description of the student's prior research performance in the faculty mentor's lab. The faculty mentor must also upload a CV or Biosketch.
Students must complete a student information formThis form asks the student to describe their motivation for doing research (100 words), to describe the research project goals (200 words), and to explain how receiving this award would be transformational in their ability to pursue research at a higher level (200 words). Students must also upload their resume and an unofficial transcript.