Students & ECRs

The BNA Festivals represent an important career step for students and early career researchers (ECRs); for numerous neuroscientists, a BNA meeting was the first large conference where they presented their work. 

Bursary information

Career speed-dating

Childcare grants

Ways in which student and ECR participation will be encouraged and supported at the Festival include those listed below. 

Check back in coming weeks and months as details are confirmed.  

  • Subsidised registration fees: less than 60% standard fee

  • Posters: 750+ slots available

  • ‘Preregistration’ posters: We will help support students and ECRs to navigate the relatively new but increasing prevalence of preregistering research by including posters focused on the presentation of research designs ahead of the research results, enabling community feedback to be provided to researchers before they do their research, when it is most useful. 

  • Rapid-fire talk session: Thirty poster abstracts will be selected by reviewers for oral presentations by way of 3-minute long ‘rapid-fire’ talks. This session was very well attended at BNA2017 and provided an excellent chance for early career neuroscientists to gain experience of speaking at a large conference, as well as raise awareness of their research. 

  • Stipulation that every symposium has to include an ECR amongst the four speakers

  • Career ‘speed-dating’ sessions at lunchtimes: these are highly popular networking opportunities to meet with senior researchers, ‘one step ahead’ new Principal Investigators, and people working in other professions such as science writing, industry, policy, funding and publishing. 

  • Workshop on Big Data: The pleasures and pitfalls of working with large datasets will be discussed at a workshop run by experts

  • Careers workshop: a ‘drop-in’ zone in the exhibition area with information and advice

  • BNA Bursaries: travel support for students and ECRs will be given by the BNA.  Partner Societies are also likely to offer bursaries; enquire with socieities directly to see if they have schemes to which you can apply

  • BNA Childcare Grants: finanical support to facilitate attendance of delegates with dependent children. 

  • Poster prizes: These will be awarded to recognise excellence in a number of criteria

  • Student and ECR social evening – chance to network more informally with colleagues

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