Gambling harms research grants
UKRI invites interdisciplinary teams to investigate gambling-related harm and develop evidence for prevention and treatment. The call spans research-council disciplines and expects participation from people with lived or learned experience of gambling harms. Projects may run for up to three years, with full economic costs up to £2 million; UKRI normally covers 80% of those costs. This project-cost ceiling is distinct from the funder contribution. The programme has an £18 million budget. Applications opened on 21 September 2026 and close at 16:00 UK time on 8 December 2026.
CIFAR Global Scholars Program — 2027–2029 cohort
A two-year programme for early-career independent researchers to collaborate within a recruiting CIFAR research programme, develop international networks and receive leadership training. Global Scholars receive CAD100,000 in unrestricted research support and may seek additional collaborative seed funding. Applicants from all countries are welcome. The appointment runs from April 2027 through March 2029. Applications close on 4 November 2026 at noon Eastern Standard Time. Recruiting programmes include Brain, Mind & Consciousness, Fungal Kingdom, and Healthy Microbiomes in a Changing World, alongside the listed social-science programmes.
Junior Research Associate (JRA) for FY2027
RIKEN offers approximately 60 part-time research appointments for doctoral students enrolled at Japanese graduate schools. Students conduct research with a RIKEN host through an eligible graduate-school, joint-research or research-collaboration agreement. Fields span mathematics, computing, physics, chemistry, life science, medical science and engineering. Appointments begin in April or October 2027. The stated monthly salary is JPY 250,000 before tax, with adjustments possible for reduced working days. Candidate materials are due at 13:00 Japan time on 16 October 2026; recommendations follow on 23 October and the RIKEN supervisor’s plan on 6 November.
Glial and Neuronal Biology of the Aging Brain Symposium, Alana Down Syndrome Center and Aging Brain Initiative at Picower, MIT
The Aging Brain Initiative (ABI) is an interdisciplinary effort by MIT focusing on understanding neurodegeneration and discovery efforts to find hallmarks of aging, both in health and disease." "The Alana Down Syndrome Center (ADSC) aims to deepen knowledge about Down syndrome and to improve health, autonomy and inclusion of people with this genetic condition." "The ABI and the ADSC have joined forces for this year's symposium to highlight how aging-related changes to the brain overlap with neurological aspects of Down syndrome. Our hope is to encourage greater collaboration between the brain aging and Down syndrome research communities.
A developmental-cognitive perspective on the impact of adolescent social media use
Concerns about the impact of social media use on adolescent well-being and mental health are common. While the amount of research in this area has increased rapidly over the last 5 years, most outputs are still marred by a multitude of limitations. These shortcomings have left our understanding of social media effects severely limited, holding back both scientific discovery and policy interventions. This talk discusses how developmental, cognitive and neuroscientific approaches might provide a new and improved way of studying social media effects. It will detail new studies in support of this idea, and raise potential avenues for collaborative work across the Cambridge Neuroscience community. As the digital world now (re)shapes what it means for us to live, communicate and develop, only an interdisciplinary approach will allow us to truly understand its impacts.
European University for Brain and Technology Virtual Opening
The European University for Brain and Technology, NeurotechEU, is opening its doors on the 16th of December. From health & healthcare to learning & education, Neuroscience has a key role in addressing some of the most pressing challenges that we face in Europe today. Whether the challenge is the translation of fundamental research to advance the state of the art in prevention, diagnosis or treatment of brain disorders or explaining the complex interactions between the brain, individuals and their environments to design novel practices in cities, schools, hospitals, or companies, brain research is already providing solutions for society at large. There has never been a branch of study that is as inter- and multi-disciplinary as Neuroscience. From the humanities, social sciences and law to natural sciences, engineering and mathematics all traditional disciplines in modern universities have an interest in brain and behaviour as a subject matter. Neuroscience has a great promise to become an applied science, to provide brain-centred or brain-inspired solutions that could benefit the society and kindle a new economy in Europe. The European University of Brain and Technology (NeurotechEU) aims to be the backbone of this new vision by bringing together eight leading universities, 250+ partner research institutions, companies, societal stakeholders, cities, and non-governmental organizations to shape education and training for all segments of society and in all regions of Europe. We will educate students across all levels (bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral as well as life-long learners) and train the next generation multidisciplinary scientists, scholars and graduates, provide them direct access to cutting-edge infrastructure for fundamental, translational and applied research to help Europe address this unmet challenge.
An interdisciplinary perspective on motor augmentation from neuroscience and design
By studying the neural correlates of hand augmentation, we are exploring the boundaries of neuroplasticity seeing how it can be harnessed to improve the usability and control of prosthetic devices. Tamar Makin and Dani Clode each discuss their research and perspectives within the field of prosthetics that has led to this unique collaboration and exploration of motor augmentation and the brain.
Aging Brain Initiative Symposium: Cellular & Molecular Mechanisms of Neurodegeneration
The Aging Brain Initiative is an ambitious interdisciplinary effort by MIT focusing on understanding neurodegeneration and efforts to find hallmarks of aging, both in health and disease. The Initiative is broad, made up of scientists in several areas, including systems neuroscience, cell biology, engineering and computational biology, with core investigators from the Departments of Biology, Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Biological Engineering, and Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence Labs. "The theme of this symposium is Cellular & Molecular Mechanisms of Neurodegeneration.