In addition to the formal courses offered in the Department of Neuroscience, there is the opportunity for undergraduates to conduct independent work under the supervision of our faculty. There are two levels of independent work available: Independent Study Course and Independent Neuroscience Research. Each of these usually involves registering for NEUR1970. Honors in Neuroscience, detailed below and on the Honors page, requires maintenance of a distinguished academic record in course work of the concentration and completion of a thesis meriting the Honors designation.

I. Independent Study Course

In consultation with a faculty sponsor, students may organize independent study courses which cover material not available in regular courses. These independent courses might be reading projects or a combination of literature review and some laboratory work. The sponsor will determine the type and amount of work and the manner in which performance is evaluated. Keep in mind that there are a variety of courses both in our department and in other departments that cover a wide array of neuroscience topics. Please talk to your concentration advisor before considering an independent study course to make sure there isn't already a suitable course offered. 

II. Independent Neuroscience Research

Undergraduates have the opportunity to apply to work with a Neuroscience faculty member to learn techniques used in current neuroscience research and to conduct a research project developed in consultation with the faculty advisor. These projects take a variety of forms including laboratory experiments, field work and mathematical and computer modeling. The student plays a major role in designing and performing the research project. Because research projects typically take two or more semesters to complete, the decision to conduct an independent research project is a significant commitment on the part of both the student and the advisor. Be prepared to devote from 10-20 hrs/wk to your independent research project. Since there are a limited number of positions within each lab, there sometimes are more students interested in conducting research than there are positions. It is advisable to begin looking for a position in a lab at least one semester before you would like to begin. Research advisors may require that you work in their lab for a summer or semester prior to beginning the Independent Neuroscience Research project. This serves as a trial period in which both you and the faculty sponsor can decide whether to progress to a joint research project. Most projects require at least two semesters of research plus a summer. Performance in Independent Neuroscience Research is assessed by reports (of a type specified by the advisor) at the end of each semester. The report after the final semester of research is a major paper describing the background, methods, results, and significance of the research project. 

III. Arranging Independent Study in the Department of Neuroscience (NEUR1970)

1. Start your search for a faculty sponsor by consulting members of the Department of Neuroscience and the Neuroscience Graduate Program Faculty. These are individuals that have prior approval to sponsor NEUR1970. Choose potential advisors doing work in the area(s) you are interested in. Generally it is best to call a faculty member and make an appointment to discuss the possibility of working with them. If you would like to do an independent study with a sponsor that has not previously sponsored NEUR 1970,  your sponsor will have to first fill the NEUR 1970 Sponsor Application and turn it in concurrently with your Independent Study Form. 

2. Once you have tentatively arranged an independent course or research project with a faculty sponsor, the project must be formally approved by the Neuroscience Undergraduate Curriculum Committee. On the Independent Study Application, describe the project you wish to undertake and obtain the signature of your faculty sponsor. Email your proposal to neuroundergrad@brown.edu by the deadline found here under Important Dates.

3. Enrollment in NEUR1970 is closely regulated by the Department. Once your project has been approved, please request an override from your sponsor via Courses@Brown. In addition, for each continuing semester of research under these course numbers, you will need to have your faculty sponsor sign a new Independent Study Form. You do not need to describe the project again. As before, email this form to neuroundergrad@brown.edu and once you are informed that your application has been approved, please request an override from your sponsor via Courses@Brown. [While all this may sound overly elaborate, it is our way of ensuring that your faculty sponsor is both authorized and willing to direct an undergraduate research project for the Neuroscience concentration.]

IV. Using Independent Study to Satisfy Concentration Requirements

In addition to background science courses and three core neuroscience lecture courses, the Neuroscience Concentration requires one laboratory course, one critical reading course and four elective courses thematically related to Neuroscience. Independent Study may be used to replace required courses as follows.

Regardless of how many semesters of independent study are taken, only one of the required courses in a student's concentration program may be replaced by independent study.

The required laboratory course, the required critical reading course OR an elective may be replaced by two semesters of Independent Neuroscience Research (NEUR1970). Independent study other than NEUR1970 may be used to replace the required lab course or the required critical reading course, but this needs to be specifically approved by your concentration advisor. The requirements for two semesters may be waived, if the student has spent a summer doing research in the same lab as the independent study. In this case only one semester will be required.

If using NEUR1970 to replace a required course, you may still use it to fulfill the Research Requirement.

V. Scope of Independent Study Projects

Projects proposed for Independent Study must address questions that are explicitly centered on the nervous system. Work conducted in related fields, such as psychiatry, neurosurgery, oncology, or behavioral science, is appropriate only if the research question, analysis, and interpretation are clearly focused on neural mechanisms or outcomes. Projects whose primary content lies outside neuroscience must be reframed to examine how the nervous system contributes to, or is affected by, the process under study (for example, how behavioral interventions alter brain function or how CNS microenvironments influence tumor development).

In all such cases, the thesis and presentation must demonstrate a neuroscience-centered perspective throughout the literature review, analysis, and discussion. Proposals that do not articulate a clear and substantive neuroscience focus will not be approved.

Any questions concerning appropriateness of research for Independent Study should be addressed by email to neuroundergrad@brown.edu.