A Program Administered by the American Psychological Association and Association of Neuroscience Departments and Programs
Funded by The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) to support Postdoctoral Training in Neuroscience
Purpose
We invite individuals to apply whose career goals are consistent with one or more of the following goals:
- To increase ethnic/racial diversity among neuroscience researchers,
- To increase the number of neuroscience researchers with disabilities,
- To increase the number of neuroscientists from disadvantaged backgrounds, and
- To increase numbers of neuroscientists whose work is related to the federal initiative to eliminate health disparities.
Although the Diversity Program in Neuroscience is housed within the APA Minority Fellowship Program, the DPN's goals are in line with a broader definition of diversity as stated in the NIH Policy to Enhance Diversity.
About the Diversity Program in Neuroscience (DPN)
The APA Diversity Program in Neuroscience has been in existence since 1987 and has, over the years, partnered with the Association of Neurosciences Departments and Programs, and other organizations, to help increase diversity among neuroscience researchers. Our mission is also consistent with the mission of NIH, which includes, but is not limited to the elimination of health disparities in the U.S. Our program provides financial support, professional development activities, and professional guidance to students pursuing doctoral degrees in neuroscience and whose ultimate career goal is to become an independent research scientist.
Training Areas
Although the Diversity Program in Neuroscience is a program administered by the American Psychological Association, Fellows may receive their training in a range of academic departments provided their primary training and career aspirations are research-oriented.
Basic Eligibility
- Applicants must be American citizens or permanent resident aliens with an alien registration card (I-151 or I-551). Individual on temporary or student visas are not eligible.
- Applicants should be engaged full-time in postdoctoral training in neuroscience under the guidance of an established, grant-funded research mentor or sponsor. Individuals not currently matched with such a mentor/research environment may apply provided they obtain a postdoctoral appointment by the fall immediately following the application deadline.
- Recipients must have a Ph.D. or M.D., with appropriate research experience in neuroscience or an applied discipline, such as cell or molecular biology or immunology.
- Those students identified as under-represented in the neurosciences are strongly encouraged to apply. The DPN follows the NIH Policy to Enhance Diversity, which you may peruse for additional information.
DPN Benefits
A DPN fellowship is more than a simple scholarship that only provides financial support. A DPN fellowship is a professional training appointment into a community of students and professionals who hold similar professional interests. Indeed, the DPN provides stipends, or living allowances, but we also facilitate professional development and provide professional guidance.
Specific DPN benefits include:
- Financial support (2 years maximum. Must be renewed annually)
- Travel funds to attend the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting
- Automatic application to the Summer Program in Neuroscience, Ethics, and Survival (SPINES) at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, MA
- Ancillary training opportunities and enrichment experiences
- Access to information and resources
- Lifetime professional association with our network
Other MFP Fellowships (Note: Applicants may apply to only one of the MFP fellowships)
The Diversity Program in Neuroscience Predoctoral Fellowship provides predoctoral research fellowships in neuroscience.
The Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services Fellowship is aimed at those pursuing doctoral degrees in clinical, counseling, and school psychology, or other mental health services areas. Deadline January 15th
The MHSAS Postdoctoral Fellowship is aimed at early career doctoral recipients who are interested in developing a career in mental health services research. Deadline January 15th