Awards and Initiatives

NETWORK

Recognizing outstanding achievements

The Bernstein Network regularly honors outstanding achievements in the field of computational neuroscience with two scientific awards. They are presented in the course of the Bernstein Conference and address established scientists on the one hand and outstanding young scientists from all over the world on the other.

Valentin Braitenberg Award

The Valentin Braitenberg Award recognizes the impact of its recipient’s research on neuroscience and is therefore given to established researchers. The prize is awarded only upon nomination. The Valentin Braitenberg Award is financially supported by the “Autonome Provinz Bozen Südtirol”, the home of its namesake.

Brains for Brains Award

The Brains for Brains Award was established by the network in 2010 to support outstanding young scientists. As a travel grant, it enables the respective awardees from all over the world to get to know the German research possibilities in computational neuroscience.

Promoting young scientists

Excellence needs young scientists! Therefore, the network provides young scientists with special incentives to present their work to the scientific community. Here, the Bernstein SmartSteps series offers a special presentation and networking platform. In addition, the network makes sure to create space for the next generation of researchers both in the context of a major event such as the Bernstein Conference and with the financial support of other early career initiatives.

Bernstein SmartSteps. Featuring Early Career Scientists

The Bernstein SmartSteps series provides a unique career platform for selected early career scientists of the Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience to present their research to the scientific public. Over the course of a year, the best presentation is rewarded with a special coaching to promote the young scientists’ careers.