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Brains for Brains Young Researcher Award

Since 2010, the Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience has presented the Brains for Brains Award, which recognizes the special achievements of young scientists who have shown their outstanding potential at a very early career stage — even before starting their doctoral studies. It is one of two prizes awarded by the Bernstein Network and aims to encourage young researchers to pursue research opportunities in Germany.

To be eligible for the award, applicants should intend to pursue a research career in Computational Neuroscience and must be a co-author of a peer-reviewed publication or the first author of a peer-reviewed conference abstract. The publication or abstract must have been submitted before the applicant started their doctoral studies and accepted or published in the year of the award or the preceding year.

Since 2017, the award has been presented on a biennial basis, alternating with the Valentin Braitenberg Award. It is endowed with a travel grant of 2.000 € to attend the Bernstein Conference and visit laboratories within the Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience, according to an individually planned itinerary. The award ceremony takes place during the Bernstein Conference, where the awardee presents their research.

Call for Applications

The next Brains for Brains Award will be presented in 2027.

The application deadline is April 14, 2027. Applications can be submitted from early 2027.

  • a travel grant of 2.000 €, covering:
    • participation in the Bernstein Conference 2027 in Lausanne, Switzerland
    • as well as individually planned visits to laboratories within the Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience
  • the opportunity to present your research as a talk and a poster at the Bernstein Conference 2027
  • Early-career scientists of all nationalities who are students or doctoral researchers at an institution outside Germany and plan to pursue a scientific career in Computational Neuroscience.
  • Applicants must have at least one peer-reviewed scientific publication as co-author or a peer-reviewed conference abstract as a first author.
  • Applications from all relevant disciplines are encouraged, including biology, medicine, physics, mathematics, computer science, engineering, and psychology.
  • It must have been peer-reviewed and accepted by a scientific journal or conference.
  • It must have been submitted before the applicant started their doctoral studies.
  • It must have been accepted or published in 2026 or 2027.

Applications can be submitted from early 2027.

  • Letter of motivation outlining your scientific interests, your motivation for participating in the Bernstein Conference, and the laboratories you would like to visit as part of the travel grant.
  • Peer-reviewed scientific publication or peer-reviewed conference abstract with which you are applying for the award.
  • Description of your own scientific contribution to the publication or conference abstract with which you are applying.
  • Academic CV
  • Copies of your academic certificates
If you have any further questions, please contact the Bernstein Coordination Site at bernstein.network@fz-juelich.de

Award committee

  • Armin Bahl, University of Konstanz
  • Samira Kalemba, Bernstein Coordination Site
  • Torben Ott, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
  • Eleonora Russo, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna
  • Anna Stöckel, University of Konstanz

Award winners

Previous awards were partly funded by donations from the companies Multi Channel Systems MCS GmbH, Brain Products GmbH, Thomas Recording GmbH, Circular Informationssysteme GmbH, NVIDIA, neuroConn GmbH, and npi electronic GmbH.