Faculty: Seed Grant for Collaborative Research 

A major goal of the Memory and Plasticity Program is to stimulate new cross disciplinary collaborative research between MAP faculty and members of the campus community. To this end, we have developed an annual seed grant which supports the collection of pilot data to stimulate and develop new collaborative research projects. The annual seed grad awards two one-year grants of $25,000 each. We welcome both basic and translational science research proposals. 

To apply, please send the following to Trevor Baer (tlbaer@ucdavis.edu):
(1) Application Form.
(2) Biosketches for PIs and other Key Personnel. Multiple PI projects are strongly encouraged for this funding opportunity.
(3) Project Proposal including: Specific Aims, Background, Proposed Activities/Experiments, Project Timetable, and Appropriateness for Seed Funding [i.e., description of how the project is interdisciplinary, bridges across particular areas of research, or would stimulate a collaboration that would not otherwise be possible]. Total Project Proposal Length should not exceed 3 pages with NIH text format restrictions (References not included in word count). 
(4) Extramural Funding Plan: Describe specific targets for grant funding to sustain the project and summarize how the seed grant can increase likelihood of success.

Proposals will be evaluated by a faculty review committee with expertise spanning areas of MAP research relevant to the submitted proposals. Review criteria, in order of importance, are:
  • Relevance to understanding learning and memory: Does the project address a question relevant to Learning and Memory and/or Memory Disorders at the cognitive, systems, or cellular level?
  • Competitiveness for Extramural Funding: How likely is it that the pilot data provided by this grant will contribute to a successful extramural research proposal? Does this project have flaws that would make funding unlikely without significant revisions? Is the project innovative (i.e., investigates new topics or uses new methods) in a way that makes it especially competitive for extramural funding?
  • Additional Consideration given to proposals on the following criteria:
    • Early Stage or New Investigator: Rate the extent to which the project will play an important role in launching a fundable line of work for a new or early stage investigator
    • Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Does the project involve collaborations across faculty from different disciplines, different areas of expertise and/or at different departments?
    • Opportunities for Undergraduate Training and/or Recruitment and Training of Underrepresented Minorities. Does the project incorporate a component that would provide new opportunities for unique training of undergraduates or recruitment of underrepresented minority students (i.e., something beyond typical undergraduate and graduate lab experiences)?

The current application cycle is underway. Applications close at midnight January 9, 2022. 

Graduate : Learning, Memory, and Plasticity (LaMP) T32

The Learning Memory and Plasticity (LaMP) Training Program at UC Davis aims to train the next generation of neuroscientists to bridge the gaps between the major levels of LaMP research (cognitive, systems, and cellular/molecular),  in order to promote our understanding of LaMP disorders. The 2-year training program covers 6 main components: 

(1) Trainees will conduct research in at least one of the LaMP faculty labs and will be co-mentored by another trainer from a distinct area of LaMP research. 
(2) Trainees will be exposed to the essential and emerging concepts in each of the fields of LaMP through a 2-quarter core course consisting of interactive lectures as well as lab-based immersion to give trainees the tools to understand the pros and cons of both the concepts and methods used at each level of analysis. 
(3) Trainees will also be exposed to LaMP disorders through a course consisting of didactic and interview/video sessions that span clinical, cognitive, systems and molecular aspects of each disease.
(4) Trainees will receive targeted career development training through a meeting every other week with Program Trainers, emphasizing critical and cross-disciplinary thinking, presentation skills, formal discussion of research-related careers outside of academia, and pressing issues in the field such as data analysis, ethics, and rigor and reproducibility.
(5) Trainees will receive extensive training in grant writing, followed by a mock study section prior to submission of their NRSA in the first quarter of their second year of funding.
(6) Trainees will participate in an annual program retreat and attend an invited LaMP speaker series.

Through these elements, this new LaMP Training Program will produce a new generation of scientists who truly think across levels and scales and who have the skills, drive, and motivation to work collaboratively to tackle the most important issues in learning, memory, and plasticity in order to improve human health. Eligibility of this grant is limited to 6 students per year, who are in Year 2 (Year 3 under exceptional circumstances) of their graduate program. 

Graduate : Pharmacology T32

This Program broadens the research perspectives and skills of trainees interested in pharmacological research. It leverages the multidisciplinary biomedical research environment at UC Davis with its highly successful programs in drug development. One goal is to provide trainees with a detailed “inside look” at and understanding of drug development from target identification into clinic. The second goal is to provide students from PhD programs outside the Pharmacology PhD program training in the core concepts of Pharmacology including Pharmacodynamics and Pharmacokinetics. The Program fosters interactions among investigators and predoctoral fellows from different departments and PhD programs that share an interest in pharmacological sciences. The Program increases understanding of and interest in the concepts, challenges, and opportunities in pharmacological research and therapeutics. It fosters collaborations between established research scientists in pharmacology and their future colleagues in basic and clinical research across academic, government and private sectors.
  • Students eligible to apply to the Pharmacology Training Program are in their first year of a graduate program listed below and are working on a thesis project related to pharmacology.
  • Other graduate groups can be considered on a case by case basis. The student must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, and be in good academic standing. The Training Program is supported by the NIH T32 GM099608 grant and internal funds at UC Davis.

Graduate : University Grad Groups

UC Davis offers graduate students the chance to be part of a diverse community of scholars , where you will work with distinguished faculty and in state-of-the-art facilities. Specifically, the Memory and Plasticity group seeks to foster interdisciplinary collaboration amongst many of the graduate and research groups on campus. UC Davis has many graduate programs involved in memory and plasticity research, including the Psychology Graduate Group, the Neuroscience Graduate Group, and the Biochemistry, Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology Graduate Group.

The Psychology Graduate Group at the University of California, Davis is a top-ranked Ph.D. program oriented toward training qualified students to pursue careers in the areas of research and teaching. Students work closely with one or two faculty members to develop research programs that result in published work in the top journals. The program requirements include minimal coursework and emphasize engagement in research from the start of the program. Resources and faculty personnel are concentrated in five areas: developmental; perception, cognition, and cognitive neuroscience; biological psychology; social-personality; and quantitative.

The Neuroscience Graduate Program, one of the premier training programs in the United States is located in the Center for Neuroscience, providing students with unparalleled opportunities for research at the cutting edge of neuroscience. The UC Davis Center for Neuroscience draws from a wide variety of resources to conduct its teaching and research programs. Contributing to its interdisciplinary approach are Center faculty members, students, and collaborators who represent 13 academic departments and sections on the main campus and a number of other sites. These sites include the California Regional Primate Research Center, UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, the Veterans Administration Health Care System Outpatient Clinic in Martinez, other hospitals in northern California, and other universities worldwide.

The Biochemistry, Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology (BMCDB) Graduate Group comprises students and faculty who share an interest in studying fundamental biological problems at the organismal, cellular and molecular levels. Experimental approaches used to address these problems range from the atomic and ultra-structural levels to model organisms that include yeast to mammals. Research in the group reflects traditional disciplinary strengths in biochemistry, molecular biology, cell and developmental biology, as well as interdisciplinary approaches that combine biology, genetics, chemistry, physics, engineering, math and computational approaches.

Postdocs: Neuroscience of Cognitive Aging Postdoctoral Training Program

The Alzheimer’s Disease Center in the Department of Neurology at the University of California Davis School of Medicine invites three postdoctoral fellows to study the biological underpinnings of the aging brain as it relates to cognition across the spectrum of human brain aging. This 2-3 year fellowship is funded by the National Institute on Aging through its T32 research training program. The program utilizes an array of more than 30 highly respected neuroscience researchers, laboratories and center facilities, and educational resources available at UC Davis to train postdoctoral students for translational neuroscience research on cognitive aging.
This program offers candidates an opportunity to explore four focal points of cognitive aging:
  • Cognitive systems in normal aging—Trainees interested in this area will collaborate with eminent scholars in pushing the frontiers of cognitive neuroscience research, while further elucidating the effects of normal aging on memory, attention, executive function, and spatial and language abilities.
  • Brain structure and function associated with cognitive aging—With mentorship from experts in cognition, neuro-imaging, and neuropathology, trainees will explore the neurophysiological and neuroanatomical changes present with advanced age with the aim of identifying points of intervention and developing treatment methods to preserve brain structure and functional connectivity in later life.
  • Disease mechanisms of cognitive aging—This focus area will offer trainees the opportunity to study basic mechanisms of cognitive decline and the contributing effects posed by medical comorbidities prevalent in advanced age. In addition to studying the effects of age-related pathologies on cognition, trainees will have the opportunity to conduct research on the concept of cognitive resilience.
  • Sociocontextual factors affecting cognitive aging—Trainees will aim to characterize the extent to which socio-cultural factors shape diet, exercise, social networks, hobbies, life philosophies, and neighborhood characteristics – all of which influence brain health, cognitive aging, and risk for cognitive impairment in later life.
Trainees accepted to the postdoctoral training program will work collaboratively with a team of 2-4 mentors to design, enhance, monitor and evaluate their research program and career development. Additionally, the program offers various didactic courses and activities (e.g., journal club, travel to scientific meetings, rotations, research design and statistics) to build a successful career path in academic or industry research.

Undergrad : Mentorship Program 

At the UC Davis MAP Program, we believe that training the next generation of scientists should start as early as possible. To this end, we have developed the Undergraduate Mentorship Program. This program is aimed specifically at sophomore and junior undergraduate students, who would like to commit an extended amount of time to research during their tenure at Davis, and gain knowledge and skills that will put them ahead for grad school and beyond. 

While this program is not meant to be a stressful addition to the already heavy course load for many undergrads, students are asked to commit 3 hours per week for at least 3 quarters. 

Program aims for undergraduate trainees: 
  • Learn how to critically and creatively approach science, while maintaining best science practices. 
  • Experience what it is like to work as part of a larger cohort and research team. 
  • Develop scientific knowledge and skills that will make you stand out during graduate school applications.
  • Learn professional development skills such as public speaking and presentation techniques
  • Design, implement, and publish an independent study with the help of your mentor.

​Due to COVID related research restrictions, this program is currently on hold.