This award provides funds to the Department of Psychobiology at the University of California, Irvine to continue to sponsor a successful undergraduate research experience in Neural Plasticity and Brain Function. The program originated with a one-week undergraduate Summer Institute that was expanded with NSF funding. The eight-week summer program begins with a one-week lecture/seminar series designed to introduce the students to the field and to the research of the various faculty. This is followed by an active research experience in faculty laboratories on a defined project tailored to the goals of the student and their advisors. Throughout this period, students continue to interact with faculty in both formal and informal meetings. At the end of the program, students present their findings to other students in the Department and to the faculty.
