IBI Fellowships in Global Exchange
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Advancing the vision and mission of the IBI, Fellowships will enable scientific exchange among IBI Initiatives, Affiliates, and Partners. Fellowships may fall into any area of the brain sciences, matched to the values of the IBI, and programmatic needs and interests of the host program.
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Fellowships across locations represented by the IBI Initiatives, Affiliates, and Partners will be awarded each year for a duration of 6 to 24 months, or as part of focused programs such as summer workshops. Fellowships will be supported by represented host institutions, e.g., travel, lodging, subsistence, research costs, and participation in the IBI annual conference. Specific details for each Initiative follow in this Portfolio of Fellowships. Features of each Fellowship may change over time.
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Postdoctoral Fellows, and Early and Middle Career Investigators are eligible to apply for an IBI Fellowship. Levels will be commensurate with the definitions that exist in country in which Initiatives reside. Eligible candidates may self-nominate or be nominated.
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As appropriate to the program, IBI Fellows will be expected to conduct research or scholarly work in collaboration with a host institution and faculty that leads to a product accountable to the IBI, such as a publication, government policy brief or testimony, or educational or outreach event. Brief written reports will be due to the IBI during the life of the Fellowship: at onset with goals and timelines, at a midpoint demonstrating progress, and a final report with results and outcomes. Progress and results will be showcased on the IBI website.
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The process of nomination is described in the form here (PDF) and will be received on a rolling basis for five years beginning in 2025 through 2030. Each application must contain the following:
A statement of intent, including the fit with the IBI and fit with the host program
A current CV
Two letters of recommendation
Nominations from IBI Leadership or programs that form IBI Initiatives or self-nominations are welcome. Contact with Leadership of the cognizant Initiative before applying is recommended. Nominations will be discussed with the standing IBI Chairs jointly with members of the requested host program, but final decisions reside with the host program. Special attention will be paid to ensure the diversity of Fellows throughout the IBI Fellowship program.
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The IBI Fellowships in Global Exchange program will be administered by the organizing body supporting the Fellowship, with the involvement of IBI headquarters currently located at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada for tracking. Different types of documentation will be required by different programs. Funds flow will be directly between the Program and selected Fellows. The amount of the Fellowship will be commensurate with the academic rank of the awardee and length of stay with the Program. Ethics oversight, country to country security, and IP will be articulated in advance by the jurisdictions of sending and hosting institutions. Liability for any match, program or performance failures will reside with each Initiative or Host Program.
Currently available programs
More programs anticipated from Korea, Germany, Japan, Finland, Latin America, and Africa will be posted as they become available.
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Connected Minds
Toronto and Kingston, Ontario, Canada
Principal: Dr. Caitlin Mullin
Contact: Tara Tharani, ttharani@yorku.caDescription: The IBI and Connected Minds Postdoctoral Award will provide financial support to high-calibre academics doing scholarly work that is aligned with the Connected Minds program under the supervision of a registered Connected Minds member.
Connected Minds will support interdisciplinary training programs across its three pillars and will support training opportunities with partners in industry, government and non-profit sectors that will enhance the postdoctoral experience. Fellowships will be awarded competitively based on the strength of the candidate, the strength of the research proposal, and fit with the goals of the Connected Minds program in addition to the Affirmative Action policies. Up to two positions will be dedicated to IBI, one hosted at York University and the other at Queen’s University.
Specifically, successful applicants are expected to make meaningful contributions towards fulfilling a subset of Connected Minds’ strategic objectives and pivotal performance benchmarks, encompassing:
- Collaborations with industry, academic, government, & community partners (including Indigenous Peoples & Communities)
- Increased interdisciplinary scholarship, research, & art creation
- Increased international recognition, collaboration, & leadership
- Contributions to one or more of the following three National Science and Innovation Priority Areas (NSIPA): 1) Healthy Canadians, 2) Innovative Resilient Communities 3) Technologically Advanced Canada
For more information, visit: https://www.yorku.ca/research/connected-minds/postdoctoral-fellowships/
Length: 24 months
Support: $5,833.33 CAD salary plus benefits per month for 2 years, and $8,500 CAD research & networking allowance per year for 2 years. In-kind support including direct costs for research, office space, and access to infrastructure should be arranged between the Host Program and the Fellow prior to applying.
Start date: Connected Minds hosts two competitions each year (Spring and Fall dates). Successful Fellows have up to six months from the notice of award to plan their start date/s with the Host institution. Please visit Connected Minds for the updated competition deadlines: https://www.yorku.ca/research/connected-minds/postdoctoral-fellowships/
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Chinese Academy of Sciences
Shanghai, China
Principals: Dr. MuMing Poo, Dr. Yangang Sun
Contact: Yixi Gu, Deputy Director, Shanghai Center for Brain Science and Brain-inspired Technology, guyixi@bsbii.cn
Description: The IBI Fellowship Program in the Chinese Academy of Sciences focuses on broad areas of the brain sciences, spanning neurodevelopment, brain atlas, cognitive neuroscience, and brain disorders. The proposed Host and proposed Nominee are asked to apply jointly for the 1-2 Fellowships in the Chinese Academy of Sciences that will be available each year.
Length: 6, 12, or 24 months
Support: Fellowships will be supported at 25,000 RMB per month, with all related costs included in this amount. In-kind support for direct costs for research, office space and access to infrastructure should be established between the Host Program and proposed Fellow prior to applying.
Start date: Rolling, beginning September 1, 2025
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Tongji University
Shanghai, China
Principal: Dr. Jialin Zheng
Contact: Dr. Jialin Zheng, jialinzheng@tongji.edu.cn, +86-21-51030566,
Description: In this IBI Fellowship Program, the candidates will work on 1) the development of stem cells and related therapeutic strategies for neurological disorders and 2) the role of glutaminase on extracellular vesicle release, microglial activity, and neural circuit function, and neurological disorders. Applicants should hold an MD or PhD in Neuroscience, Cell Biology, Biophysics, Biochemistry or similar. Applicants should be highly self-motivated and have published at least two first author high impact SCI research articles. 1-2 IBI Fellowships will be available each year.
Length: 24 or 36 months
Support: Fellowships will be supported at 25,000 RMB per month. In addition, health insurance and other benefits as a full-time faculty member will be provided. Direct costs for research, office space, and access to infrastructure will be evaluated and discussed based on the expertise of the candidate.
Start date: Rolling, beginning September 1, 2025
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Tsinghua University
Beijing, China
Principal: Dr. Song-Hai Shi
Contact: Dr. Wenli Qian, Office Director, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, qianwenli@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn
Description: The IBI Global Exchange Fellowships Program at Tsinghua University, hosted at the IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, will support collaborative research on all areas of brain science. The proposed Host and Nominee are expected to apply jointly for 1-2 Fellowships at Tsinghua University that will be available each year.
Length: 6, 12, or 24 months
Support: Fellowships will be supported at 25,000 RMB per month, with all related costs included. In-kind support for research, office space and access to infrastructure should be established between the Host Program and proposed Fellow prior to applying.
Start date: Rolling, beginning September 1, 2025
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Hainan University
Sanya, Hainan Province, China
Principal: Dr. Qingming Luo
Contact: Hua Shi, huashi@hainanu.edu.cn
Description: The IBI Global Exchange Fellowships Program in Sanya, hosted at the School of Biomedical Engineering of Hainan University will focus on Brainsmatics and Brain-inspired Intelligence, especially mesoscopic brain mapping using fluorescence micro-optical sectioning tomography (fMOST) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Applications should be submitted 12 months before the working period in order to prepare the budget and working permit. 1-2 Fellowships will be available each year.
Length: 6, 12, or 24 months
Support: Fellowships will be supported at 25,000 RMB per month, with all related costs included in this amount. In-kind support for direct costs for research, office space and access to infrastructure should be established between the Host Program and proposed Fellow prior to applying.
Start date: Rolling, beginning September 1, 2025
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Oujiang Laboratory and Wenzhou Medical University
Wenzhou, China
Principal: Dr. Weihong Song
Contact: Joey Wu, joeywu@ojlab.ac.cn
Description: The IBI Global Exchange Fellowships in Wenzhou will focus on brain health and cognitive functions. For this stage, it will be open for postdoctoral researchers (usually under 35 years old), 1-2 each year, and may increase based on the development need. In addition to the materials furnished by the nominee for the Fellowship as described above, the nominee also needs to provide a softcopy of the PhD diploma, and follow the required application procedure of the potential Host.
Length: 24 months for postdoc researchers
Support: For postdoc researchers: 31,000 RMB/month (before-tax), plus extra 10,000 RMB/year of settling allowance for two years, and minimum medical insurance during the stay. In-kind support for direct costs for research, office space and access to infrastructure should be established between the Host Program and proposed Fellow prior to applying.
Start date: Rolling, September 1, 2025
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Zhejiang University School of Medicine
Hangzhou City, China
Principal: Dr. Jing Zhang
Contact: Yuting Hu, l-v-lms@hotmail.com
Description: The IBI Global Exchange Fellowships Program in Hangzhou, hosted at the National Brain Bank affiliated with Zhejiang University, will focus on aging and age-related neuropsychiatric diseases. Applications must be submitted at least six months in advance and should include a detailed proposal along with budgetary requirements. Two fellowships will be awarded annually. Preferred candidates for the fellowship are those with a medical background, with expertise in pathology being especially desirable.
Length: 24 -36 months for IBI fellowship researchers
Support: A salary of 29,000 RMB per month (before tax) will be offered, based on qualifications. In-kind support, including funding for direct research costs, office space, and access to infrastructure, will be provided as needed.
Start date: Rolling, beginning September 1, 2025