Cognitive Neuroscience Research Internship Position @ Duke University

Introduction to the program:
The Cognitive Neuroscience Research Internship (CNRI) is a paid semester-long program that introduces the basics of conducting research about human brains and behavior. Cognitive neuroscience is the study of how our brains allow us to think, feel, and act (including memory, attention, emotion, decision-making, and language). Our research topics and methods share elements with both psychology and neuroscience. 
 
Participants in the program do NOT need prior background in research. Our goal is to provide opportunities for learning about research methods and applications, through both career development activities and hands-on experiences. Over the course of the semester, students will:

1. Gain a basic understanding of topics and methods in cognitive neuroscience
2. Learn how to read scientific articles
3. Learn how to program a psychological experiment using Python
4. Join a supportive community with a track record of helping undergraduates grow as scholars and researchers!

For the Spring 2024 semester, we will meet in-person in the Levine Science Research Center (LSRC) on Duke's West Campus (B240). Class times are M/W from 1:25-2:40pm, with the first day of class being held on 01/22/2024. Class attendance is mandatory. In total, the internship activities (described below) take about 10 hours per week.

This is a paid internship. Interns earn $15/hour for both research activities and class attendance.

Description of Internship Activities:

• Conceptual Lectures: These class sessions will include brief lectures from graduate students and postdocs about various topics in cognitive neuroscience, intern-led journal clubs (seminar discussions about a scientific paper), and professional development Q&A panels with special guest visitors (like professors and data scientists).
• Python Workshops: These hands-on sessions will focus on learning to code with Python. Over the course of the semester, interns will work together to design a cognitive psychology experiment and program the task in Python.
• Research Project Teams: Each intern will be assigned to a project team with 2 graduate student or postdoc mentors and 1-2 other interns. Each project team will explore a specific ongoing research project, led by the mentors. Interns complete various research assistant tasks for 2-4 hours per week (e.g., searching for scientific papers, recruiting and running participants for an experiment, collecting stimulus materials, pilot testing experiments, cleaning and analyzing data). Project teams will hold group meetings weekly. Interns are also invited to participate in mentors' lab meetings and be provided with a working space in lab.
• Homework: Interns will be expected to work on Python coding assignments. Additionally, each project team will prepare a short presentation about their work at the end of the semester.

Who we are:
We are graduate students, postdocs, and professors in the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience. We're curious about why people do the things they do, and how our brains make it happen. Some of our specific research interests include: learning and memory, curiosity, motivation, emotion regulation, decision-making, and cognitive control. We use a variety of different experimental methods, including behavioral experiments, eye-tracking, surveys, EEG, and MRI. 

Who you are:
This program is for undergraduates at Duke University who are interested in cognitive neuroscience. CNRI is particularly well-suited for individuals interested in pursuing a PhD, MD/PhD, or careers in user research (UX) and data science. Priority will be given to students with little to no research experience or coding background. 
 
What we expect of you, if you join the program this semester:
This is a semester long program that involves both group and individual activities. In order to ensure a beneficial experience for everyone we expect you to commit to the entire program. We ask the following of each participant:

• Commit approximately ~10 hours per week to this program
• Attend class in-person on M/W from 1:25-2:40pm EST
• Contribute to your research team by communicating regularly and completing tasks on-time
• Be a team player by contributing to our collaborative learning environment

 
Applications for this internship are due by midnight on January 14th, 2024.

Click HERE to apply