Neuroscience is increasingly relevant to a number of professions and academic disciplines beyond its traditional medical applications. Lawyers, educators, economists and businesspeople, as well as scholars of sociology, philosophy, applied ethics and policy, are incorporating the concepts and methods of neuroscience into their work. Indeed, for any field in which it is important to understand, predict or influence human behavior, neuroscience will play an increasing role. The Penn Neuroscience Boot Camp is designed to give participants a basic foundation in cognitive and affective neuroscience and to equip them to be informed consumers of neuroscience research.

Penn’s Neuroscience Boot Camp has been endorsed by the Neuroethics Society as a way for non-neuroscientists to gain a better understanding of the science behind the proliferation of new “neurofields” including neuroethics.

Through a combination of lectures, break-out groups, panel discussions and laboratory visits, participants will gain an understanding of the methods of neuroscience and key findings on the cognitive and social-emotional functions of the brain, lifespan development and disorders of brain function.

Each lecture will be followed by extensive Q&A. Break-out groups will allow participants to delve more deeply into topics of relevance to their fields. Laboratory visits will include trip to an MRI scanner, an EEG/ERP lab, an animal neurophysiology lab, and a transcranial magnetic stimulation lab. Participants will also have access to an extensive online library of copyrighted materials selected for relevance to the Boot Camp, including classic and review articles and textbook chapters in cognitive and affective neuroscience and the applications of neuroscience to diverse fields.

The Boot Camp faculty consists of leaders in the fields of cognitive and affective neuroscience who are committed to the goal of educating non-neuroscientists. Several of our faculty have won awards for their teaching.

Graduate and professional students, working professionals and college and university faculty are encouraged to apply. The only prerequisites are a grasp of basic statistics and at least a dim recollection of high school biology and physics. (A short set of readings will be made available prior to the Boot Camp to remind you about the essentials.)

Participants will be housed on campus in air-conditioned apartment-style suites with private bedrooms.  Sessions begin at 9 AM and end at 6 PM.  Breakfast and lunch will be eaten with the group; dinners are on your own.

The academic program spans nine days, Monday-Wednesday, with half of Saturday and all of Sunday off.  We begin with a welcome reception on Sunday evening, August 1^st and end with a gala dinner party on the evening of August 11^th.

The cost of Boot Camp is $4,500, which includes tuition, on-campus housing with breakfast, lunch and three evening receptions.  For those who do not need housing the fee is $4,200. Limited scholarship aid is available.

Complete applications are due by midnight on February 1^st.  You will be notified of the status of your application by March 8^th, and will have until April 2 ^nd to confirm attendance.

All applicants should send the following two documents as attachments to a single message to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , with [YOURLASTNAME] APPLICATION as the subject line:

(1) Brief (not more than 200 words) statement of interest – How is neuroscience relevant to your work and how would you apply what you learn at Boot Camp?

(2) CV

Applicants who are students or completed their graduate/professional training in 2005 or later, also please arrange for one letter of recommendation to be sent to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , with [YOURLASTNAME] RECOMMENDATION as the subject line.  The letter should discuss the quality of your work and intellectual strengths and weaknesses.

Applicants applying for scholarship support should state how much support is needed (including full support if necessary).  We also ask that you list potential sources of support, such as employers or graduate programs, that you have approached, along with the result.

Please note that applications will not be considered complete until the statement of interest, CV, and if relevant, letter of recommendation and scholarship request, are received.   The receipt deadline is midnight, February 1^st, 2010.