The WashU Neuroscience Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program (Neuroprep) aims to enhance readiness for graduate studies in Neuroscience through a two-year paid experience in research and professional skills training.
Recent or soon-to-be college graduates who haven’t had substantial laboratory research experience are invited to apply.
Learn about…
Neuroprep programming
The goal of Neuroprep is to provide experiences that are enriching, educational and enabling to help trainees matriculate into strong programs for graduate work in Neuroscience. WashU Neuroprep is an excellent opportunity for students who discover their interests in research late in their undergraduate career or those who require further coursework and laboratory experience to be competitive for rigorous graduate training.
The 2-year Training Program includes:
- hands-on research in a basic or clinical neuroscience laboratory throughout both years
- instruction in science communication, public speaking and professional skills through workshops
- guidance and mentoring to help navigate Program choices in Y01
- guidance and mentoring in the graduate school application process in Y02
The Program features
- participation by 40+ Neuroscience faculty who are experts in their fields and devoted to training future neuroscientists
- An hourly wage of $18.31 per hour, plus benefits and travel
- opportunities to travel to scientific conferences and present at research symposia
- opportunities for outreach activities in the greater St Louis region
- peer-peer interactions with Neuroscience-oriented undergraduates and Neuroscience PhD students
Trainees will have opportunities to attend the Society for Neuroscience conference, the Society for the Advancement for Native Americans and Chicanos in Science (SACNAS) or the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS), to network, strengthen professional development skills, present their research and take advantage of the large representation of PhD programs that regularly attend these meetings to solicit interest and applications.
Neuroprep timeline
Your Neuroprep Community
The bonding and mutual support that result from being part of a cohort of students is an important ingredient in Neuroprep’s long-term success. We anticipate that many of the students entering Neuroprep may not have clear ideas of the specific direction they want to follow in the neurosciences. Our network of advisers, educators and near-peers from across the university will help the students navigate the process of graduate program applications and advise them as they choose the right place to perform their graduate studies.
Global leaders in neuroscience
Ranked #9 by US News & World Report for top Global Universities in Neuroscience and fourth in US academic institutions for NIH funding, WashU is renowned for its innovative research, outstanding education and collaborative community of scientists. Our faculty are experts in diverse fields of neuroscience, from basic research into how the brain functions to clinical studies of cutting-edge medical interventions.
Neuroprep trainees have the opportunity at the outset of their program to conduct three rotations in different research labs so they can experience and directly appreciate potential differences among the many diffedrent research environment/projects. Then they can choose with confidence and on terms that reflect their active engagement the laboratory where they will be conducting their research for the rest of the program. More than 50 principal investigators from across the Schools of Medicine, Engineering and Arts & Sciences welcome Neuroprep researchers to join their labs.
Salary and benefits
Neuroprep trainees are paid employees of Washington University who have access to generous benefits provided by the school, including health and dental insurance and a free public transportation pass.
All trainees will receive a dedicated laptop computer during their time in the program. They will also have unlimited and secure cloud storage space through WUBox for the duration of their participation in Neuroprep.