Community Activities and Support

Each year the Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience (KIFN) presents an award to recognize a faculty member and graduate student who have demonstrated exemplary service to the Neuroscience Graduate Program. A call for nominations is sent yearly, in early September. Please contact Julia Liebowitz for additional information. See announcements for previous winners. 

KIFN supports a bi-weekly seminar during the lunch hour delivered by a KIFN faculty member describing recent research advances in an informal setting where questions and dialogue are strongly encouraged. KIFN seminars provide an opportunity to learn about ongoing work at UCSF and affiliated National Laboratories (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory). A goal is to foster new collaborations at the intersection of these three remarkable institutions.

KIFN has established a fund to support student and post-doc activities. Current funding supports programs including student led Brain Talks, informal gatherings to promote interaction such as ‘Brain Coffee’ hour and the Research in Progress Seminars at which students present their ongoing research to the KIFN and neuroscience communities. In addition, support is directed to new student recruitment through the Neuroscience Graduate Program with an emphasis on aiding new student transition to UCSF. 

The Kavli IFN has established an “Education Enrichment Fund” to enhance the scientific environment at UCSF. This fund provides support for: visiting lecturers to enrich academic courses, the creation of symposia addressing emerging topics in fundamental neuroscience, the creation of new courses and other educational initiatives. Matching funding for new initiatives will be considered. Reach out of Julia Liebowitz with ideas.