SURFiN funds paid research assistant positions for undergraduate students living near Simons Foundation-supported laboratories across the U.S., Canada and Europe, for individuals who might not otherwise have access to such opportunities. Fellows gain hands-on, in-person research experience in the laboratories of Simons Foundation-supported investigators and mentorship by early-career scientists. Fellows will also participate in career development activities, including a virtual coding boot camp and a scientific symposium in New York City.
The SURFiN program is part of the Simons Foundation’s Autism & Neuroscience division, which also includes the Simons Collaboration on the Global Brain (SCGB), the Simons Collaboration on Plasticity and the Aging Brain (SCPAB), the Simons Collaboration on Ecological Neuroscience (SCENE) and the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI).
The Simons Foundation’s Autism & Neuroscience division is invested in supporting the next generation of researchers and recognizes that creating opportunities for all to contribute improves scientific innovation and collaboration. Through programs like SURFiN, we aim to expand access to research experiences, support early-career scientists and build a research training environment where everyone feels valued and respected.
The SURFiN Program is named in honor of neuroscientist Krishna Shenoy. Shenoy was a Simons Collaboration on the Global Brain investigator and seminal figure in developing the dynamical systems approach now widely used to understand and model the nervous system and its functions. He nurtured a collaborative environment in his lab, launched the careers of dozens of neuroscientists and engineers and inspired them to be dedicated mentors for their teams.
