The overarching objective of the proposed program is to provide an enriched and innovative predoctoral training
experience to foster the next generation of stellar neuroscientists. The Broad-based Research, Analytics, and
Innovation in Neuroscience (B2RAIN) Predoctoral Training Program takes advantage of the University of
Florida’s exceptional strength in neuroscience and its burgeoning Artificial Intelligence/data science
communities. Given these strengths, the University of Florida (UF) is uniquely suited to offer a training program
that strongly aligns with the stated goals of the Jointly Sponsored NIH Predoctoral Training Program in the
Neurosciences and to offer the first such program to predoctoral trainees in the State of Florida. Indeed, UF
offers an exceptional environment for the B2RAIN program that includes a strong cadre of dedicated and
productive mentors. The B2RAIN program is carefully designed to integrate a well-rounded core neuroscience
curriculum with coursework and practical experiences that will enable neuroscience predoctoral trainees to build
strong quantitative skills that emphasize AI principles, coding, experimental design, and statistical rigor.
Moreover, students will acquire a full complement of critical interdisciplinary skills around communication,
collaboration, rigor, and resilience that will bolster individual scientific and professional success. The requested
funds, together with a strong institutional commitment, will enable a minimum of eight neuroscience predoctoral
students to enter the program annually and for these students to be fully supported during their initial two years
of doctoral training while acquiring the essential foundational skills offered by the B2RAIN program. A minimum
of forty doctoral neuroscience students will benefit from this training over the course of 5 years. Following the
comprehensive training in fundamental neuroscience and rigorous quantitative approaches offered by the
B2RAIN program, the students will be well-prepared to complete doctoral research with one of over forty
outstanding preceptors. These mentors, who hail from across the UF campus, are dedicated to the training
mission and offer a wealth of expertise across a wide range of neuroscience subdisciplines including
systems/behavioral neuroscience, neurogenetics, cognitive neuroscience, and neurodegeneration. Trainees will
be recruited from a talented cohort of applicants to the UF neuroscience Ph.D. program and will demonstrate
the potential to become the next generation of innovators to drive progress in uncovering the complexities of the
nervous system in both health and disease. The emphasis on quantitative skills, scientific rigor, and on acquiring
essential professional skills important for long-term career success will add significant value to the participating
students’ doctoral training experience. Specifically, the B2RAIN Training Program will equip trainees with the
cross-disciplinary knowledge, skills, and perspectives to launch and maintain productive research careers at the
forefront of the rapidly-advancing neuroscience field.