BRAIN CREATE Program Requirements

MSc and PhD students participating in the BRAIN CREATE training program must comply with the requirements listed below. A summary for PhD students is illustrated below; MSc students have a truncated program (2 years and 2 graduate courses instead of 4 years and 3 graduate-level courses) as outlined below.

  1. Students will attend a boot camp.
  2. Students will meet with the Program Directors twice per year for enhanced mentorship.
  3. Students will attend two problem-based courses: Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience (Fall term; MDSC619.01) and Extreme Physiology and Neurotechnology (Winter term; MDSC660). These two courses are required for all students participating in BRAIN CREATE, and are in addition to courses required by a student's graduate program. See the BRAIN CREATE Course Policy for more information.
  4. Students will participate in a minimum of 5 elective program elements (see Figure 1, below), amounting to a minimum of 40 hours a year, including a minimum of 10 hours of technical, professional, innovation, or knowledge translation workshops. Elective program elements include, but are not limited to, an additional elective course, academic exchanges and collaborations, Research in Progress, extreme expeditions, technical and professional skills workshops, knowledge translation and innovation workshops, accredited journal clubs, industrial placement and collaborations, and conferences.
  5. Students will complete at least one of the following:
    - A provincial, national, or international academic exchange,
    - A work experience/ collaboration/internship in an industrial or non-academic setting, and/or
    - An experience testing technologies at geographical, biological, or environmental extremes.
  6. Students will participate and present their research at provincial, national, or international scientific and/or innovation workshops or conferences.
  7. Students will attend a journal club each week and make regular presentations.
  8. Students will present and participate in Research in Progress talks.
  9. Students will belong to and participate in the HBI Trainee Organization.
  10. Students will enroll in the HBI REALISE program.
  11. Students will present an Exit Seminar upon completion of the program; attendance is mandatory for all students.
  1. Students will track their participation in all core and elective elements of the program. In addition, students will keep track of all awards applied for and received, publications, conferences, meetings, symposia, poster or other presentations, talks, translational activities, and participation in all other educational activities. Students will report on these activities a minimum of four times per year.
  2. Students are expected to apply for internal and external awards or grants for which they are eligible, including those from provincial or national agencies. Students who are successful in obtaining other funding must immediately inform BRAIN CREATE (braincreate@ucalgary.ca) and the HBI (hbi.education@ucalgary.ca) to enable adjustment of BRAIN CREATE funding. See the Graduate Scholarship Terms of Reference for more information.

BRAIN CREATE Graduate Trainee Experience

Figure 1: BRAIN CREATE Graduate Trainee Experience