Researcher 1 - Military Veterans

This posting is for awardees of the MINNESOTA INCLUSIVE NEUROSCIENCE DEVELOPMENT SCHOLARS (MINDS) PROGRAM.
MINDS is a post-Baccalaureate Research Program for Underrepresented Minorities in Pursuit of a Career in Neuroscience, and awardees are given temporary Researcher 1 (job code 8352R1) appointments for up to 24 months.

Mission: The mission of the MINDS program is to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in the field of neuroscience starting at the early career stage. We believe that one point of attrition for individuals from underrepresented or disadvantaged backgrounds is immediately after college graduation.

Goal: The goal of the MINDS program is to provide financial support for college graduates to pursue up to 2 years of independent research in a neuroscience laboratory at the University of Minnesota prior to graduate school. The goal of the program is to provide laboratory and research experience that encourages intellectual as well as technical growth, helps build confidence in laboratory settings and gives opportunities for the students to obtain âœdeliverablesâ in the form of intramural and extramural posters and publications. Graduate school entry has become increasingly competitive and graduate schools' admissions committees emphasize research experience. We believe this emphasis leads to a substantial roadblock for some individuals. Our goal is to help individuals from underrepresented or disadvantaged backgrounds submit competitive graduate school applications at a nationwide level by increasing access to meaningful laboratory research experiences. We fully expect that successful MIND scholars would be competitive for the UMN Graduate Program in Neuroscience as well as other programs across the country. Finally, the goal of this program is to service our local community by uplifting individuals within the state of Minnesota.

Job Duties
85% Research Duties: carry out experiments under the supervision of the PI and/or a senior laboratory member. Responsibilities may include assistance with specialized lab techniques and the participation in cutting-edge research, ordering and maintaining inventory of common supplies for the laboratory, maintaining equipment in working order, keeping records of protocols and standard operating procedures.

15% MINDS Program Duties: all Scholars are expected to attend and actively participate in a number of program activities, designed to enhance preparation for graduate study and develop a community with their cohort:
Annual Welcome Gathering
Weekly Meetings of the MINDS
Monthly Group Lunches with Near-Peer Mentors
Monthly Social Activities
Monthly MINDS Committee Meetings
Annual ABRCMS Conference
Annual Post-Baccalaureate Poster Symposium
Submission of an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Application (in Year 2)
Submission of Applications to Neuroscience Ph.D. Programs (in Year 2)

All required qualifications must be documented on application materials

Required Qualifications:

BS/BA degree â" or combination of education and work experience to equal four years.

Applicants must have been awarded a MINDS position in the Department of Neuroscience.

Applicants must intend to pursue a doctoral degree (Ph.D.) in neuroscience; we are particularly interested in applicants interested in conducting research on the neuroscience of substance use disorders.