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Get to know the Bernstein Network!

Get to know the Bernstein Network!

Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience

Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience

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Bernstein Conference 2026

Bernstein Conference 2025

Bernstein Conference

Bernstein Conference

Welcome

The Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience connects experimental and theoretical scientists. It comprises more than 200 research groups and 450 individual scientists from all over the world who combine experimental neuroscientific approaches with theoretical models and computer simulations.

The Bernstein Network was launched in 2004 through a major funding initiative of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) which aimed at advancing the transfer of theoretical knowledge to clinical and technical applications. The network is named after the German physiologist and biophysicist Julius Bernstein (1839-1917).

News

Göttingen, Germany – March 10, 2026

How social experiences shape behavior

In a German-US collaboration with participation of the European Neuroscience Institute Göttingen (ENI-G), researchers have shown that fruit flies can adapt their social behavior and learn from these experiences. These fundamental mechanisms of social information processing are also important for understanding mental illness. The results have been published in the journal Current Biology. Based on these findings, a follow-up project is being funded by the Ministry of Science and Culture of Lower Saxony and the Volkswagen Foundation with more than 400,000 Euros over two years.

Bonn, Germany – March 24, 2026

Environment, gut health, and Parkinson’s disease: Bonn and Augsburg launch joint research project

Why do some people develop Parkinson’s disease while others remain healthy despite similar circumstances? A new joint research project by the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) and the University of Bonn, in collaboration with the University of Augsburg, is exploring this question using an unconventional approach: the so-called exposome — that is, the totality of all environmental factors to which a person is exposed over the course of their life, ranging from diet and environmental chemicals to microplastics. The “ExPres-RBD” project is funded by the Walter and Ilse Rose Foundation with over 400,000 euros and is the first to systematically investigate how environmental factors and biological processes in the body interact and may contribute to the development of Parkinson’s disease.

Bochum, Germany – March 13, 2026

How stress disrupts the brain’s navigational system

Persons under stress may have a harder time spatially orienting themselves. Researchers in Bochum have discovered why.

Berlin, Germany – March 13, 2026

The ghosts we see: How afterimages reveal why the world appears stable

Contrary to what you and I might experience when we explore the world, our eyes do not provide us with a continuous and stable view of it. They jump several times each second in rapid movements called saccades. Because the eye projects the world onto the retina, we should see the world shift abruptly each time the eyes move—the visual scene should feel unstable, yet the brain uses sophisticated mechanisms that ensure it does not.

Events

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Groningen Spring School on Cognitive Modeling

30.03. – 02.04.2026

Groningen, Netherlands

Spring School

We are excited to announce the Eighth Spring School on Cognitive Modeling in Groningen, from 30 March-2 April 2026!
The Spring School will cover four different modeling paradigms: ACT-R, Nengo, PRIMs, and for the first time Neuromorphic Intelligence! Each of these topics consists of a series of lectures, as well as a number of hands-on exercises (tutorials).

Bernstein Conference

BC26_CallforSW

Call for Satellite Workshops

BC26_Announcement_Web

Bernstein Conference 2026

Past

Past and future conferences

Become a Member

The Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience supports science, research and education in computational neuroscience, and disseminates research themes and findings to the public. Everyone who is active in the field of computational neuroscience or related subjects can become a member of the Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience.

Job Offers

Faculty positions

Assistant or Associate Professor of Neuroscience

Postdoc positions

Postdoctoral fellows in computational neuroscience

PhD-student positions

PhD position and further opportunities in the group “Neural network dynamics and computation”

Further Job Offers

Stay informed

As a quarterly digest, the public bulletin informs about exciting new topics in computational neuroscience and summarizes the news of the Bernstein Network for the scientifically interested public. The public bulletin is in German only. Register now!

Calls

Momentum – Funding for Recently Tenured Professors

Here, 'momentum' is meant as an impulse to keep something moving or developing dynamically after it has started. In this sense, the initiative addresses academics at an early stage following the appointment to their first tenured professorship. The goal is to open up opportunities in this phase of their career to advance the content and strategic development of their professorship.

Deadline: 14.04.2026

Bayer Foundation Scientific Fellowships

The Bayer Foundation offers scientific fellowships for outstanding master, PhD, and medical students to pursue international research projects, internships, and more, providing additional funding for international placements to enhance their study programs. Students who are enrolled outside of Germany must undertake placement within Germany. Students who are enrolled at a German university must undertake placements outside of Germany.

Deadline: 15.04.2026

IBRO Rising Stars Awards

By providing start-up grants for neuroscience laboratories, the Rising Stars Awards support the research needs of early career neuroscientists who either come from diverse and/or underrepresented backgrounds (racial/ethnic minorities, sexual orientation, special needs, etc) or lack substantial initial funds or grant support from other agencies. Additionally, they significantly impact their professional trajectories, by providing critical recognition for their research endeavours, supporting targeted capacity building and enabling the integration of cutting-edge methodologies and tools into their work. As a result, this program also enhances awardees’ chances of securing additional funding.

Deadline: 15.04.2026