We will begin review of applications for a July 2022 start date on January 1st, 2022. If you are interested in applying, please reach out to a prospective mentor for prompt consideration. 

Cognitive Neuroscience of Communication — Connecticut: CNC-CT

The Program

Communication disorders affect millions of individuals, with a financial cost of over $500 billion and an even greater societal burden in terms of disability and quality of life. The development of assessment and treatment strategies requires that the next generation of researchers understand the mechanisms underlying these communication disorders, but progress has been hampered by a shortage of clinically knowledgeable communication scientists with the methodological skills required to study these underlying mechanisms. The current training plan will seeks to prepare predoctoral and postdoctoral trainees studying the cognitive neuroscience of communication to address these challenges by instilling them with the necessary methodological expertise and tools to conduct and disseminate impactful research on communication disorders while making meaningful connections with between trainees and the clinical populations they study.

Predoctoral trainees will participate in a two-year training program integrated with their home doctoral training program, consisting of a combination of core coursework in cognitive neuroscience theories and methods, (including methodological training), and coursework in typical and atypical communication. This program will emphasize the mutual relationship between basic science and outcomes for clinical populations such as dyslexia, aphasia, hearing loss, autism, and others. Trainees will work directly with people with communication disorders, supervised by clinical faculty, to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by these communities.

Postdoc Trainees will receive:

• Full stipend support for two years at full-time 12-month UConn levels (no teaching requirement), with subsequent support via typical departmental funding
• Tuition &  health insurance covered
• $800 annual travel allowance
• Access to a pool of 240 MRI scan hours, as well as ready access to other tools, including EEG/ERP (in and out of scanner), TMS, tDCS, and eye tracking facilities.
• Available funds for specialized methodological training

Requirements of the CNC-CT program:

Training plan:

1. Coursework. Trainees will take one course in each of the following domains. For some doctoral training programs, these courses may also fulfill requirements of the home degree program. Funds are also available for specialized training (e.g. workshops or methods bootcamps).

• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Typical Communication
• Atypical Communication:  Students in CLIN or AuD/PhD may fulfill this requirement through clinical contact hours, lab rotations, and directed readings with a mentor.
• Cognitive Neuroscience Methods
• 1-credit Clinical Connection Practicum (taken each Fall of the Training program).
• 1-credit Professional Development Seminar
• Coursework in the Responsible Conduct of Research

3. Trainee-led research project:  All trainees will pursue independent research within the domain of the neurobiology of typical and atypical communication, culminating in a Second-Year Project.
4. IBACS Grant-writing Summer Program: (LINK)

Grant Proposal

CNC-CT Postdoctoral Trainees must:

1. Hold a PhD in a relevant discipline by the start of the postdoc
2. Be a US Citizen or permanent resident (Green Card holder)
3. Show evidence of research productivity.

The Application Process

1. Contact a prospective mentor or mentors from our team to assess the degree of fit with the program.
2. Send an email to Program Coordinator Charlotte Nelson (charlotte.nelson@uconn.edu) with Subject Line: T32 Postdoc Application. Please include:
   1. A current CV
   2. Up to 3 publications
   3. Three letters of recommendation
   4. A letter of intent. This letter of intent should include:
      1. Your mentor’s name
      2. A brief description of your methodological strengths, especially including any experience with neuroimaging methods, including computational or quantitative skills. Please briefly state your goals for methodological training.
      3. A brief description of any experience with or interests in research with clinical populations, especially people who experience communication disorders (speech, language, or hearing). Experience can be either formal (e.g. coursework, prior research, clinical training) or informal (e.g., observation). Note that candidates are not expected to have both extensive clinical and extensive methodological experience.
      4. A paragraph-length abstract of your prospective research direction for the post-doc, noting the types of questions, methods, and populations you hope to study, and how this connects with your prospective mentor’s work.

For any questions about the application process, please contact us at cncct@uconn.edu.