Project Summary Rationale: This proposal seeks NIH support for a T32 training program in Big Data Systems Neuroscience, where students with strong backgrounds in neurobiology will receive training in quantitative methods and experimental design. Rapid technological advances in experimental neuroscience have enabled the collection of increasingly large neural data sets, but students in traditional neuroscience programs rarely receive formal training in the analytical approaches needed to understand such complex data sets. This knowledge gap slows progress and imperils the rigor of scientific research. Bridging this knowledge gap requires collaboration between data scientists and experimentalists, which is at the heart of this T32 training program. Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) is a world leader and innovator in quantitative fields such as machine learning, computer science, and artificial intelligence, and recently, neuroscience has emerged as a field for strategic growth at the university. The training program will be housed in CMU’s Neuroscience Institute, established in 2018 to promote interdisciplinary research and training in big data neuroscience. Goals: As one of the first programs of its kind, the T32 training program in Big Data Systems neuroscience will create a unique collaborative and multi-disciplinary training experience with three overarching goals, to: 1) provide Ph.D. students interdisciplinary, cutting-edge training in experimental and quantitative aspects of systems neuroscience research and its responsible and ethical conduct 2) provide Ph.D. students with thoughtful, career-specific mentoring and additional professional development opportunities to increase their retention in systems neuroscience, as well as more broadly in the biomedical workforce 3) Provide four of the most accomplished students in later years of the program with a 24-month fellowship to develop research projects integrating theoretical and empirical approaches 4) enhance interactions, collaborations and the overall quality of systems neuroscience research among trainees and faculty at CMU and the University of Pittsburgh.

Project Narrative Research in neuroscience is crucial for attacking the causes of neurological and mental health disorders. If the field of neuroscience is to continue its rapid advance, neuroscientists must use, understand, and develop new technologies, acquire and analyze ever larger data sets, and grapple more directly with the complexity of neurobiological systems. The primary goal of this training program will be to help train the next generation of systems neuroscientists with the experimental and computational skills needed to make the discoveries of tomorrow.