CIFAR Neuroscience of Consciousness Winter School
The CIFAR Neuroscience of Consciousness Winter School is a unique, three-day event where tomorrow’s neuroscience leaders work closely with world-class researchers studying the neuroscience of consciousness. This year's Winter School will take place from December 3 to 5 in Nairobi, Kenya.
This year, our theme is “Why Consciousness Matters”. We want participants to consider and develop this theme from multiple angles during the course, including:
- why consciousness might matter for ascribing moral status to others,
- why we might value consciousness and subjective experience for ourselves,
- why consciousness may have arisen evolutionarily, and
- why consciousness science is important for humanity to consider - and get right - for societal, technological and other reasons.
______
Hosted by members of CIFAR’s Brain, Mind & Consciousness program.
Participants will:
- Engage in interactive lectures from top scientists;
- Network with peers and world-renowned scientists;
- Participate in immersive workshops on grant proposal development, collaborative science, and other areas of professional development;
- Explore diverse perspectives on why consciousness matters for individuals, groups, and societies;
- Engage with Neuromatch AI Sentience Scholars.
Travel and accommodation for all successful applicants will be paid for by CIFAR.
Interested applicants must be senior PhD students (i.e., approaching or having achieved advancement to candidacy/upgrade, not just starting), or post-docs. Applicants are required to submit a CV as well as a 500-word discussion of their research that details how the school would benefit their future scientific careers.
SELECTION
All applications will undergo an internal screening for basic eligibility before being evaluated by members of the Brain, Mind & Consciousness program. Applicants are assessed based on their research statement, professional track record, and alignment with the neuroscience of consciousness.
CIFAR is committed to fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment for the global research community. We welcome and encourage applications from institutions and researchers across the globe.
ORGANIZERS
Tim Bayne
Program Co-Director
Liad Mudrik
Program Co-Director
Tanenbaum Fellow
Anil K. Seth
Program Co-Director
Megan Peters
Fellow
CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar 2019-2021
Lucia Melloni
Fellow
Ruhr-Universität Bochum
Axel Cleeremans
Fellow
Steve Fleming
Fellow
Key Dates
Application deadline:
June 10, 2026
Notification of decision:
September 2026
Winter School:
December 3-5, 2026
This project was made possible through the support of a grant from the
