Background training. During the first year at UM, trainees generally make-up any deficits as determined by their committees. Course work during the first year in the training program (second year for those trainees who entered with substantial home-department requirements) will generally include one or more courses appropriate to the research training program (see below) as well as the required attendance at the Topics in Neuroscience seminar. Trainees will begin to spend time in the laboratory in order to start preliminary research and explore their potential research topics. Course work will continue into the next year, although time spent on research should begin to take precedence. Research would become the primary agenda of the trainee starting in the summer of the second year and would continue until the research is completed. At the same time, all trainees would continue to participate in the program, seminars, journal clubs and advanced courses.

The formal requirements of each department for the doctoral degree are defined by the Graduate School at UM and all of our trainees will basically be on the same time-line for completing thesis proposals and examinations. Students enrolled in the NACS Graduate Program take a qualifying exam at the end of the fourth semester. The written portion of the exam spans 2 days and covers material in cellular neuroscience, neuroanatomy, cognitive neuroscience, computational neuroscience and material relevant to the student's research area. A three hour oral exam takes place three weeks after the written exam. Students must pass the exams in order to continue in the NACS program. Approximately two years later, students submit a written dissertation proposal that they must defend before a committee. Biology, Psychology and Animal and Avian Science graduate students must fulfill similar requirements (see NACS training document in the appendix).

Course sequence. All students participating in the program should take Molecular Neuroscience, Fundamentals in Neuroscience, Neuroethology, Evolution, and Comparative Neuroanatomy. The course sequence begins with a thorough foundation in neuroscience. The Neuroethology graduate course, spanning from the molecular to the perceptual perspectives, will be a requirement for all predoctoral trainees in their second semester. They will also take Evolution and Comparative Neuroanatomy in their second year. Upon completion of the core sequence, all students should understand the basic doctrines of neuroethology and how to design a study of the neural mechanisms underlying a particular behavior. They should also be familiar with comparative neuroanatomy and the principles of evolution. Students are allowed to choose from the different approaches to the study of neuroethology and should also be able to interconnect the behavioral, systems and cellular levels.

Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience (NACS 643) This course provides a foundation in cellular and molecular neurobiology. Students are introduced to key principles, basic techniques and applications. This course is offered to all predoctoral trainees in the research training program and ensures that students develop a full understanding of the powerful research methods in cellular and molecular biology. Quinlan.

Fundamentals of Neuroscience (NACS 641): The emphasis of this course is systems neuroscience. The course is multi-disciplinary and includes faculty lecturers from various departments. The purpose of the course is to provide trainees with a fundamental background in neurosciences and includes anatomy, physiology and an introduction to computation. This course will be required of all predoctoral trainees in the research training program. Cohen.

Neuroethology (Psych 889/ Biology 708) This course will be required of all predoctoral trainees in their second semester and could be audited by postdoctoral fellows. It will emphasize principles of neuroethology, from the molecular to perceptual levels, as well as evolutionary and comparative issues. Moss, Carr, Popper.

Comparative Neuroanatomy (Pychology 764) This course will provide demonstrations and lectures on the gross, microscopic and ultrastructural morphology of the central nervous system of vertebrates. It includes Laboratory Methods in Neuroanatomy. There will be laboratory practice in the perfusion and fixation of neural tissue, training in the use of the compound microscope, the microprojector, reconstruction of brain lesions, macro- and microphotography of neural tissue and the tracing of connections in the central nervous system. Hodos.

Evolution (Biology 440/445) This course provides an understanding of evolution and its role in changing and creating biological species. The mechanisms of evolution are examined from a population and genetic viewpoint. The importance of natural selection, genetic drift, mutation and migration is discussed. Biol. 445 is a higher level discussion course. Shaw, Wilkinson.

Topics in Neuroscience (Psychology 798/ Biology 708) This seminar meets every semester and is taught by program faculty in rotation. Although some outside speakers are invited, this generally serves as forum for trainees and faculty to present their newest research findings, develop collaborations and obtain experience in presentation. This is our typical forum for postdoctoral fellows to practice job talks. Trainees will be introduced to neuroethology from the molecular to perceptual levels. Program faculty.

Responsible conduct of Scientific Research (Biology 600). Two members of our core faculty annually team-teach a course that deals with scientific ethics. The course will be required of our trainees, and is made available to all students in scientific disciplines at UM (see section D below). Dooling and Popper.

Elective courses: Students will need to develop depth in some subset of the areas offered by the program by taking elective courses from areas relevant to neuroethology. Some of these courses are taught by program faculty while others are taught by faculty from the general neurosciences, behavior and computational communities. The menu of courses selected by individual students will differ greatly, and the total number of courses is too large to list here. Examples of courses often taken by our students are listed below:

Fundamentals of Cognitive Neuroscience (NACS 642) This graduate course introduces students to the basic concepts of neural cognition and behavior. Poeppel.

Fundamentals of Computational Neuroscience (NACS 643) This graduate course introduces students to basic techniques in modeling. The course provides trainees with the fundamentals of computation. Troyer

Classic Papers in Neuroscience (NACS 618) Seminar to review classic papers; these change every semester. Program faculty.

Laboratory Methods in Neuroethology (Psychology 401, 681) A laboratory course to introduce students to some of the basic physiological and anatomical techniques of contemporary neuroscience. Exercises look at specific neurons or groups of neurons and how they control such simple behaviors as swimming, prey capture, and species recognition. The lab exercises use living invertebrates and cold-blooded vertebrates. Yager.

Advanced Laboratory Techniques (PSYC 761) Methodology of research techniques and apparatus; apparatus design and construction; computer control of behavioral experiments. Program faculty.
Neural Systems (BIOL 402) Sensory, motor and integrative system organization in the central nervous system. Program faculty.

Biophysics (BIOL 413) An introduction to the ideas and methods used in biophysics to analyze the functional components of cells and tissues as physical-chemical systems. Program faculty.

Developmental Neurobiology (BIOL 708). Development of the nervous system. Davenport.
Molecular Evolution (BIOL 441) Patterns of DNA sequence variation within and between species, caused by nucleotide changes and the movement of transposable elements. Theories of molecular evolution, such as the neutral theory. Molecular clock hypothesis: its importance as a practical empirical tool in molecular genetics and systematics and its theoretical foundation. MOCB and BEES faculty.

Electron Microscopy Lab I (BIOL 612, 613) I. Two three-hour laboratories per week and additional arranged time. Preparation and study of biological material by electron microscopy. II Directed individual study.

Comparative Physiology (BIOL 621) The study of the differences and similarities in the functioning of organs of species of the animal kingdom. Program faculty.

Hearing (BIOL 636) Principles of hearing, covering the auditory periphery, the physiology and anatomy of the central auditory system and psychoacoustics. Moss, Carr.

Population Genetics (BIOL 640) The role of mutation, selection, migration, inbreeding, and stochastic process in evolution. BEES faculty.

Additional courses: A wide range of additional courses that are potentially appropriate for our trainees, depending upon their specific interests and needs, are found in the participating departments as well as in the MCB and BEES programs. Courses in Psychology include behavior, perception, and sensory biology, while those in Biology include advanced courses in evolution, behavior, development, molecular biology, and neuroscience. The MOCB program offers basic courses in molecular and cellular biology.

Neuroethology Journal Club, Seminars and Grant writing All students participating in the program will participate in the Topics in Neuroscience seminar (see above) and attend the ongoing NACS Seminar series. Many of the NACS seminars feature outside neuroethology speakers. The seminars presented specifically on neuroethology will include opportunities for trainees to meet individually and in small groups with each of the visitors, and trainees will take the visitors to lunch after seminars. In addition, senior trainees will be involved in the selection of speakers for the series so that they can have the opportunity to invite and meet investigators who can provide advice on their specific research project and/or who might be a potential postdoctoral mentor.

Grant Writing: All predoctoral trainees will be required to take a 1-credit course offered in Psychology or Biology in grant writing. This course will require trainees to write an NIH individual NRSA award that could be submitted for trainee support. Selected postdoctoral trainees may also enroll in the course.

Teaching: It is the view of all members of the Core Faculty that predoctoral trainees should have some experience teaching and working with undergraduate students. This not only enhances opportunities for future employment by giving direct teaching experience, it also helps the trainees develop communicative skills that will be useful through all phases of their scientific careers. Trainees will be supported when they are teaching by teaching assistantships from their home departments. These stipends are comparable to fellowship support. In most cases we will attempt to have the trainees serve as teaching assistants, and be supported in this manner, sometime during the first several years they are at UM while they are taking courses and before they start their dissertation research.