The 2007 Spring Meeting of the Association of Neuroscience Departments and Programs was held May 5-6 in Bethesda, MD, and was attended by approximately 70 people representing ANDP member programs, federal funding agencies, and the Society for Neuroscience. 

The ANDP Spring meeting is the primary forum through which we discuss neuroscience training, including ideas for improving and managing our programs, identifying changes in funding strategies, and looking for future trends in needs for our trainees. Meeting sessions addressed timely topics in neuroscience education and research training. ANDP Councilor Rae Nishi moderated a panel on Interactive Science tools. Cynthia Forehand (University of Vermont) highlighted the advantages for faculty and students in web-based tools such as Blackboard and WebCT for organizing and communicating teaching materials. Richard Olivo (Harvard University) outlined a variety of available educational resources on the web, and presented a proposal to create an annotated and organized compendium of materials. An open discussion with representatives of the Society for Neurosciences, led by ANDP Past-President George Rebec included SFN President-Elect Eve Marder and Executive Director Marty Saggese and focused on how ANDP and SFN work apart and together to support neuroscience training. A stimulating session on Mentoring the Mentors included a discussion from Joan Schwartz (National Institutes of Health) on mentoring programs and tools used at the National Institutes of Health. Alan Sved (University of Pittsburgh) outlined attributes of strong mentors. Jack Waymire (University of Texas Houston Medical School) briefly presented proposed updates to the ANDP website, including taxonomy for research program descriptors. Due to illness, Story Landis was unable to attend the meeting. Marie-Francoise Chesselet made an outstanding presentation on the UCLA responses to animal use activism at that campus. She discussed the impact of faculty isolation, interactions with the campus police and municipal police, and the findings of a task force that arrived at new policies. Session V focused on funding Graduate Education in a time of declining NIH resources. Michael Shipley (U. Maryland, Baltimore) presented the outlook of a Chair in determining the impact of actual and projected NIH changes in recent years on resources for hiring and retention. Yoland Smith (Emory University) described the strong support from Graduate Studies and possible bridge money programs that exist to support graduate students. Thomas Insel, (NIMH) discussed how his Institute reviewed and reframed the allocations to particular funding mechanisms. In particular, trainee success (defined as receipt of an R01 or equivalent) was compared across F and T mechanisms, with a partial shift to support more fellows. He also discussed the teams of individuals we will need to tackle mental illness in the future. The final session focused on how to plug the leaky academic pipeline for women in neuroscience. Kitty Didion described an upcoming report on women applicants to tenure track positions at research one institutions, and noted that about half the women in the pipeline appear to even apply to these positions. If women apply, they do get interviewed, but often not hired. Phoebe Leboy (University Pennsylvania) reviewed data from NSF and other sources to leanr that women are often underrepresented in senior positions in institutions, publications and meetings. Diana Bilimoria (Case Western Reserve University) described the NSF-ADVANCE ACES program and ways institutions are addressing gender bias and climate change. All sessions generated lively discussions, and ANDP members had the opportunity to share their own experiences in tackling these important questions and problems. 

The ANDP will meet again in Fall, 2007, during the SfN meeting in San Diego, and will present the ANDP Education Award. During the SfN meeting the ANDP will also sponsor two activities for trainees, the ANDP Forum on Professional Development and the Student Hospitality Suite. 

Alison Hall
ANDP President, 2006/2007