- Comp-neuro - lists.cnsorg.org

Open Lab Online workshops on Bonsai – Module I sessions now open

by Mateusz Kostecki

Hello! We are happy to announce the *first Open Lab Online workshops *on *Bonsai*. *Bonsai* is an open-source reactive programming language that is particularly useful for modern behavioral neuroscience experiments. It allows users to synchronize multiple data streams, precisely deliver stimuli, and run experiments in closed-loop settings, while integrating signals and devices from different systems. From calcium imaging and sound recordings to sensors, feeders, motors, and stimulus delivery systems, Bonsai offers a flexible and powerful way to build experimental workflows. These workshops correspond to *Module I* of a *3-module online course of increasing difficulty*. In this first module, participants will be introduced to the basics of Bonsai — its logic, core principles, and potential applications. The workshop will also cover how to track animals during experiments, detect their presence in ROIs, run simple closed-loop paradigms, and perform basic logical operations. To make participation easier across schedules and time zones, we are offering *two alternative sessions of the same workshop*: *Session 1:* May 8, 2026, 10:00–12:00 CEST (UTC+2) https://nenckiopenlab.org/event/introduction-to-bonsai-module-i/ *Session 2:* May 18, 2026, 16:00–18:00 CEST (UTC+2) https://nenckiopenlab.org/event/introduction-to-bonsai-module-i-2/ *Requirements:* no prior programming experience is needed. A *Windows computer* and a *webcam* are required. *Workshop fee:* EUR 10 *Fee waivers are available upon request.* *Instructor:* Mateusz Kostecki, Heidelberg University We also warmly invite you to join our *Open Lab Online Discord*, which is a space for discussion, exchange, and community around open tools and methods. All important workshop information and updates will also be shared there. Discord: https://discord.gg/z7gvyj9yrV If you would like to get involved in Open Lab Online, you can also fill out our surveys: *Organizer survey*: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeRqICetBCRbKZnjM9HlmLp1RKql3nUqxg… *Instructor survey*: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdDZioKGcDdsP7AFE6-mS6R_y7-kWTf6t2… If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at *openlab(a)nencki.edu.pl* <openlab(a)nencki.edu.pl> or reach out to us on *Discord*. Best wishes, Mateusz Kostecki -- --- Mateusz Kostecki PhD Student Knapska Laboratory Nencki Institute 02-093 Warsaw, Pasteura 3, Poland https://twitter.com/mtkostecki https://evolvingbehavior.blog/

April 25, 2026

Last chance to register -- EMBO Workshop on Dendrites, Heraklion (May 19–22, 2026)

by Spiros Chavlis

Dear colleagues and friends, LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER! Join the EMBO Workshop on Dendrites for an immersive look at molecular, biophysical, anatomical, and computational neuroscience, and neuro-inspired AI, and explore how dendritic function shapes perception, memory, behavior, and disease. Important info May 19-22, 2026, Heraklion, Greece Registration/workshop page: https://meetings.embo.org/event/26-dendrites About the Workshop Understanding how the brain generates perception and behavior remains a major challenge in neuroscience. Neurons communicate through synaptic inputs located on dendrites, complex, highly branched structures that shape sensory processing, memory formation, and behavior. Advances in imaging, electrophysiology, and computational modeling now allow researchers to explore dendritic function across multiple scales, from single-synapse plasticity to dendritic computations driving behavior. This EMBO Workshop brings together leading scientists from molecular, biophysical, anatomical, computational, and functional neuroscience, as well as neuro-inspired AI, to advance our understanding of dendrites in cognition and disease. By fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, we aim to uncover fundamental principles governing dendritic computations and their broader implications, including how they may be incorporated into new AI architectures for more efficient or brain-like computation. Set on the stunning island of Crete, this EMBO Workshop is designed to encourage scientific exchange beyond traditional presentations, creating an engaging and interactive environment. Dedicated sessions will support young researchers, such as (1) work-life balance, (2) mentorship across career stages, and (3) career paths within and beyond academia. Through open discussions and collaborative experiences, this meeting will inspire new insights into the role of dendrites in brain function and dysfunction, paving the way for important future discoveries in neuroscience. About EMBO Courses and Workshops EMBO Courses and Workshops are selected for their excellent scientific quality and timelines, provision of good networking activities for all participants and speaker gender diversity (at least 40% of speakers must be from the underrepresented gender). Organisers are encouraged to implement measures to make the meeting environmentally more sustainable. We hope to welcome you to Heraklion, on the stunning island of Crete, for an engaging and interactive program designed to encourage discussion beyond traditional presentations. With best regards, on behalf of the organizers, Spiros Chavlis, PhD

April 23, 2026

🎓 Present & Publish your work at COMPLEX NETWORKS 2026

by Fabian Braesemann

Dear colleagues, This December in Granada, Spain, we bring together a full academic experience: sharpen your skills in expert-led tutorials, present your research to a global audience, and get invited to publish in top journals. 🎤 Keynote Speakers: * Alexandra Brintrup (Cambridge University, UK) * Nitesh Chawla (University of Notre Dame, USA) * Kimmo Kaski (Aalto University, Finland) * Bruno Lepri (Bruno Kessler Foundation, Italy) * Eckehard Scholl (TU Berlin, Germany) 🎓 Tutorials by: * Fariba Karimi (Graz University of Technology, Austria) * Huijuan Wang (TU Delft, Netherlands) ________________________________ 🚀 Be part of what’s next. Submit your work to COMPLEX NETWORKS 2026, held in Granada, Spain, from December 2 to 4, 2026. 📌 Important Dates * Submission Deadline: September 2, 2026 * Tutorials: December 1, 2026 * Conference: December 2-4, 2026 📖 Submission Options * ✅ Full Papers (max 12 pages) – Springer Proceedings Publication * ✅ Extended Abstracts (max 4 pages) – Book of Abstracts with ISBN 🏆 Selected papers will be invited to journals including: * Applied Network Science<https://appliednetsci.springeropen.com/> * Advances in Complex Systems<https://www.worldscientific.com/toc/acs/24/02> * Complex Systems <https://www.complex-systems.com/about/> * Entropy<https://www.mdpi.com/journal/entropy> * PLOS Complex Systems<https://journals.plos.org/complexsystems/> * PLOS one<https://journals.plos.org/plosone/> * Social Network Analysis and Mining<https://link.springer.com/journal/13278> 📩 Submit your paper <https://cmt3.research.microsoft.com/COMPLEXNETWORKS2025/>🌐 More info<https://complexnetworks.org/> We look forward to your contribution to this dynamic community! Warm regards, The COMPLEX NETWORKS 2026 Committee

April 22, 2026

neuromorphic / spiking neural network position starting Oct 2026 for 36 months

by Goodman, Dan

We are hiring for a research assistant or postdoc to do energy efficient AI, spiking neural networks and neuromorphic computing, with me, Christos Bouganis and George Constantinides at Imperial College London. Deadline for applications is May 15th. Feel free to email me informally, or apply at the link below. https://www.imperial.ac.uk/jobs/search-jobs/description/index.php?jobId=276… Some more details below (also at the link above). Dan Goodman About the role We are seeking a Research Assistant (a Masters graduate wanting to undertake a PhD) or Research Associate (a PhD graduate wanting to undertake a postdoc). Our aim is to explore new approaches to energy-efficient artificial intelligence based on temporal neural computation. The project investigates how spiking neural networks, temporal coding, and learned neural delays can enable accurate computation with extremely low-precision weights, potentially unlocking a new generation of ultra-efficient AI hardware. Working at the intersection of machine learning, computational neuroscience, and digital hardware design, the successful candidate will contribute to developing neural architectures in which time (spike timing and delays) replaces numerical precision and memory movement as the key computational resource. The project will combine algorithm development with hardware-aware modelling and evaluation on FPGA-based platforms. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to help define new approaches to temporal neural computation and energy-efficient AI. This role provides an exciting opportunity to work on fundamental questions in neuromorphic and energy-efficient AI, while developing techniques that could translate into future AI accelerators and edge-AI technologies. The role will be affiliated with NeuroWare, the new national Innovation and Knowledge Centre in Neuromorphic Computation, providing the post-holder access to a rich network of industrial and academic collaborators and routes to direct impact. Pre-doctoral candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. Candidates appointed as Research Assistant will have the opportunity to register for a PhD during the appointment, subject to standard university procedures. What you would be doing In this role, you will investigate neural architectures that exploit temporal coding and learned delays to enable efficient computation on digital hardware. You will develop and evaluate spiking neural network models, explore training methods for delay-based computation, and analyse how temporal representations trade off with weight precision and memory usage. You will primarily be collaborating with three Imperial College academics: Prof Christos Bouganis, Prof George A. Constantinides and Dr Dan Goodman, who each bring leading expertise relevant to this research programme. You will implement models in software frameworks for neural simulation and machine learning, and work with hardware-aware efficiency metrics to evaluate energy, memory, and latency trade-offs. The project will also involve exploring how these architectures map to digital hardware platforms, including FPGA-based systems.

April 22, 2026

2026 NEURON Summer Course - limited seats remain available

by McDougal, Robert

Some seats remain available for the 2026 NEURON Summer Course, but they're going fast so act quickly if you are interested. This course will provide a thorough introduction to computational modeling of neurons and networks with NEURON and is suitable for individuals at all levels of expertise. It will be held at Duke University in Durham, NC from Wednesday, June 10, through Monday, June 15, 2026. The registration deadline is Monday, June 1, 2026. No applications will be accepted after that date, and there will be no on-site registration. Space is limited, and applications will be considered in the order received. For more information and the on-line registration form, see 2026 NEURON Summer Course at https://github.com/neuronsimulator/nrn/discussions/3729

April 22, 2026

Funded PhD Position - Moral psychology and decision-making in human-robot collaboration

by Milan Andrejevic

Psychology Discipline and Robotics Institute at the University of Technology Sydney in Australia are offering a fully funded PhD position for interdisciplinary research into using computational models to improve human-robot collaboration. Project description Collaboration between humans and robots is rapidly increasing, creating a need to understand how emerging intelligent capabilities shape human moral cognition, the emergence of new norms, and the distribution of responsibility within human-robot teams, and how these changes in turn shape human judgement and decision making. Successful candidate will have access to cutting edge robotics facilities and collaborate with robotics engineers to conduct research. This will entail: * developing measurement tools, experimental designs, and innovative psychological tasks; * reviewing literature in the field of moral psychology, cognitive science, human-robot interaction, artificial intelligence, robotics, decision science, and other relevant fields; * planning, administering, and running studies with human participants; * applying a variety of quantitative data analysis approaches; * working in multidisciplinary teams; * communicating research to a variety of stakeholders and the academic community; * preparing manuscripts for publication in leading multidisciplinary and psychological science journals. Successful candidate will gain a broad set of interdisciplinary skills in an area poised to have a transformative societal impact. This experience will position candidates as contributors in shaping the future of artificial intelligence technology in an increasingly automated world. The project will be supervised by Dr Milan Andrejevic, a Lecturer in Psychology, and Dikai Liu, a Distinguished Professor in Robotics from the University of Technology Sydney. Candidate requirements: * Honours or Masters degree in: Psychology, Cognitive Science, Neuroscience, and a good grasp of statistics OR other related and relevant discipline and a strong interest in psychological science; * Experience with quantitative methods and experimental psychology approaches; * Excellent academic writing skills; * Experience with, and/or willingness to learn coding and using statistical software (R, Matlab, Python, and/or alike); * Willingness to learn mathematical / computational models of human cognition; * Demonstrated work ethic. Also desirable: * A record of contributing to academic publications; If you would like to apply for this project, please send your CV and Research Proposal to Milan Andrejevic (Milan.Andrejevic(a)uts.edu.au) and Dikai Liu (dikai.liu(a)uts.edu.au) Links: PhD position description<https://sites.google.com/uts.edu.au/coghumrobophdadvert/project-description…> University of Technology Sydney<https://www.uts.edu.au/> Psychology Discipline<https://www.uts.edu.au/about/faculties/health/graduate-school-of-health/psy…> Robotics Institute<https://www.uts.edu.au/research/robotics-institute> Dr. Milan Andrejevic<https://profiles.uts.edu.au/Milan.Andrejevic> Dist. Prof. Dikai Liu<https://profiles.uts.edu.au/Dikai.Liu> - Dr. Milan Andrejević (he/him) Lecturer Psychology | Graduate School of Health University of Technology Sydney +61 2 9514 4126 Level 10, 100 Broadway, Chippendale NSW 2008 I acknowledge the Gadigal People of the Eora Nation upon whose ancestral lands we work and gather at UTS, and their traditional custodianship over knowledge for this land. I pay my respects to their Elders past and present. UTS CRICOS Provider Code: 00099F DISCLAIMER: This email message and any accompanying attachments may contain confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient, do not read, use, disseminate, distribute or copy this message or attachments. If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately and delete this message. Any views expressed in this message are those of the individual sender, except where the sender expressly, and with authority, states them to be the views of the University of Technology Sydney. Before opening any attachments, please check them for viruses and defects. Think. Green. Do. Please consider the environment before printing this email.

April 22, 2026

CFP - Simulation of Adaptive Behavior (SAB 2026)

by Jeffrey L Krichmar

Dear Colleagues, Deadline for full paper submissions is less than a month away! Please consider submitting a paper and attending SAB 2026 Best regards, Jeff and Oliver ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From Animals to Animats 18: The 18th International Conference on Simulation of Adaptive Behavior (SAB 2026) Where: TU Berlin, Germany When: 19-22 October 2026 Website: https://www.sab-conference.org <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.sab-conference.org__;!!CzAuKJ42Guqu…> Important Dates Submission deadline: 15 May 2026 Notification of acceptance:19 June 2026 Camera-ready paper version due: 17 July 2026 Conference takes place: 19-22 October 2026 Objectives: The interdisciplinary conference on the Simulation of Adaptive Behavior: From Animals to Animats (SAB) 2026 brings together researchers from artificial intelligence, robotics, behavioral biology, psychology, neuroscience, and many other fields. The conference offers a unique opportunity to exchange ideas across disciplinary boundaries. We believe this exchange is necessary to advance our understanding of the mechanisms that enable general and robust behavior in natural animals and artificial agents. The conference focuses on characterizing and comparing organizational principles and architectures underlying adaptive behavior in animals and animats. Animats denote the conceptual connections between animals and synthetic agents. The conference therefore actively seeks submissions that bridge several of the aforementioned disciplines, combining their methodological foundations to arrive at novel insights and approaches. Of particular interest are research projects which connect natural behavior to synthetic agents, including those leveraging modern machine learning and deep learning techniques for behavioral modeling, analysis, and synthesis. Selected papers will be invited to a special issue in the journal Adaptive Behavior and will be published with Springer Nature. SAB accepts submissions in several tracks: - Conference papers are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published in conference proceedings “From Animals to Animats 18: SAB 2026” Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence, Springer Nature. - Conference papers without inclusion in the proceedings. These papers will undergo a light peer-review. Papers will be included on the conference website but they will not be formally published so that your research results can still appear in your disciplinary journals. - Poster abstracts are peer-reviewed for general suitability of the content. Accepted posters will be presented at a poster session and, time permitting, will be able to present a spotlight presentation to the conference attendees. - Position papers are peer reviewed; they offer a novel, visionary perspective on the convergence of different branches of behavior-based research in both artificial and biological systems. These papers are supposed to trigger a lively discussion. - Workshop or Tutorial proposals will be peer reviewed. Workshops and Tutorials will take place on September 20. The event should be relevant to the expected audience of SAB. Topics of interest: Artificial Intelligence, Artificial Life, and Computational neuroscience o Action selection, behavioral sequencing o Communication and language o Emotion and motivation o Internal models and representations o Reinforcement learning o Sensory-motor coordination, motor control o Software agents and virtual creatures Philosophical Issues o Consciousness o Ethics o Mind/Body problem Robotics o Autonomous robotics o Bio-inspired and hybrid robotics o Cognitive robotics o Developmental robotics o Humanoid robotics o Navigation and mapping o Neurorobotics Self-Organizing Systems o Body and brain co-evolution o Collective and social behavior o Dynamical systems approaches o Evolutionary and co-evolutionary approaches o Self-assembling and self-replication Paper and Abstract Submission: Author Guidelines for All Tracks All submissions must be written in English and formatted in the Springer LNCS style. Please refer to the LNCS Springer style guide for style templates and formatting instructions. We strongly encourage authors to prepare papers using LaTeX. The LNCS package for LaTeX and the instructions file can be downloaded directly from Springer’s website. https://www.springer.com/gp/computer-science/lncs/conference-proceedings-gu… <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.springer.com/gp/computer-science/ln…> Additional Guidelines for Conference and Position Papers All submitted papers (conference papers with and without inclusion in the proceedings, as well as position papers) must not exceed 12 pages, including references. Additional Guidelines for Poster Abstracts All submitted poster abstracts must not exceed 3 pages, including references. How to Submit All submissions will be handled through the CMT (Conference Management Toolkit) system. Authors must create a CMT account before submitting their paper. (For instructions: https://sab2026.scioi.de/call-for-contributions/ <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://sab2026.scioi.de/call-for-contributions…> ) Where to Submit SAB submission website (CMT) https://cmt3.research.microsoft.com/User/Login?ReturnUrl=%2FSAB2026%2FSubmi… <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://cmt3.research.microsoft.com/User/Login?…> Paper Review & Acceptance: All submitted full papers will be peer-reviewed based on relevance, originality, quality of presentation, and technical quality. The authors of all accepted papers are kindly requested to revise their papers following the reviewers’ comments. Authors of accepted papers will be invited to present their research work either as an oral presentation or as a poster. Workshop Tutorial Proposals: We will consider proposals for workshops and tutorials. Workshops and tutorials will be held on the first day of the conference (19 October 2025) and must be held in-person. Proposals will be reviewed by the Organizing Committee. To submit a workshop or tutorial, please follow the below template and submit here: https://cmt3.research.microsoft.com/SAB2026/Track/6/Submission/Create <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://cmt3.research.microsoft.com/SAB2026/Tra…> Template Similar to paper submissions, please follow the LNCS Springer style guide for templates and formatting instructions. For your workshop or tutorial proposal, please include the following information, as displayed on our website. https://www.springer.com/gp/computer-science/lncs/conference-proceedings-gu… <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.springer.com/gp/computer-science/ln…> https://sab2026.scioi.de/call-for-contributions/ <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://sab2026.scioi.de/call-for-contributions…> Publication: All accepted papers (oral and poster presentations) will be published by Springer Nature in the Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence series. https://link.springer.com/conference/sab <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://link.springer.com/conference/sab__;!!Cz…> Program Committee: Francisco Javier Bellas Bouza – Universidade da Coruña Maren Bennewitz – Universität Bonn Marcel Brass – Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin Lola Cañamero – CY Cergy Paris Université Nikolaus Correll – University of Colorado Boulder Richard José Duro Fernández – Universidade da Coruña Heiko Hamann – Universität Konstanz Alex Kacelnik – University of Oxford Jens Krause – Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin Oliver Kroemer – Carnegie Mellon University Poramate Manoonpong – Vidyasirimedhi Institute of Science and Technology Justus Piater – Universität Innsbruck Tony Prescott – University of Sheffield Pawel Romanczuk – Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin Gregor Schöner – Ruhr-Universität Bochum Dylan Shell – Texas A&M University Gaurav Sukhatme – University of Southern California Jochen Triesch – Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies Elio Tuci – Université de Namur Myra Wilson – Aberystwyth University Florentin Wörgötter – Universität Göttingen Program Chairs: Oliver Brock – Technische Universität Berlin Jeff Krichmar – University of California, Irvine The conference will be held at Science of Intelligence/TU Berlin and the Universität der Künste (UDK), Berlin, Germany. We look forward to welcoming you at SAB 2026! Best regards, SAB Organizing Committee organisers(a)sab-conference.org <mailto:organisers@sab-conference.org>

April 21, 2026

Postdoc positions in statistical data analysis and computational neuroscience at NYU

by csavin＠gmail.com

Postdoctoral positions are available in the Savin group in the Center for Neural Science and Center for Data Science at NYU: https://www.savinlab.org/ For full consideration, please apply before June 1 2026. Applications will remain open until the positions are filled. We seek candidates with a solid mathematical background, strong programming skills and experience with computational modeling and/or data analysis who can engage with one of several projects in the group focused on understanding the computational principles and circuit level mechanisms underlying adaptive behavior, in partnership with several experimental collaborators (Constantinople lab at NYU, SCENE, Froemke and Lin labs as part of a new BBQS project analyzing mice social behavior). Qualifications: * PhD in Computational Neuroscience, machine learning or related fields. * Strong background in machine learning and programming (Python). * Of particular interest are candidates with previous research experience in probabilistic machine learning, statistical methods for neural data analysis, reinforcement learning. * Strong record of productivity as evidenced by past publications * Strong motivation & ability to work independently and collaboratively in a multidisciplinary environment. To apply, please email csavin(a)nyu.edu your CV, contact details of at least 2 references, and a brief (one page maximum) description of why are you interested in the position and how your expertise fits the call.

April 21, 2026

Summer School "Advanced tools for data analysis in Neuroscience"

by camille.gontier＠inria.fr

=========== Summer School "Advanced tools for data analysis in Neuroscience" =========== Research discoveries are increasingly dependent on the development of new tools and technologies, as well as on the ability to process, manage and analyze the large amounts of data collected with these tools. In this summer school, we will focus on several aspects of data preparation and analysis, as well as on the use of simulation and modeling tools capable of generating predictions. Target audience: master and PhD students. Priority will be given to students enrolled in a basic or medical neuroscience program, but students from other specialties will be able to participate as long as places are available. Information =========== When: Aug 27 – Sept 5 2026 Where: Strasbourg, France Part I: Introduction to Python Programming (Thursday-Friday August 27-28) Part II: School with lectures and student projects (Monday August 31st to Saturday September 5th) Local Organizing Committee =========== - Jyotika Bahuguna, LNCA, University of Strasbourg (coord) - Demian Battaglia, LNCA, University of Strasbourg (coord) - Camille Gontier, INRIA, University of Strasbourg (coord) - Romain Goutagny, CNRS, University of Strasbourg - Axel Hutt, INRIA, University of Strasbourg - Philippe Isope, CNRS, University of Strasbourg - Antoine Valera, CNRS, University of Strasbourg Invited faculty and tutors =========== - Samy Castro, LNCA, University of Strasbourg - Matilde Cordero-Erausquin, CNRS, University of Strasbourg - Christophe Pouzat, IRMA, University of Strasbourg - Pascale Quilichini, INSERM, Aix-Marseille University - Marisa Saggio, INS , Aix-Marseille University - Yaroslav Sych, CPJ CNRS, university of Strasbourg Application =========== The summer school is free of charge. Accommodation in shared rooms and lunches are also provided. However, travel expenses are the responsibility of the applicants. For more details and information on how to apply, please see https://neurostra.unistra.fr/evenements/evenement/news/advanced-tools-for-d… Sponsors =========== This summer school is supported by ITI NeuroStra (SFRI STRAT’US project ANR-20-SFRI-0012), the National Institute for Research in Digital Science and Technology (Inria) and the University of Strasbourg Initiative of Excellence. Website: https://neurostra.unistra.fr/evenements/evenement/news/fall-school-advanced… Contact: dbattaglia[at]unistra.fr

April 20, 2026

10th Neuroengineering Summer School Massimo Grattarola & Workshop on Neural Engineering and Micro- Nano- technologies

by Paolo Massobrio

**** Apologize for cross-posting **** Dear all, this is to announce the forthcoming 10th Neuroengineering Summer School Massimo Grattarola (Camogli - Genova, ITALY - June 8th - 10th 2026). The topic of this edition is "Bridge the gap: multiscale approaches in neurodevelopmental disorders" (https://neuroengineering.eu/) The program (lectures by leading experts, interdisciplinary discussions, and a hands-on workshop on neuroengineering technologies) will cover the full spectrum of investigation—from clinical observations and patient-derived cellular models to in vivo systems and computational “digital twin” models designed to predict personalized therapeutic responses. The deadline for the early bird application (including all-inclusive accommodation and meals) is April 30th . Applicants can be junior scientists (PhD students and Post-Doc fellows or residency students). Registration for the School is limited to 40 participants. Following the School, a two-day workshop (Camogli, June 11th - 12th, https://neuroengineering.eu/workshop) introduces participants to the main technologies for designing, building, and analyzing 2D and 3D bioengineered neural networks by means of hands-on laboratory and computer-based sessions on biomaterials, brain-on-a-chip systems, electrophysiology, and advanced imaging. The deadline for the early bird application (including all-inclusive accommodation and meals) is April 30th . Registration for the workshop is limited to 30 participants. Fee discount for the registration School + Workshop. For more information, please contact the School (Gabriele Arnulfo and Monica Frega) and/or Workshop (Martina Brofiga, Donatella di Lisa, Chiara Magliaro) organizers. see you Paolo _________________________________ Paolo Massobrio, PhD Associate Professor of Bioengineering Neuroengineering Genoa Group Department of Informatics, Bioengineering, Robotics and Systems Engineering (DIBRIS) University of Genova Via Opera Pia 13, 16145, Genova, ITALY Phone: +39 010 3352761 URL: www.dibris.unige.it<http://www.dibris.unige.it/> E-mail: paolo.massobrio(a)unige.it<mailto:paolo.massobrio@unige.it>

April 20, 2026

Deadline approaching: Call for Proposals for Satellite Workshops at the Bernstein Conference 2026

by Bernstein Conference

+++ The Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience invites proposals for Satellite Workshops of the Bernstein Conference 2026 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. +++ ____ *Bernstein Conference* Each year, the Bernstein Network invites the international computational neuroscience community to the Bernstein Conference for intensive scientific exchange. It has established itself as one of the most renowned conferences worldwide in this field, attracting students, postdocs, and PIs from around the world to meet and discuss new scientific discoveries.** https://www.bernstein-conference.de/ <https://www.bernstein-conference.de/> ____ ** *Satellite Workshops* Satellite Workshops at the Bernstein Conference 2026 provide a forum to discuss topical research questions, novel scientific approaches, and challenges in computational neuroscience and related fields. Ideally, the format should foster extensive scientific discussions and debates, and go beyond a mere series of talks. https://bernstein-network.de/bernstein-conference/call-for-satellite-worksh… <https://bernstein-network.de/bernstein-conference/call-for-satellite-worksh…> ____ ** *Important Dates* Satellite Workshops: *September 28 - 29, 2026* ·Monday, Sep 28, 14:00 - 18:30 CEST ·Tuesday, Sep 29, 8:30 - 12:30 CEST Main Conference: September 29 - October 1, 2026 Deadline for Satellite Workshop proposal submission: *April 29, 2026 at 15:00 CEST* Notification of Satellite Workshop acceptance: May 2026 ____ ** *Benefits* For each workshop, the organizers will receive *one fee waiver* for the Satellite Workshops, which they can award to one of the workshop speakers. We strongly recommend that the waiver is issued given consideration to aspects of inclusion. ** ____ *INVITED SPEAKERS* Roshan Cools (Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, The Netherlands) Benjamin Grewe (Institute of Neuroinformatics of the ETH and UZH, Switzerland) Andreas Herz (LMU Munich, Germany) Ewelina Knapska (Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Poland) John Krakauer (Champalimaud Foundation, Portugal) Jeehyun Kwag (Seoul National University, Korea) Anna Levina (University of Tübingen, Germany) Richard Naud (University of Ottawa, Canada) Bence Ölveczky (Harvard University, USA) Sandro Romani (Janelia Research Campus, USA) ____ *CONFERENCE COMMITTEE* Stefan Rotter (Conference Chair) Matthias Kaschube (Conference Host) Tim Vogels (Program Chair) Panayiota Poirazi (Program Vice Chair) Katharina Wilmes (Workshop Chair) Juan Álvaro Gallego(Workshop Vice Chair) & Nicolas Brunel, Alex Cayco-Gajic, Monika Jadi, Jennifer Li, Scott Linderman, Wiktor Młynarski, Richard Naud, Joseph Raimondo, Tatyana Sharpee, Taro Toyoizumi, Eleni Vassilaki ____ For any further questions, please contact: bernstein.conference(a)fz-juelich.de <mailto:bernstein.conference@fz-juelich.de>

April 20, 2026

18th Advanced Scientific Programming in Python Summer School, 30 August – 06 September, 2026, Prague Czechia

by Jakob Jordan

ASPP2026: 18th Advanced Scientific Programming in Python Summer School ====================================================================== https://aspp.school Scientists spend a significant amount of time writing, maintaining and debugging software. While techniques for doing this efficiently have evolved, only few scientists have been trained to use them. They end up being overwhelmed by the coding challenges they face and keep re-inventing the wheel. In the hope to free more time for research they increasingly rely on generative AI, which may produce runnable code without the need to fully understand it. Such code can neither be reused nor trusted to work correctly and, as a result, scientists are hesitant to share it and publish it. In this course we will present a selection of advanced programming techniques and best practices which are standard in the industry, but especially tailored to the needs of a programming scientist. Lectures are interactive and allow participants to acquire direct hands-on experience with the topics. Participants will work in pairs throughout the school and will team up to practice the newly learned skills in a real programming project — an entertaining computer game. We use the Python programming language for the entire course. This school is targeted at PhD students, postdocs and more senior researchers from all fields, who do a lot of programming in their academic life, but were never taught how to do so properly. Competence in programming and basic knowledge of Python and git is assumed. Participants are required to work through the proposed introductory material before. 🌈 We strive for a welcoming and sociable atmosphere for scientists from all walks of life. In particular, we focus on recruiting an international and gender-balanced pool of students. Date & Location =============== 30 August – 06 September, 2026. Prague Czechia Application =========== You can apply online: https://aspp.school Application deadline: 23:59 UTC, Sunday 03 May 2026. There will be no deadline extension, so be sure to apply on time. Invitations and notifications of rejection will be sent by Sunday 24 May, 2026. Participation is for free, i.e. no fee is charged! Participants however should take care of travel, living, and accommodation expenses by themselves. Program ======= • Large-scale collaborative scientific code development with git and code forges • Testing and debugging scientific code • Organizing, documenting, and distributing scientific code • Data in scientific programming • Scientific programming patterns in Python • What every scientist should know about computer architecture • Writing parallel applications in Python • Programming in teams Faculty ======= • Aitor Morales-Gregorio, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University, Prague, Czechia • Anna-Lena Eckert, Translational Computational Psychiatry Group, University College London, UK • Carlos Cernuda, Data Analysis and Cybersecurity, Mondragon Unibertsitatea, Bilbao, Spain • Guillermo Aguilar, Department of Computational Psychology, Technische Universität Berlin, Germany • Jenni Rinker, Department of Wind and Energy Systems, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark • Lisa Schwetlick, Laboratoire des Systèmes Perceptifs, École Normale Supérieure, Paris, France • Pamela Hathway, freelance consultant, Nürnberg, Germany • Pietro Berkes, NAGRA Kudelski, Lausanne, Switzerland • Rike-Benjamin Schuppner, Institute for Theoretical Biology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany • Tiziano Zito, Compilers and Programming Languages, Technische Universität Berlin, Germany • Verjinia Metodieva, Charité–Universitätsmedizin and Einstein Center for Neurosciences Berlin, Germany • Zbigniew Jędrzejewski-Szmek, Amutable GmbH, Warsaw, Poland Organizers ========== Head of the organization for ASPP and responsible for the scientific program: • Tiziano Zito, Compilers and Programming Languages, Technische Universität Berlin, Germany Organization team in Prague: • Aitor Morales-Gregorio, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University, Prague, Czechia Funding and Sponsors ==================== ASPP2026 is hosted by the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics of the Charles University in Prague, Czechia. Website: https://aspp.school Contact: info(a)aspp.school

April 19, 2026

PhD Opportunity in NeuroAI (CMU Portugal Affiliated Program – ALIGN Project)

by Jorge Almeida

Dear colleagues, We are seeking a highly motivated PhD candidate to join the ALIGN project at the University of Coimbra, in collaboration with Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), under the CMU Portugal Affiliated PhD Program. The selected candidate will be supervised by Jorge Almeida (University of Coimbra) and Michael Tarr (Carnegie Mellon University), and will work at the intersection of cognitive neuroscience, artificial intelligence, and NeuroAI. The selected candidate and the supervision team (Jorge and Mike) will jointly apply to the CMU Portugal affiliated PhD program. Project Overview: ALIGN aims to develop human-centered evaluation frameworks for artificial intelligence systems by examining how representations in AI models align with human conceptual and neural representations. The project combines behavioral experiments, fMRI, and computational modeling to study representational geometry in both biological and artificial systems. Research Topics Include: NeuroAI and human–AI representational alignment fMRI and multivariate analysis (RSA, encoding models) Vision and vision-language models (e.g., CLIP, DINO, ViT) Human conceptual representations and categorization Cross-cultural cognitive neuroscience Program Details: After a joint application, this position will be funded through the CMU Portugal Affiliated PhD Program (FCT), which provides: Full tuition coverage Monthly stipend (up to 4 years) Up to 12 months of research at Carnegie Mellon University (USA) Application Deadline: The application to the CMU Portugal Affiliated PhD Program (FCT) is May 12, 2026. Interested individuals should contact Jorge Almeida and Mike Tarr ASAP and never later than April 30. Important: Applicants must ensure recognition of their Master’s degree in Portugal. This process can take time and should be initiated as soon as possible: https://www.dges.gov.pt/en/pagina/degree-and-diploma-recognition More information about the program: https://cmuportugal.org/media/call-for-up-to-12-affiliated-ph-d-scholarship… Interested candidates should contact: jorgecbalmeida(a)gmail.com michaeltarr(a)cmu.edu Please feel free to share this opportunity with potential candidates. Best regards, Jorge Almeida and Michael Tarr

April 17, 2026

3rd Summer School on AI4Science (June 29 -July 3, 2026) - Caen, France

by Frederic Jurie

We are pleased to announce the 3rd "Summer School on Advancing Scientific Discovery with AI" (AI4Science 2026), which will take place from June 29 to July 3, 2026, and will be hosted at the ENSICAEN engineering school in Caen, France. *** About the Summer School *** This program is designed for PhD students, postdocs, and researchers interested in the intersection of artificial intelligence and fundamental scientific discovery. The curriculum focuses on how machine learning and advanced computational methods can accelerate breakthroughs in various scientific domains. *** Key Highlights *** Intensive lectures led by international experts in machine learning and scientific modeling. Hands-on practical workshops using industry-standard libraries (PyTorch, NumPy). Dedicated sessions for collaborative research and peer networking. Social events in the historic region of Normandy. *** Event Details *** Dates: June 29 – July 3, 2026 Location: ENSICAEN, Caen, France Website: https://ai4science2026.sciencesconf.org/ *** How to Apply *** Interested participants are invited to apply via the official website. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and we encourage early submissions as space is limited. For any inquiries, please contact the organizing committee at: ai4science2026(a)sciencesconf.org We look forward to welcoming you to Caen for a week of intensive learning and scientific exchange! Best regards, The AI4Science 2026 Organizing Committee — ENSICAEN — CNRS — University of Caen Normandy, France

April 17, 2026

Assistant Professor with Tenure Track or Associate Professor in computational neuroscience.

by Miren Itsaso Olasagasti Rodriguez

Department of Basic Neurosciences<https://neuro-unige.ch/>, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva<https://www.unige.ch/medecine/en> and the National Centre for Competence in Research “Evolving Language”<https://evolvinglanguage.ch/> are looking for an Assistant Professor with Tenure Track or Associate Professor in computational neuroscience. Research interests of the successful candidate may include neural encoding of hierarchy in language, neural basis of compositional processing in language or compositional reasoning, neurocomputational principles of learning/memory systems supporting language. Applications from candidates whose research creates other meaningful connections between computational neuroscience and language are also welcome. Diverse methodological approaches will be valued, including evolutionarily- and biologically-plausible neural modelling. Full details on the position and how to apply are available at https://jobs.unige.ch/www/wd_portal.show_job?p_web_site_id=1&p_web_page_id=…

April 17, 2026

CAMP 2026 @IISER Pune | Applications are open

by Jeevan Kumar Gochhayat

CAMP 2026 An Intensive two-week course on Theoretical and Computational Modeling of Memory and Plasticity *Applications are Open Now | Apply by : 30**ᵗʰ April, 2026* *CAMP* (Computational Approaches to Memory and Plasticity) summer school is a two-week program that invites Ph.D. students, master’s students, final-year undergraduates, and postdocs worldwide for an intensive training in the areas of learning, memory, and plasticity in the brain. The program is scheduled from *2nd July *to* 16th July 2026* at Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Pune, India (IISER Pune <https://www.iiserpune.ac.in/>). This year’s flavor of CAMP will be *Building a Memory*. The course will consist of lectures, hands‑on tutorials, and research projects designed to introduce participants to the foundational and applied aspects of computational neuroscience. Accommodation and meals will be covered for the participants. Application submission deadline is *30th April,2026*. *Apply now* @camp.iiserpune.ac.in You can also follow us on X for regular updates about CAMP 2026 @camp_course <https://x.com/camp_course?t=p_3pXlqRl3yNmRgb83_AMQ&s=09>. Please spread the word ! *Contact us:* camp(a)acads.iiserpune.ac.in More details on the poster <https://camp.iiserpune.ac.in/images/poster.pdf> and website We look forward to meeting you in Pune! Writing on behalf of the CAMP 2026 organisers, Arvind Kumar Collins Assisi Rishikesh Narayanan Suhita Nadkarni Upi Bhalla

April 16, 2026

Postdoc in cognitive/computational neuroscience at BCBL (San Sebastian, Spain)

by Alejandro Tabas

Dear friends and colleagues, The Perceptual Inference Group at the BCBL (Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language) in San Sebastian, Spain, is hiring a postdoctoral researcher to work on an ERC-funded project investigating how the brain learns and exploits the statistical structure of sensory world during sensory processing. The exact methodology will be tailored to the postdoc's interests and may include ultra-high resolution fMRI, E/MEG, and/or computational modelling. The ERC project is being developed together with the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig, and there may be opportunities for collaborations. This is a great opportunity for cognitive neuroscientists who want to learn computational modelling, or for computational neuroscientists who want to learn state of the art human neuroimaging. The BCBL is an international, multidisciplinary research centre in San Sebastian, a stunning coastal city renowned for its quality of life and its amazing gastronomy. The centre offers state-of-the-art neuroimaging infrastructure, including in-house MEG and fMRI machines, and strong support for work-life balance and professional development. Some details: 2-year contract, full-time Start date is flexible (up to March 2027) Application deadline: 31st May 2026 Full details and application link: https://www.bcbl.eu/es/unete-a-nosotros/ofertas-trabajo/job-offer-postdocto… Alejandro <tabas(a)bcbl.eu> is very happy to hold informal chats about the project and the position with prospective applicants. Please contact BCBL's HR (email in the application link) for questions about the application process. Apologies for cross-posting. Best, Alejandro

April 15, 2026

🧠 [Meetings] [CFP] IEEE ICRA 2026 Workshop - NeuroDesign in Human–Robot Interaction (Student Competition & Poster Paper Track Submission)

by NeuroDesign in HRI

Call for Participation 🧠 4th Workshop on NeuroDesign in Human–Robot Interaction @ ICRA 2026 June 5, 2026 | Vienna, Austria | Hybrid Event https://neurodesign-in-hri.webflow.io/ Dear Colleagues, Researchers, and Students, We are delighted to invite you to participate in the NeuroDesign in Human–Robot Interaction Student Competition and Poster Paper Presentation, held as part of the 4th Workshop on NeuroDesign in Human–Robot Interaction at the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA 2026), on June 5, 2026, in Vienna, Austria. The workshop will be organized in a hybrid format, welcoming both onsite and remote participation from around the world. [image: 🔘] About the Workshop NeuroDesign in Human–Robot Interaction (HRI) is an emerging interdisciplinary field that integrates neuroscience, cognitive and behavioral psychology, robotics, artificial intelligence, wearable technologies, and human-centered design to create human–robot systems that are not only high-performing, but also intuitive, ergonomic, emotionally resonant, and cognitively aligned with the human brain and body. Rather than focusing only on technical performance, NeuroDesign emphasizes designing interactions that feel natural, adaptive, and socially meaningful. The workshop will feature cutting-edge research, live demonstrations, and interdisciplinary discussion on topics including brain–computer interfaces, wearable and assistive robotics, neuroergonomics, embodied AI, human–AI co-adaptation, affective and social robotics, soft robotics, exosuits, and human augmentation. [image: 🔘] Suggested Submission Topics We warmly welcome submissions related to, but not limited to, the following topics: * Affective and Social Robotics * Brain–Machine / Brain–Computer Interfaces (BCI) * Wearable and Assistive Robots * Exoskeletons and Rehabilitation Systems * Human–AI Co-adaptation * Embodied AI / Large Language Models for HRI * VR/AR/XR and Metaverse-based Interaction * Haptics, Teleoperation, and Sensory Feedback * Cognitive and Physical HRI (cHRI / pHRI) * Neuroergonomics and Human Factors * Soft Robotics and Bionic Systems * Smart Environments and Pervasive Computing * Multimodal Interfaces: Gesture, Speech, Emotion Recognition * RoboEthics, Inclusion, and DEI in HRI * Adaptive Wearables, Robot Skins, and RoboFashion * Supernumerary Limbs, Human 2.0, and Intelligence Augmentation * Any work that meaningfully connects minds, bodies, and robots =========================================== [image: 🔘] NeuroDesign in HRI Student Competition =========================================== The NeuroDesign in HRI Student EXPO & Competition is now open for submissions. This hybrid showcase invites undergraduate, master’s, and PhD students to present innovative concepts, prototypes, systems, and exploratory studies in HRI, BCI, neuro-inspired design, and related fields. To reserve a spot for the 5-minute pitch presentation, participants may submit any one or any combination of the following: 1. Video Abstract A 100-word summary plus a 1–2 minute video overview 2. Slide Deck A 100-word summary plus 5 informative slides 3. Extended Abstract A 2-page write-up in IEEE RAS format [image: 🟢] Finalists and Presentation Format Submissions will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and approximately 10 projects will be selected for the final on-stage or online 5-minute pitch presentations. Finalists may participate in person, via Zoom, or by pre-recorded presentation. The selected finalists will be offered poster/demo space at the workshop venue, and posters for virtual participation will also be printed and exhibited onsite. We especially encourage submissions from students who have already presented related work at ICRA 2026 or published elsewhere, as this workshop provides an excellent opportunity to further increase the visibility of their research. [image: 🏆] Awards Awards for the Student Competition include: [image: 🏅] Best Innovation in HRI NeuroDesign - 1st Prize: €500 - 2nd Prize: €250 - 3rd Prize: €125 [image: 🏅] Most Popular Project Award - 1st Prize: Raspberry Pi 5 (8GB RAM) - 2nd Prize: Raspberry Pi AI HAT+ (13 TOPS) In addition, the remaining finalists will each receive a €50 honorable mention award, and all finalists will receive certificates. [image: ⏰] Important Dates — Student Competition * Submission Deadline: May 3, 2026 * Acceptance Notification: May 10, 2026 * Competition Day: June 5, 2026 [image: 📤] Submission Link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdHr36BmtfTxLbjHSmiY1CYapUiZPXHgsn… ===================================== [image: 🔘] Poster Paper Track ===================================== In addition to the competition, we also welcome submissions to the Poster Track for participants who prefer not to enter the competition. Selected poster paper submissions will be invited for an onsite or online spotlight presentation during the workshop. The Poster Track is intended for short "original" research papers. Authors should prepare their manuscripts as short papers (6–8 pages) using the Springer Nature proceedings format. We are currently exploring the possibility of publishing the workshop proceedings with Springer Nature. Alternatively, we will publish proceedings on arXiv. Please note that these workshop proceedings are separate from the main ICRA conference proceedings. Springer guidelines: https://www.springer.com/gp/computer-science/lncs/conference-proceedings-gu… [image: 🏆] Poster Awards Top poster submissions will be recognized with special awards. The top three Poster Award winners will receive the following prizes: - 1st Prize: Full APC waiver for Frontiers in Robotics and AI (open-access journal) - 2nd Prize: €125 - 3rd Prize: DIY Neuroscience Kit – Pro [image: ⏰] Important Dates — Poster Track * Submission Deadline: May 3, 2026 * Acceptance Notification: May 10, 2026 * Workshop Day: June 5, 2026 [image: 📤] Submission Link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf4w6Y4YC_NBpV6SKYY_5aoE0bi5dacbyq… [image: 🔘] Onsite Participation Travel Support We strongly encourage onsite participation. For competition and poster presentation participants who wish to attend in person, we offer €50 travel support to help offset travel and workshop registration costs for ICRA. [image: 🔘] Why Participate? The NeuroDesign in HRI Workshop offers a unique interdisciplinary platform to connect with leading researchers, industry innovators, designers, and student creators who are shaping the future of human–machine synergy. Whether you join us onsite or remotely, you will have the opportunity to share your work, receive valuable feedback, build new collaborations, and contribute to a growing community at the intersection of brains, bodies, AI, and robots. We warmly encourage students, early-career researchers, and interdisciplinary teams to submit their work and join us in Vienna for this exciting event. For more information and participation guidelines, please visit the workshop website: [image: 🌐] https://neurodesign-in-hri.webflow.io And for any questions, please send email to: [image: 📧] neurodesign.hri(a)gmail.com We look forward to welcoming you to the 4th NeuroDesign in Human–Robot Interaction Workshop at ICRA 2026! Best regards, Organizing Committee 🧠 4th Workshop on NeuroDesign in Human–Robot Interaction @ ICRA 2026 [image: 🌐] https://neurodesign-in-hri.webflow.io [image: 📧] neurodesign.hri(a)gmail.com

April 15, 2026

Call for Abstracts for the Bernstein Conference 2026 is now open

by Bernstein Conference

+++ The Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience invites proposals for Contributed Talks and Poster Sessions at the Bernstein Conference 2026 in Frankfurt am Main. +++ ____ *Bernstein Conference* ** Each year, the Bernstein Network invites the international computational neuroscience community to the annual Bernstein Conference for intensive scientific exchange. It has established itself as one of the most renowned conferences worldwide in this field, attracting students, postdocs, and PIs from around the world to meet and discuss new scientific discoveries.** https://www.bernstein-conference.de/ <https://www.bernstein-conference.de/> ____ *IMPORTANT DATES* ** Bernstein Conference: *September 28 – October 1, 2026* Deadlines: *Contributed Talk* abstract submission: *May 27, 2026 at 15:00 CEST* *Poster Session* abstract submission: *July 1, 2026 at 15:00 CEST Travel Grant *application: *July 1, 2026 at 17:00 CEST* Notification of acceptance: *July 2026* *____* ** *ABSTRACTS* ** We invite the computational neuroscience community to submit their abstracts. Submissions may be considered for either Contributed Talks or Poster Sessions. All accepted abstracts will be published online and will be citable via Digital Object Identifiers (DOI). Further information can be found here: https://bernstein-network.de/bernstein-conference/abstract-submission/ <https://bernstein-network.de/bernstein-conference/abstract-submission/> ____ * TRAVEL GRANTS* To support the participation of young researchers at the Bernstein Conference, the Bernstein Network offers up to 10 Travel Grants, each endowed with 500 €. Further information can be found here: https://bernstein-network.de/bernstein-conference/early-career-scientists/t… <https://bernstein-network.de/bernstein-conference/early-career-scientists/t…> ____ *INVITED SPEAKERS* Roshan Cools (Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, The Netherlands) Benjamin Grewe (Institute of Neuroinformatics of the ETH and UZH, Switzerland) Andreas Herz (LMU Munich, Germany) Ewelina Knapska (Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Poland) John Krakauer (Champalimaud Foundation, Portugal) Jeehyun Kwag (Seoul National University, Korea) Anna Levina (University of Tübingen, Germany) Richard Naud (University of Ottawa, Canada) Bence Ölveczky (Harvard University, USA) Sandro Romani (Janelia Research Campus, USA) ____ *CONFERENCE COMMITTEE* Stefan Rotter (Conference Chair) Matthias Kaschube (Conference Host) Tim Vogels (Program Chair) Panayiota Poirazi (Program Vice Chair) Katharina Wilmes (Workshop Chair) Juan Álvaro Gallego(Workshop Vice Chair) & Nicolas Brunel, Alex Cayco-Gajic, Monika Jadi, Jennifer Li, Wiktor Młynarski, Richard Naud, Joseph Raimondo, Tatyana Sharpee, Taro Toyoizumi, Eleni Vassilaki ____ For any further questions, please contact: bernstein.conference(a)fz-juelich.de <mailto:bernstein.conference@fz-juelich.de>

April 15, 2026

World wide VVTNS series (6th season): Carl van Vreeswijk Memorial Lecture | Wednesday, April 15, 2026, at 11:00 am ET - Physics of Optimal Transport and Schödinger Bridges| Henri Orland, IPHT, Saclay, France

by David Hansel

[image: VVTNS.png] https://www.wwtns.online <https://streaklinks.com/A9c7PbbpKY7PxB6PaAJWGD3-/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wwtns.on…> - on twitter: wwtns@TheoreticalWide You are cordially invited to the CARL VAN VREESWIJK MEMORIAL LECTURE 2026 Henri Orland IPHT Saclay, France on the topic of Physics of Optimal Transport and Schödinger Bridges The lecture will be held on zoom on April 15 ,2026, at *11:00 am ET * To receive the link https://www.wwtns.online/register-page *Abstract: *Optimal transport is a mathematical method to define a distance between probability distributions. This is particularly useful in various domains, including physics, biology, machine learning, and economics, among others. After introducing the Optimal Transport (OT) problem at finite temperature, we show how it can be formulated as a statistical physics problem. This approach allows us to derive very efficient algorithms to effectively compute the distance between two probability distributions. The a priori unrelated Schrödinger bridge (SB) problem is presented, and it is shown to be a dynamical version of the optimal transport problem. Indeed, the Schrodinger bridge looks for the most probable path in probability distribution space, which connects two given probabilities. The Schrodinger bridge problem, originally devised for freely diffusing particles, can be generalized to the case of interacting particles. It can be formulated in terms of functional integrals over bosonic fields, which allows us to derive partial differential equations that characterize the most probable paths in probability space. *About VVTNS : Launched as the World Wide Theoretical Neuroscience Seminar (WWTNS) in November 2020 and renamed in homage to Carl van Vreeswijk in Memoriam (April 20, 2022), Speakers have the occasion to talk about theoretical aspects of their work which cannot be discussed in a setting where the majority of the audience consists of experimentalists. The seminars, **held on Wednesdays at 11 am ET,** are 45-50 min long followed by a discussion. The talks are recorded with authorization of the speaker and are available to everybody on our YouTube channel.* ᐧ ᐧ

April 12, 2026

CfP: BEACON 2026 Workshop @ ICMI – Grounding Abstract Concepts in Multimodal Interaction (Deadline: July 2, 2026)

by xhdgary＠gmail.com

Dear All, we invite submissions to the BEACON 2026 Workshop (Beyond a Concrete: Grounding Abstract Concepts in Multimodal Interaction), Co-located with ICMI 2026 Multimodal systems have made strong progress in grounding concrete concepts (e.g., objects, actions), but abstract concepts (e.g., “tool,” “use,” “good”) remain poorly understood. Grounding these concepts requires integrating perception, language, action, and context and is essential for flexible, human-like interaction. This workshop focuses on computational and interactional mechanisms for grounding abstract concepts beyond concrete sensory inputs, bringing together work on multimodal representation learning, embodied and developmental models, robotics, and hybrid cognitive architectures. The workshop aims to consolidate approaches, datasets, and evaluation strategies for abstract concept grounding, identify shared modeling assumptions, and clarify open challenges. Topics of Interest We invite submissions on topics including, but not limited to: Grounding abstract concepts in multimodal interaction Hierarchical and developmental models of abstraction Cross-modal abstraction and alignment Embodied and interactive concept learning Multimodal action and goal representations Affective and contextual abstraction Embodied and interactive learning of abstract language Hybrid cognitive architectures for abstract grounding Evaluation methodologies for abstract concept grounding Multimodal datasets and benchmarks for abstract concepts Applications of abstract grounding in HCI and HRI Submission Details Short papers (4 pages) Full Papers (8 pages) Submit via OpenReview: https://openreview.net/group?id=ICMI/2026/Workshop/BEACON All accepted and presented papers will be included in the proceedings of the ACM ICMI 2026 workshop. Important Dates Submission: July 2, 2026 Notification: July 25, 2026 Camera-ready: July 31, 2026 Workshop: October 5 or 9, 2026 Website: https://beacon2026.github.io/ We welcome contributions from the multimodal interaction, AI, robotics, and cognitive science communities. For any questions or requests, please feel free to contact us (rahulsingh.maharjan(a)manchester.ac.uk) BEACON 2026 Organizers Rahul Singh Maharjan - University of Manchester (rahulsingh.maharjan(a)manchester.ac.uk) Haodong Xie - University of Manchester (haodong.xie(a)manchester.ac.uk) Niyati Rawal - IAIRO-BITS (niyati.rawal(a)iairo.ai) Luca Raggioli - University of Naples Federico II (luca.raggioli(a)unina.it) Angelo Cangelosi - University of Manchester (angelo.cangelosi(a)manchester.ac.uk)

April 12, 2026

New preprint: Consciousness as neural topology (hard problem, constitutive claim)

by arthur.stewart＠neuravexium.com arthur.stewart＠neuravexium.com

I would like to announce a new preprint on the neural substrate of consciousness. “What I Am Will Be? A Convergence A Topology of Neural Substrate, Structure, an Endomorphism: Consciousness Its Cells-Itself” Arthur Stewart (2026). Zenodo. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.19342121 https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19342121 The paper proposes that consciousness is constituted by synchronized flow across four neural loops, each operating on a distinct computational axis. The topology of the substrate (a four-node directed graph closing through endomorphism) is argued to generate the structural features philosophers associate with the hard problem: phenomenal immediacy, temporal presence, ownership, and qualitative character. These follow as consequences of the topology itself rather than requiring additional explanatory apparatus. The paper includes a systematic comparative critique of Global Neuronal Workspace, Integrated Information Theory, Thalamocortical Loop theory, and Predictive Processing/Free Energy Principle, identifying specific empirical and structural gaps in each. Eight discriminating predictions are offered that would distinguish this framework from existing accounts. The full paper is open access at the DOI above. Arthur Stewart

April 12, 2026

Call for Papers: ICIST 2026, Coimbra, Portugal, October 1-6, 2026. Submission Deadline: May 15, 2026

by Nian Ashlee Zhang

Following the success of previous events, the 16th International Conference on Information Science and Technology (ICIST 2026) will be held in Coimbra, Portugal, on October 1-6, 2026. Located between the two largest Portuguese cities, the conference site features a historic royal city with numerous historical buildings, classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site. ICIST2026 aims to provide a high-level international forum for scientists, engineers, and educators to present the state-of-the-art research and applications in neural networks and related fields. The symposium will feature plenary speeches given by world-renowned scholars, regular sessions with broad coverage, and special sessions focusing on popular topics. Technical Co-sponsor: IEEE Systems, Man and Cybernetics Society. Accepted papers will be included in the IEEE Xplore. When: October 1 - 6, 2026 (Coimbra, Portugal) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Important Dates: Paper submission deadline: May 15, 2026 Notification of acceptance: June 15, 2026 Camera-ready copy and author registration: July 15, 2026 Abstract submission deadline: September 15, 2026 Website: https://conference.cs.cityu.edu.hk/icist/ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Call for Papers and Special Sessions Prospective authors are invited to contribute high-quality papers to ICIST2026. Additionally, proposals for special sessions within the technical scope of the conference are solicited. Special sessions, organized by internationally recognized experts, aim to bring together researchers in specialized, focused topics. Papers submitted for special sessions are peer-reviewed using the same criteria as those for contributed papers. Researchers interested in organizing special sessions are invited to submit formal proposals to ICIST2026. A special session proposal should include the session title, a brief description of the scope and motivation, names, contact information, and brief biographical information on the organizers. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Topic Areas: The topics of contributing papers include, but are not limited to, the following areas: Intelligent Control and Automation Autonomous systems, linear and nonlinear control, learning and adaptive control, intelligent control, optimization-based and optimal control, fault detection and identification, hybrid intelligent systems, networked control, fuzzy logic control, industrial automation, neural control, process control, robot control, mechatronic systems, environmental monitoring and control, intelligent manufacturing systems, microprocessor-based control, motor control, power systems, vehicle control, aerospace applications, and other applications. Intelligent Information Processing Machine learning, adaptive filtering, signal processing, audio/speech processing and coding, higher-order spectral analysis, nonlinear & blind signal processing, neural signal processing, component analysis, array signal processing, parallel and distributed processing, time series analysis, multimedia signal processing, design and implementation of signal processing systems, DSP implementations, embedded systems, image and multidimensional signal processing, image processing & understanding, computer vision & pattern recognition, bioimaging and signal processing, multimedia communications, computer vision & virtual reality, next-generation mobile communications, communication signal processing, modulation and channel coding, network coding, sensor networks, cryptography and information security, and other applications. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Paper Submission Authors are invited to submit full-length papers (8 pages maximum) by the submission deadline through the online submission system. Potential organizers are also invited to enlist five or more papers with cohesive topics to form special sessions. The submission of a paper implies that the paper is original and has not been submitted under review or is not copyright-protected elsewhere, and will be presented by an author if accepted. All submitted papers will be refereed by experts in the field based on the criteria of originality, significance, quality, and clarity. The authors of accepted papers will have the opportunity to revise their papers, taking into consideration the referees’ comments and suggestions. All accepted papers will be submitted for inclusion into IEEE Xplore, subject to meeting IEEE Xplore’s scope and quality requirements. Selected high-quality papers will be included in several journal special issues.

April 12, 2026

NEST Conference 2026 — Abstract Submission Deadline extended to 3 May

by Hans Ekkehard Plesser

Dear colleagues, The abstract submission deadline for the NEST Conference 2026 has been extended to Sunday, 3 May. We are inviting contributions to the conference, including talks, "posters" and workshops on specific topics. Do not miss out on contributing to this exciting event! The NEST Conference provides an opportunity for the NEST Community to meet, exchange success stories, swap advice, learn about current developments in and around NEST spiking network simulation and its application. Take the opportunity to advance your skills in using NEST at our hands-on workshops! This year's conference will again take place as a virtual conference on Tuesday/Wednesday 16/17 June 2026. We are delighted to welcome * Marja-Leena Linne, Tampere University * Maxime Carriere and Fynn Dobler, Freie Universität Berlin * Agnes Korcsak-Gorzo, Forschungszentrum Jülich * Pablo Martínez Cañada, University of Granada as keynote speakers at the conference. For more information on how to submit your contribution, register and participate, please visit the conference website: https://nest-simulator.org/conference We are looking forward to seeing you all in June! Hans Ekkehard Plesser and the conference organizing committee -- Prof. Dr. Hans Ekkehard Plesser Research Committee Chair, Faculty of Science and Technology Department of Data Science Faculty of Science and Technology Norwegian University of Life Sciences PO Box 5003, 1432 Aas, Norway Phone +47 6723 1560 Email hans.ekkehard.plesser(a)nmbu.no<mailto:hans.ekkehard.plesser@nmbu.no> Home http://arken.nmbu.no/~plesser

April 10, 2026

[ISCS 2026] Early Bird Ends April 20 — Register Now

by Hocine Cherifi

🚨 *Last Days for Early Bird Registration – **ISCS 2026 <https://iutdijon.u-bourgogne.fr/ccs-france/>* 📍 *La Rochelle, France* | 🗓 *June 03–05, 2026* 🗓 *Early Bird Deadline: April 20, 2026 (in 10 days)* Early bird registration for the *International Symposium on Complex Systems (**ISCS 2026 <https://iutdijon.u-bourgogne.fr/ccs-france/>)* is closing soon. Join an interdisciplinary community working at the intersection of *complex systems, networks, AI, social sciences, neuroscience, and data-driven approaches*. ------------------------------ 🎤 Keynote Speakers - Kay Axhausen — ETH Zürich - Johan Bollen — University of Amsterdam & Indiana University - Tiziana Di Matteo — King’s College London - Chiara Poletto — University of Padova ------------------------------ 🔬 Workshops - *AI & Complexity* — emergent intelligence and multi-agent dynamics 🔗 More information: https://iutdijon.u-bourgogne.fr/ccs-france/ ------------------------------ ✅ Register Now 👉 https://iutdijon.u-bourgogne.fr/ccs-france/registration/ Take advantage of *reduced rates until April 20*. We look forward to welcoming you to *La Rochelle*. The organization Team Join us at COMPLEX NETWORKS 2026 <https://www.complexnetworks.org/> *-------------------------* Hocine CHERIFI Laboratoire* I*nterdisciplinaire *C*arnot de *B*ourgogne - ICB UMR 6303 CNRS Université Bourgogne Europe Editor in Chief Plos Complex Systems <https://plos.org/complex-systems-research-journal/#:~:text=PLOS%20Complex%2….> Founding & Adisory Editor Applied Network Science <https://appliednetsci.springeropen.com/> Editorial Board member IEEE ACCESS <https://ieeeaccess.ieee.org/?http%3A%2F%2Fieeeaccess_ieee_org%2F>, Scientific Reports <https://www.nature.com/srep/>, Journal of Imaging <https://www.mdpi.com/journal/jimaging>, Quality and Quantity <https://www.springer.com/journal/11135/>, Computational Social Networks <https://computationalsocialnetworks.springeropen.com/>, Complex Systems <https://www.complex-systems.com/> Evolutionary Intelligence <https://link.springer.com/journal/12065>

April 10, 2026