Dear colleagues,

The Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience invites nominations for the Valentin Braitenberg Award for Computational Neuroscience 2026.

The Valentin Braitenberg Award honors outstanding scientific achievements in the field of computational neuroscience. Following Braitenberg's scientific tradition, special attention is paid to theoretical studies that reveal the functional significance of brain structures and their neuronal network dynamics.

In 2026, Valentin Braitenberg would have celebrated his 100th birthday. To commemorate this special occasion, the Bernstein Network will present the next Valentin Braitenberg Award during the Bernstein Conference 2026.

The awardee will receive €5.000 prize money, donated by the Autonome Provinz Bozen Südtirol, as well as an invitation to the Bernstein Conference (including registration fee and travel and accommodation expenses). The award will be presented together with a Golden Neuron pin in a special award ceremony, followed by a lecture by the Braitenberg Awardee.

Nominations may be submitted by scientists working in the field of computational neuroscience and should include the following documents:

-       One-page laudation, in which the scientific work of the candidate is honored with regard to the award criteria

-       CV and list of publications

Deadline for nominations is April 30, 2026. Please send the nomination documents via email to Dr. Alexandra Stein at a.stein@fz-juelich.de.

Please note that self-nominations are not permitted.

For more information about the Valentin Braitenberg Award, please visit: https://bernstein-network.de/en/network/awards-and-initiatives/valentin-braitenberg-award/

Best regards,
Alexandra Stein