BNA Scholars Design and Host "Brain Sciences Symposium" aimed at supporting Early Career Researchers from Underrepresented Backgrounds
13th January 2025
Career starter membership
Just graduated this year? Congratulations!
We believe that once a neuroscientist, always a neuroscientist. We also know that there are many different ways of continuing to be a neuroscientist following your degree, which needn't be further studies nor academia. Moreover, we recognise the financial constraints faced by many new graduates.
Career Starter membership is an affordable BNA membership category for recent graduates in transitional stages of their career. For example, you may intend plan to join a Masters or PhD programme soon, but haven't yet started. Or you may have just started in a job outside of neuroscience, but want to stay in touch with your neuroscience roots and interests.
Stay part of your neuroscience community through our career starter membership: open to all graduated students, regardless of what you’re doing now.
Examples of ways that BNA membership can grow your enjoyment of neuroscience and develop your career:
Neuroscience community
Remain engaged with the neuroscience community
Reduced registration
Free or reduced registration rates for all BNA events
Printed Bulletin
The BNA Bulletin, full of neuro news & research, delivered direct to your door
Careers
Learn about career paths following a neuroscience degree, in academia or beyond
Networking
Get the chance to meet big names (and future employers!) in neuroscience
Global community
Free membership of FENS, with access to SfN benefits too
Join online today
Maintain your connection to neuroscience through transitional stages in your career by being part of the UK's thriving neuroscience community, accessing world-leading events and CPD, networking opportunities, and career support.
Eligibility criteria
Those who have graduated from an undergraduate degree within the last year and have not yet progressed into postgraduate study.
Those who have graduated from an postgraduate degree (e.g. Masters / PhD / F1 / F2) within the last year and have not yet progressed into an early career researcher (ECR) or clinical role.
You are eligible to apply at any time within 12 months from the official end study date on your student verification, and your membership will be valid for a year from your application date. Proof of previous student/trainee status will be required in order to prove eligibility. This can be a photo, .pdf or other document of, for example, your student ID card, proof of enrolment, or a headed letter from your institution clearly stating the end date of your previous studies. Alternatively, you can provide a copy of your degree certificate. You will be asked to upload this during the online application procedure.
Please note that you are only eligible to become a career starter member within the first year of graduating, and you can only remain in the career starter membership category for a maximum of one year. After your career starter membership, we will welcome you to progress into either Associate, ECR or Full membership. Please contact us as you approach your renewal date to inform us of your new career status so that we can assist your transition into the most appropriate new category.
Benefits
Our core membership benefits for our career starter membership are listed below.
- Free or reduced registration rates for all BNA events, and those run by partnering organisations
- Eligibility for BNA student prizes
- Eligibility for travel bursaries
- Monthly eBulletin with news, funding calls, jobs and events
- Access to new and archived editions of the BNA Bulletin
- Publishing opportunities for your writing on the BNA website or BNA Bulletin
- Involvement in the events and campaigns of your institution's BNA Local Group, and the opportunity to become a BNA Local Group Student Representative (LGSR) to lead and organise your local neuroscience community
- Eligibility for Local Groups Funding (via your own Local Group Representative)
- Free membership of the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS) (see how to activate)
- Reduced registration fees via FENS-sponsored abstract slots for the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting (read more)
- 50% discount on fees to publish in the BNA journal Brain and Neuroscience Advances
- Reduced APC charges for the BNA journal Brain and Neuroscience Advances
- Free online access to the European Journal of Neuroscience
- Free access to e-learning, virtual patients, webinars, and CPD points via ebrain, the world's largest online e-learning resource
- Free training materials, webinars, virtual conferences other resources at Neuronline
- 20% discount on the Human Brain Anatomy course (see here for information)
- 50% discount on Royal Society of Biology membership for the first two years
- Up to 50% off Royal Society of Biology Training events
- 15% discount on all books from Wisepress
- Access to members-only information about travel grants, fellowships, grant-writing and other useful resources and offers
- Free advertising in the BNA Bulletin, eBulletin and website
- Free online job listings
Membership fees:
- £22 per year if paid by Direct Debit (tick the box 'Pay by Direct Debit' at the beginning of the joining form) (NB. Payment via Direct Debit is only available to UK bank accounts. If your bank account is from outside the UK or you are intending to pay in any currency other than GBP, you will need to select the option to pay by credit/debit card)
- £24 per year if paid by credit/debit card
Be part of the UK's largest neuroscience society: representing the UK neuroscience community and our interests across all sectors, nationally and internationally