FENS, SfN and IBRO

As a BNA member you get access to the worldwide neuroscience community via FENS, SfN and IBRO. Read on to find out how to make the most of your international member benefits.

FENS, SfN and IBRO

All members of BNA are eligible for free membership of the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS). Via the FENS ISM scheme, BNA members can also submit abstracts and get reduced fees to attend the annual Society for Neuroscience (SfN) meeting in the US. See below for details. 

Contents

  1. Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS)
  2. Society for Neuroscience (SfN)
  3. International Brain Research Organization (IBRO)

Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS)

BNA membership allows you to claim free membership of FENS. To access your free FENS membership and associated benefits you need a FENS ID number. 

How to find your FENS ID number

(A) If you have been a BNA member since before the start of this year:

At the beginning of each year, our administration team passes a list of BNA members to FENS which sets them up with FENS memberships.

  1. logging in to the FENS website
  2. using the same email address that you have for your BNA membership
  3. If you have forgotten your password, click on 'Forgotten password' to set up a new one
  4. Once you have logged in, go to 'My account'
  5. Click on the 'My membership' tab
  6. Your FENS ID is top right of the 'My membership tab', and will have the format 'FENSXXXXX'

(B) If you are a newer BNA member:

If you joined the BNA after January, you may not have been added to the FENS database as part of the annual update, and will need to request this directly (you may otherwise find that when trying to log in to FENS you get the message 'We could not locate an account with those details')

  1. go to the FENS website
  2. click on the 'Join FENS' button, top right
  3. click 'Become a FENS member through your society'
  4. select the British Neuroscience Association as your member society
  5. complete your contact details on the short form towards the bottom of the page

Once your BNA membership has been verified, you will receive a FENS ID by email. Please note that requests for FENS ID numbers have to be verified individually and manually, and may take some time to process especially at peak times (e.g. before deadlines): make sure you obtain your FENS ID in plenty of time before FENS meeting and submission deadlines! 

(C) If you are not yet a BNA member and want to join FENS:

  1. Select the appropriate BNA membership category
  2. Complete the application form to join the BNA. 
    *If you are joining as an undergraduate or postgraduate student, please provide proof of student status when prompted to do so during the application process. Failure to do so will delay approval of your application*
  3. Once your membership has been approved, then follow the steps under (B) above.

What are the benefits of FENS membership?

FENS membership includes:

European Journal of Neuroscience

The European Journal of Neuroscience (EJN) is the official journal of FENS. It publishes papers on a broad range of topics, aiming to advance our understanding of the nervous system in health and disease, thereby improving the diagnosis and treatment of disorders. It is published biweekly.

All FENS members have free access to EJN online and receive the table of content by email. Sign-in to the website as a FENS member and enjoy full, free and easy access to all published articles in EJN. See the website at  www.ejneuroscience.org.

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Society for Neuroscience (SfN)

The Society for Neuroscience is a US-based organisation. Every autumn, the SfN 'Neuroscience' meeting gathers 30,000+ neuroscientists from more than 80 countries to debut cutting-edge research on the brain and nervous system, making it the world’s largest marketplace of ideas and tools for global neuroscience.

Attending and presenting an abstract at SfN is particularly important for students and early-career researchers looking to advance their careers. 

SfN-related benefits for BNA members

There are two main SfN- related benefits which BNA members can access: the SfN online platform Neuronline, with a vast collection of training materials, webinars, virtual conferences and much more, and getting reduced fees to the SfN annual Neuroscience meeting, via the sponsored abstract slots process described below:

Obtaining a sponsored abstract slot submission at SfN annual meetings

BNA membership provides eligibity to obtain one of the International Society Member (ISM) slots to submit an abstract to the annual SfN Neuroscience. ISM slots enable you to submit an abstract without support from a full SfN member, and it means you can attend SfN at reduced registration fees (the same as SfN member rates). 

Please note:

  • If you aren't a member of the BNA, then first you need to join the BNA!
  • If you are a BNA member and haven't already got a FENS ID, then you need to activate your FENS membership - follow the instructions above. 
  • Activating FENS membership for new BNA members is a manual (not automated) process; please allow plenty of time for office staff to process your application. (We will always do our best to meet deadlines, but cannot guarantee to work nights!)
  • There is a limited number of ISM slots, and they will be given out on a first come, first served basis. 
  • Check the abstract submission deadlines at the SfN website. 

Here's how

1. FENS members should register via the ISM application form to apply for an ISM slot. 

2. Accepted ISM slot holders will then receive an abstract submission code from FENS. 

3. ISM slot holders willl then be able to submit their abstract using a special ISM abstract submission link provided with the code in the email from FENS. (You will be required to set up a login and profile before doing so).  There is no charge at this stage. 

4. Providing your abstract is accepted (6-8 weeks after submission) you will be asked to accept the abstract fee (around $145).

Please note that due to processing time it may take some time for you to receive your code from FENS. Therefore you should ensure you submit your request well in advance of the abstract deadline. 

How ISM abstract slot holders can register for SfN at member rate 

1. Wait until non-SfN-member registration is open for the SfN meeting.  As an ISM holder, you will not be able to register at reduced rates until non-member registration is open. (i.e. SfN members still have priority). 

2. Register for the SfN meeting using the login information created previously. 

3. Follow the steps in the registration form. The discount will automatically be applied at the stage of payment. 

4. A registration confirmation email will then be sent along with a request to pay the abstract handling fee. (NB this is not discounted). 

Instructions, deadlines, and guidelines to register for an ISM slot may change from year to year.  To check details for the current year, see the FENS website.

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International Brain Research Organization (IBRO)

IBRO is the global federation of neuroscience organizations that aims to promote and support neuroscience around the world through training, teaching, collaborative research, outreach and advocacy. More than 90 international, national and regional scientific organisations constitute IBRO’s Governing Council which, together with the five IBRO Regional Committees, address the needs and advance the work of individual scientists and research communities everywhere.

The BNA are proud to be a member society of IBRO. IBRO have several programs that are open to European researchers and they can be found here:

https://ibro.org/funding-support/ 

BNA members are also eligible for IBRO International Research Fellowships, Return Home Fellowships and International Travel Grants. Please visit the IBRO website for details; www.ibro.org

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