Schweizer Professional Development Award

Schweizer Professional Development Award

The BRI is proud to announce the Schweizer Professional Development Award (formerly known as the Flexible Travel Award Program), honoring the extraordinary contributions of Dr. Felix E. Schweizer, former BRI Director (2017–2024) and chair of UCLA’s Interdepartmental Neuroscience PhD Program. Dr. Schweizer’s career embodies innovation, mentorship, and a passion for discovery—from his pioneering research on neuronal communication to his leadership in advancing the BRI’s collaborative mission. This award reflects his unwavering commitment to empowering trainees to thrive in their professional journeys.

The Schweizer Professional Development Award is open to BRI graduate students, post-doctoral scholars, project scientists, and assistant researchers (up to 7 years post-PhD). It provides up to $1,500 to support travel for conferences, workshops, or specialized training that enhances professional development. Whether presenting research on international platforms or acquiring new skills, this opportunity aims to help recipients continue Dr. Schweizer’s legacy of scientific excellence and collaboration.

To be eligible for this award, you must be a member of the Brain Research Institute. We have expanded our membership criteria to now include associate and trainee memberships for graduate students, post-doctoral scholars, project scientists, and researchers. Please complete the membership application form before submitting your application.

To apply for this award, submit the following documents as a single PDF to Joe Quintero at JMQuintero@mednet.ucla.edu by Friday, January 31, 2025, 11:59 PM:

  1. An updated CV or biosketch
  2. A budget ($1,500 max): List projected event costs as line items, including registration, travel, accommodation, and daily food allowance. Please also mention other funding sources if appropriate. Applications that simply request $1,500 will be rejected.
  3. A rationale and plan (300 words max): Describe why this particular event is relevant to your research interests and career goals. Describe your plan for making new connections and acquiring new skills.
  4. An abstract (event dependent): Provide your proposed abstract. It does not need to be submitted at the time of this application. If there are no details for the abstract length, use a maximum of 400 words.
  5. Include a short event description: A URL will suffice.

“I am deeply honored to have this award bear my name. It is my hope that future generations of research scientists will benefit greatly from the opportunities that travel and collaboration bring.”

– Dr. Felix E. Schweizer