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Education & training

Want to join NERF for your PhD, postdoc or an internship?

Check our current openings or contact one of our principal investigators directly to discuss possible opportunities at NERF.

Postdoctoral program

The exponentially growing community of postdoctoral fellows at NERF has direct access to state-of-the-art-technologies and tools of NERF. As important members of the different NERF teams, postdoctoral fellows have the opportunity to independently design their research program, to supervise students and to grow into an independent researcher in a nurturing environment.

There are several opportunities to obtain postdoctoral fellowships in Flanders. All of our postdocs are part of a large network of peers in different life sciences fields via VIB. In addition to ample opportunities for professional and personal skill development, the postdoc committee organizes a yearly postdoc day to which all of NERF’s postdocs are invited.

PhD program
PhD class 2018

We offer a 4-year PhD training program in an exciting research environment. There are three research tracks:

  • Neural circuits & behavior
  • Neural systems and computation
  • Advanced brain recording and imaging

PhD degrees are awarded by KU Leuven, the University of Leuven. All students are also automatically enrolled in the NERF-VIB-KU Leuven Center Brain & Disease Research PhD program and in the imec PhD program. This gives students access to a large network of peers and to diverse training opportunities.

Learn more about the PhD association and available support.

Master’s students

We welcome Master's students from all around the world. All are fully embedded in our NERF teams and trained in state-of-the-art methods in neuroscience, such as the design and use of high density neuroprobes, functional imaging, optogenetics…

We host Master’s students from a wide range of disciplines such as physics, biology, engineering or computer sciences. We also teach a class on Neural Systems & Circuits.

Bachelor's students

We host Belgian and international undergraduate students at NERF for both short-term (3 weeks) and long-term (up to 6 or 9 months) internships. Students take part in research activities in one of the NERF labs and are directly supervised by top-notch NERF scientists.

KU Leuven and imec internship programs are in place to provide undergraduate students opportunities at NERF labs. Moreover, NERF labs have direct contacts to several universities abroad.

Doing a PhD at NERF gives me the opportunity to explore the fields of neuroscience and neuroengineering at its highest class
Rik Van Daal
Rik Van Daal
PhD student at NERF in collaboration with ESAT-Micas and ATLAS Neuroengineering
I was eager to join this multidisciplinary and international team to learn about neurosciences and develop technologies that can help others.
Paoline Coulson
Paoline Coulson
PhD student at NERF
With its strategic combination of systems neuroscience and neurotech, NERF is unique in its focus. The open collaborative atmosphere makes sure that both junior and senior research staff can thrive.
Vincent Bonin
Vincent Bonin
PI at NERF
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We are a vibrant scientific community building on a century-old tradition of education and innovation, all located in the heart of Europe.
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We seek talented researchers who are curious, enthusiastic and have a passion for understanding how the brain works.
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