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CCBS Undergraduate Summer Institute (CUSI)

Welcome to CUSI

Click the Apply tab to learn more.

CUSI is an 8-session professional development program designed for undergraduates who will be working at least 10 hours per week as research assistants in OSU labs during the summer. Students should be working on research projects related to the cognitive or brain sciences. 

This program offers summer scholarships for unpaid researchers! See the application for more information. 

Students attending a workshop and eating breakfast

CUSI is an interactive program comprised of research talks and professional development workshops for undergraduates who may pursue research careers in academic or industry settings. The research content spans the various sub-disciplines of cognitive and brain sciences, while the development workshops cover topics including writing, being an effective undergraduate researcher, and applying to graduate school. 

Seminars and workshops will be led by OSU faculty members with specific expertise and research interests in the cognitive sciences. Throughout the program, students will be given opportunities to speak informally with OSU faculty and graduate students from various departments and participate in enrichment activities. CUSI aims to complement your in-lab research training with career development while connecting you to a community of like-minded, hard-working, and talented peers. Lunch will be provided during each session. Admitted applicants are expected to make every effort to attend all 8 CUSI sessions. 

Now accepting applications for summer 2025. Select the Apply tab above to learn more! 

Dates: Mondays in June and July (June 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 & July 7, 14, 21)

Times: 10:00 A.M. - 1:00 P.M. EST

Location: Psychology Building, Room 35, OSU Campus

Meals: A catered lunch will be provided during each session (12-1 pm). We can accommodate most dietary preferences.

CUSI Application: application cycle now closed, check back in early 2026

  • Application: 

  • University Transcript: Unofficial transcripts or advisor reports are sufficient.
  • Resume or CV
  • Personal Statement: In 500 words or less, please describe your interest in cognitive science research and why you want to attend the CUSI program.

 

CUSI & Scholarship Application: application cycle now closed, check back in early 2026

  • Scholarship Application: 

  • University Transcript: Unofficial transcripts or advisor reports are sufficient.
  • Resume or CV
  • Personal Statement: In 500 words or less, please describe your interest in cognitive science research and why you want to attend the CUSI program.
  • Proposal of your summer research project: 1-2 pages single-spaced. Describe your plan for research activities during the award period. Note that this need not be a conventional research proposal in which you propose a specific study.  Instead, please develop a plan for training that is appropriate to your career stage.  This could include activities such as reading the literature on a topic of interest, learning how to program experiments, learning your lab's data analysis techniques, etc.  For new research assistants, having the chance to apprentice yourself on an existing project is valuable.  For more experienced students, a plan to establish more independence is valuable.  We also encourage a description of a mentoring plan, in which you identify your supervisors and discuss how frequently you will have meetings.  In evaluating your submission, our overall goal is to assess the quality of cognitive-science related training you will obtain and how you will grow as a researcher.
  • Letter of support from your research advisor: maximum 1 page
  • Optional Adversity Statement: See the application for instructions. 

 

Signatures can be collected in any format including DocuSign, digitally signed PDF, or wet signature. Email all materials to ccbs@osu.edu by the deadline. 

Eligibility

Students must be matriculated undergraduate students at the Ohio State University, working at least 10 hours per week as an Undergraduate Research Assistant within an OSU lab for the duration of the program. Students must have support from their faculty research advisors and are expected to attend all 8 sessions of the CUSI program. Students should be working on research projects related to the cognitive or brain sciences. 

Program Details

Dates: Mondays in June and July (June 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 & July 7, 14, 21)

Times: 10:00 A.M. - 1:00 P.M. EST

Location: Psychology Building, Room 35, OSU Campus

Meals: A catered lunch will be provided during each session (12-1 pm). We can accommodate most dietary preferences.

*Students should expect to attend each meeting in person. Date, meeting format, or location are subject to change, however, we hope to maintain the initial schedule. 

Contact

The Center for Cognitive and Brain Sciences at ccbs@osu.edu.

Student Closing Presentation
cusi scholars
Dr. Sederberg introduces the talk
“I learned that there are an immense amount of research disciplines within the cognitive science field that can be attained at both a graduate and professional level.” -CUSI Participant