Brain and Neuroscience
A collection of public engagement and professional development resources about the brain, neuroscience, and neuro-ethics. Also included are resources for annual events including Brain Awareness Week, World Brain Day, Mental Wellness Month, and more public engagement events.
Changing Brains Downloadable Kit
What Makes Us Human
Explore what it means to be human and how humanlike machines might become.
Neuro Futures Card Game
Prioritize cards with new neurotechnologies according to your own values and the values of others.
Neuro Futures Championship Game
Pit new neurotechnologies head-to-head using a sports-style bracket.
Changing Brains training videos
Training videos are intended to help museum staff and volunteers feel comfortable while engaging public audiences with the Changing Brains activities.
Changing Brains logos
A set of logos and promotional materials for Changing Brains including logos, colors, and graphics in multiple formats.
Online Workshop Recording: Changing Brains - New Tools for Brain Awareness Week & Beyond
Online workshop recording; developers from the Changing Brains project provided background info and shared new public engagement resources around brain and neuroscience.
Professional Development Resources
Conversation Lab: Brain Enhancement
Small group conversation guide to spark reflections on the future of brain enhancements and their potential impacts on society.
Stand Up Sit Down Icebreaker
Professional development training tool to prepare scientific audiences to talk about public engagement around now & near-future brain research and technologies.
Step into the Shoes of Stakeholders training guide and materials
Professional development training tool to prepare scientific audiences to talk about public engagement around now & near-future brain research and technologies.
Projects and White Papers
A Global Landscape of Neuroscience Public Engagement Efforts and the Potential Nexus of Neuroethics
Publication focused on the intersection between neuroscience public engagement and ethics using a from a series of interviews with neuroscientists, neuroethicists, patient advocates, and educators around the world.
Public Engagement with Neuroscience and Society: Conference Report and Vision for a National Informal Neuroscience Education Initiative
Conference report on the collective vision of informal science professionals, scientists, and social scientists, towards growing public engagement efforts in concert with the rapid advancement of neuroscience research.
Changing Brains
Changing Brains is an evolving project of the NISE Network to empower public and professional audiences to experience, talk about, and reflect on personal, community, and societal connections to advancing brain research and related technologies.
More Projects and White Papers
- ICFG and IoNx report: Towards Inclusive EU Governance of Neurotechnologies
https://icfg.eu/towards-inclusive-eu-governance-of-neurotechnologies/- Salles A., Mahieu, V., Rommelfanger, K., Porcello, D., Swieboda, P., Tournas, L. (2024) Towards Inclusive EU Governance of Neurotechnologies. Institute of Neuroethics and International Center for Future Generations, October 2024, 55p.
- Salles A., Mahieu, V., Rommelfanger, K., Porcello, D., Swieboda, P., Tournas, L. (2024) Towards Inclusive EU Governance of Neurotechnologies. Institute of Neuroethics and International Center for Future Generations, October 2024, 55p.
- Neuroethics hackathons bridge theory to practice
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2024.11.013- Rommelfanger, K. S., Porcello, D., Salles, A., & Tournas, L. N. (2024). Neuroethics hackathons bridge theory to practice. Neuron, 112(24), 3994-3998.
More Brain and Neuroscience Public Engagement Materials
- Dana Foundation https://dana.org/brain-awareness-week/
- Society for Neuroscience https://www.sfn.org/outreach/brain-awareness-campaign
- BrainFacts https://www.brainfacts.org/
- HowToSmile.org brain activities
- Franklin Institute Neuroscience & Society Curriculum https://fi.edu/en/neuroscience-society-curriculum
Annual Events
- Calendar of brain-related awareness events from the American Brain Coalition
https://www.americanbraincoalition.org/awareness-calendar - Mental Wellness Month (January)
- Mental Health America
https://www.mhanational.org/mental-health-month - National Alliance of Mental Health
https://www.nami.org
- Mental Health America
- Brain Awareness Week (mid-March)
- Dana Foundation
https://dana.org/brain-awareness-week/ - Society for Neuroscience
https://www.sfn.org/outreach/brain-awareness-campaign
- Dana Foundation
- National Sleep Awareness Week (mid-March)
- National Sleep Foundation
https://www.thensf.org/sleep-awareness-week/
- National Sleep Foundation
- MS Awareness Week (mid-March)
- National Multiple Sclerosis Society
https://www.nationalmssociety.org/Get-Involved/Raise-Awareness
- National Multiple Sclerosis Society
- Autism AwarenessMonth(April)
- Autism Speaks
https://www.autismspeaks.org
- Autism Speaks
- Parkinson’s Awareness Month (April)
- Parkinson's Foundation
http://www.pdf.org
- Parkinson's Foundation
- Mental Health Awareness Month (May)
- National Alliance of Mental Health
https://www.nami.org
- National Alliance of Mental Health
- ALS Awareness Month (May)
- I AM ALS
https://iamals.org
- I AM ALS
- World Brain Day (July 22)
- National Alzheimer’s Awareness Month (November)
- Alzheimer’s Association
http://www.alz.org
- Alzheimer’s Association
- National Epilepsy Awareness Month (November)
Finding STEM Experts
Finding and Collaborating with STEM Experts: see the "Neuroscience" section of the Working with STEM Experts: A Guide for Educators in Museums and Other Informal Learning Settings