Connectionists: Call for Applications - 2020 Nengo Summer School

[Peter Blouw]

[All details about this school can be found online at
https://www.nengo.ai/summer-school]

The Centre for Theoretical Neuroscience at the University of Waterloo is
excited to announce our 7th annual Nengo summer school on large-scale brain
modelling and neuromorphic computing. This two-week school will teach
participants to use  the Nengo simulation package to build state-of-the-art
cognitive and neural models to run both in simulation and on neuromorphic
hardware. Summer school participants will be given on-site access to Loihi,
Intel’s neuromorphic research chip [1], and will learn to run high-level
applications on Loihi using Nengo! More generally, Nengo provides users
with a versatile and powerful environment for designing cognitive and
neural systems, and has been used to build what is currently the world's
largest functional brain model, Spaun [2], which includes spiking deep
learning, reinforcement learning, adaptive motor control, and cognitive
control networks.

For a look at a recent summer school, check out this short video:
https://goo.gl/4tVUkQ <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwtYgBB2N6I&t=1s>

We welcome applications from all interested graduate students, postdocs,
professors, and industry professionals with a relevant background.

[1] Davies, et al. (2018). Loihi: A neuromorphic manycore processor with
on-chip learning. IEEE Micro. Vol. 38 no. 1 pp. 82-99. [
https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/8259423]

[2] Eliasmith, C., Stewart T. C., Choo X., Bekolay T., DeWolf T., Tang Y.,
Rasmussen, D. (2012). A large-scale model of the functioning brain.
Science. Vol. 338 no. 6111 pp. 1202-1205. DOI: 10.1126/science.1225266. [
http://compneuro.uwaterloo.ca/files/publications/eliasmith.2012.pdf]

***Application Deadline: February 15, 2020***

Format: A combination of tutorials and project-based work. Participants are
encouraged to bring their own ideas for projects, which may focus on
building neuromorphic applications, modeling neural or cognitive data,
implementing specific behavioural functions with neurons, expanding past
models, or providing a proof-of-concept of various neural mechanisms.
Hands-on tutorials, work on individual or group projects, and talks from
invited faculty members will make up the bulk of day-to-day activities. A
project demonstration event will be held on the last day of the school,
with prizes for strong projects!

Participants will have the opportunity to learn how to:

   -

   interface Nengo with various kinds of neuromorphic hardware (e.g. Loihi,
   SpiNNaker, BrainDrop)
   -

   interface Nengo with (spiking and normal) cameras and robotic systems
   -

   integrate machine learning methods into biologically oriented models
   -

   implement modern nonlinear control methods in neural models
   -

   build perceptual, motor, and sophisticated cognitive models using
   spiking neurons
   -

   model anatomical, electrophysiological, cognitive, and behavioural data
   -

   use a variety of single cell models within a large-scale model
   -

   and much more…


Date and Location: June 7th to June 19th, 2020 at the University of
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.

Applications: Please visit https://www.nengo.ai/summer-school/, where you
can find more information regarding costs, travel, lodging, along with an
application form. We ask that you provide a short description of a possible
project, and to briefly indicate how this project might make use of the
tools and methods that the summer school will be covering, as listed above.

If you have any questions about the school or the application process,
please contact Peter Blouw (peter.blouw at appliedbrainresearch.com). The
school is partially supported by Applied Brain Research, Inc. We look
forward to hearing from you!
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