Info for INP Students

The Neuroscience Graduate Student Association (NGSA) is INP’s student organization. All students in the program automatically become members and receive all invitations to social events, outreach events, etc. Each summer, a new executive board is elected. Working both individually and collaboratively, the officers on the board perform a variety of tasks to serve INP graduate students. For example, officers represent student interests to faculty and to UT’s Graduate Student Assembly, organize outreach and mentoring opportunities, build and maintain resources for students, plan social events throughout the year, and work with faculty and staff to organize program events such as recruitment weekend and the monthly Neuroscience Dialogues talks. The guiding goal of the board is to improve students’ experiences, whether that be by scheduling a group outing to the Austin Bouldering Project or by advocating for changes to the Graduate School’s health insurance policies. In addition to bettering the training environment for current and future students, NGSA helps build a stronger sense of community among INP students, facilitating the growth of support networks that bolster students’ professional success and personal wellbeing.

2025-2026 Officers
President: Dominic Balic
Vice President & NURP Coordinator: Myles Joyce
Secretary: Raquel Kosted
Treasurer & Neuroscience Dialogues Coordinator: Nikita Watson
Outreach Coordinator: Christina Lildharrie
Recruitment Coordinator: Anastasiia Melnichuk
Event Coordinator: Zorana Opachich
Executive Committee Representative: Britt Mardis
Graduate Student Assembly Representative: Morgan Moll

• The Neuroscience Graduate Student Association (NGSA) is a student-run organization that supports scholarly activities and provides leadership, outreach, and social activities. Contact the current NGSA Outreach Coordinator for information on current outreach activities.
• Neuroscience Undergraduate Reading Program (NURP) is a mentorship program that allows graduate students to mentor undergraduate students who want to develop their interests on a specific neuroscience topic. Each undergraduate is paired with a neuroscience graduate student with common interests to review and discuss journal articles together. Graduate students are contacted at the beginning of each semester about participating in NURP. Contact the current NGSA VP for more information.

• The INP Community Engagement Committee is a student led committee, governed by the Neuroscience Graduate Student Association, that believes that science is for everyone, that representation matters at all levels, and that all scientists deserve equitable treatment and opportunities. The committee works to  promote conversation, education, and policies to ensure all members of the INP feel valued. If you would like to become involved in the committee, please contact Britt Mardis.

• Volunteer for Jon Pierce's informal courses for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.  Dr. Pierce offers reverse inclusion courses through UT Informal Classes to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs). UT students can volunteer to learn alongside adults with Down syndrome, autism, and other IDDs.
• Explore UT, held annually, is the biggest open house in Texas. More the 50,000 attendees can choose from more than 400 free workshops and experiments that showcase the best scholarship and research at UT.

Professional Development & Career Planning

 The University Writing Center provides free programs to support all UT graduate students as readers, writers, and communicators. Trained graduate student consultants provide one-on-one feedback on any project at any stage of your writing process. 

Healthcare 

Healthcare:  University Health Services (UHS) is located on campus and offers health care services to all registered UT students.  UHS accepts insurance through both providers available to graduate students, as well as most major health insurance carriers and also offers affordable healthcare to any registered student that does not have health care insurance.

MDLive Virtual Visits: Available to UT Austin employees with BlueCross BlueShield of Texas, MDLive is an app constructed for virtual visits with doctors anytime, anywhere 24/7 for non-emergency medical and behavioral issues including Primary care, pediatrics, emergency medicine, and family medicine, therapists, psychiatrists, and licensed counselors. 

24/7 Nurseline: Available to students with the AcademicBlue student health insurance plan, the 24/7 Nurseline provides registered nurses that are on call to answer your health questions and give general health tips.

All graduate students are eligible for medical and voluntary insurance coverage (dental, vision, etc.).  Insurance enrollment will vary depending on status as an employee (Graduate Research Assistant or Teaching Assistant), fellow (scholarship or training grant recipient), or international student (employee or fellow).  

Each individual student should verify their insurance and enrollment information.  Please contact Carla Lanas (clanas@austin.utexas.edu) or Marsha Berkman (berkman@austin.utexas.edu) for additional assistance.

• A crisis line is available 24/7 at 512-471-2255.
• The UT Austin Counseling and Mental Health Center (CMHC) provides support for students.
• CMHC offers short-term individual counseling, group therapy and resources for common student concerns. They also offer resources for help finding outside therapy.  For more information or an appointment call 512-471-3515.

Title IX 

The Title IX Office provides leadership, education and training pertaining to Title IX Univeristy policies and state law that protects all members of our campus community who experience sex discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual assault, interpersonal violence (including dating and domestic violence), stalking, or discrimination on the basis of pregnancy. 

Graduate Student Grievances

The INP Graduate Advisors are resources to help resolve grievances between a student and  faculty member informally. However, in situations where the grievance cannot be resolved informally within the INP, students have recourse through formal procedures mediated by the UT Graduate School.

• The College of Natural sciences provides a multitude of general resources and informationfor graduate students and postdocs.
• The Title IX Office is works to  create and maintain an educational and work environment free from all forms of sexual harassment, sex discrimination, exploitation and intimidation where all students, faculty, and staff can learn, work and thrive.
• Disability and Access is a department of the Division of Student Affairs that assures equal access and opportunity and works to eliminate physical, instructional and attitudinal barriers by providing reasonable accommodations and fostering awareness within the University community.
  
  International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) provides services to international students and scholars.

For program requirements, use the forms linked below. For all other queries, email the Graduate Coordinator, Krystal Phu, at krystalphu@utexas.edu. 
 

Rotations

• INP Faculty Accepting Students
• INP Rotation Entry Interview
• INP Rotation - Evaluation by Student

Qualifying Exam

• INP Depth Quals Abstract & Committee Proposal
• INP Depth Quals Scorecard
• INP Breadth Quals Remediation Scorecard

Curriculum

• UT Course Schedule
• INP Elective Course Request
• INP Students Checklist

Dissertation

• INP Dissertation Committee Request form
• UT Grad School Dissertation Committee Requirements

INP Handbook