What Is the Society For Neuroscience?

The Society for Neuroscience (SfN) is an international professional organization dedicated to advancing the understanding of the brain and nervous system through the promotion, dissemination, and support of neuroscience research. Founded in 1969, SfN has grown to become one of the world's largest scientific membership organizations in the life sciences, representing researchers from academia, medicine, government, and industry across more than 80 countries. Its programs encompass scientific publishing, annual convening, professional development, public education, and science policy advocacy.

SfN is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and operates as a non-profit membership organization governed by an elected council. Membership spans career stages from undergraduate students to senior faculty and industrial researchers, with tiered membership categories supporting early-career scientists at reduced cost. The organization maintains relationships with international neuroscience societies through the International Brain Research Organization (IBRO) and similar bodies.

Scientific Publications

SfN publishes two peer-reviewed journals. The Journal of Neuroscience, founded in 1981, is among the most cited publications in the neuroscience field, releasing issues 50 weeks per year and covering the full range of cellular, molecular, systems, and cognitive neuroscience. eNeuro, launched in 2014, is an open-access companion journal that makes research freely available at point of access. Both journals are indexed in major bibliographic databases and maintain rigorous peer review processes. The SfN publications program represents one of the largest single-organization neuroscience publishing operations in the world, encompassing thousands of research articles annually.

Annual Meeting

SfN's Neuroscience meeting is one of the largest gatherings in biomedical science, drawing over 30,000 attendees in years of full capacity. The meeting covers all areas of neuroscience through plenary lectures, symposia, minisymposia, poster sessions, and professional workshops. Presentations span basic cellular and molecular research through translational and clinical neuroscience. For graduate students and early-career researchers, the conference provides concentrated exposure to the breadth of the discipline and direct access to leading investigators. Research findings published through the PMC-indexed literature on the SfN annual meeting document the meeting's role in scientific training and community building.

Advocacy and Education

SfN advocates before the United States Congress and federal agencies for sustained investment in fundamental neuroscience research, including brain initiatives and the responsible use of animal models. The organization operates BrainFacts.org, a public education website developed in partnership with the Kavli Foundation and the Gatsby Charitable Foundation, which provides accessible explanations of brain research for general audiences and educators. SfN's advocacy programs bring member scientists to Washington, D.C., for direct meetings with policymakers, and local chapters carry public outreach activities into communities around the world. The field of social neuroscience, among many others, advances substantially through the research community SfN convenes.

Applications

The Society for Neuroscience supports a wide range of activities within the neuroscience community, including:

• Funding and promoting basic research on brain structure, function, and development
• Training early-career scientists through workshops, fellowships, and mentorship programs
• Informing public health and clinical practice through the translation of basic research findings
• Shaping federal science policy through direct engagement with legislators and funding agencies
• Providing forums for interdisciplinary exchange between neuroscience and adjacent fields such as psychiatry, engineering, and computer science