RIKEN CBS Summer Program

Summer Program 2026 Overview

The RIKEN Center for Brain Science (RIKEN CBS), located just outside Tokyo, Japan, offers a summer program to train advanced students interested in brain function. Applicants may choose either a 2-month laboratory internship (Plan A) within a RIKEN CBS laboratory or an intensive 5 days lecture course (Plan B) featuring a distinguished international faculty. Those participating in the internship may also enroll in the lecture course. The course consists of an intensive 5 days lecture series featuring distinguished international faculty and poster sessions to be put on by the program participants. These two components are equally important for the students to deepen their insight and enhance their expertise in neuroscience. While the lectures serve to introduce them to cutting-edge research being carried out throughout the world, the student poster session allows them to experience the work of their colleagues and share their own research. We encourage the students to take full advantage of the wonderful opportunities offered by this program to broaden the horizons of their research.

Attendees come from wide-ranging academic backgrounds and are usually enrolled in graduate courses or have recently embarked on postdoctoral research. However, candidates holding other positions are encouraged to apply.
All accepted students must be able to travel to Tokyo.

Date

Plan A: Internship Course

2 months, June 9 (Tue)–August 7 (Fri), 2026

Plan B: Lecture Course

5 days (excluding weekends), July 22 (Wed)–28 (Tue), 2026

Venue

Lecture Course & Poster Session

Administrative Headquarters(C00), 2F (map)

Course Summary

Plan A: Internship Course

Summer interns will work in a CBS Lab for 2 months and participate in the research activities of the host laboratory. Interns will give a presentation on their work at the end of the course.

Although Internship participants do not have to attend all the lectures in the Lecture Course from July 22 to July 28 (excluding weekends), a poster "must be presented" during a designated time during the lecture course with the other Lecture Course participants.

Schedule

June 9: Orientation
August 7: Closing Ceremony (Presentation)

Please refer to the following list of potential host laboratories.

Host Laboratories
PI Lab.
Adrian Moore Neurodiversity
Aya Takeoka Motor Circuit Plasticity
Dai Yanagihara Cognition and Behavior Joint Research Laboratory
Hokto Kazama Circuit Mechanisms of Sensory Perception
Kazuhisa Shibata Human Cognition and Learning
Lukas Ian Schmitt Distributed Cognitive Processing
Masako Tamaki Cognitive Somnology RIKEN Hakubi Research Team
Motomasa Tanaka Protein Conformation Diseases
Shigeyoshi Fujisawa Systems Neurophysiology
Takahiko Koike Inter-Individual Brain Dynamics Collaboration Unit, BTCC
Takuya Isomura Brain Intelligence Theory Unit
Taro Toyoizumi Neural Computation and Adaptation
Thomas McHugh Circuit and Behavioral Physiology

Plan B: Lecture Course

The lecture course is set up to present both basic concepts as well as cutting-edge research that will aid in understanding the selected theme. The intensive course is a coherent platform from where a wide variety of important new research and techniques will be revealed.

Schedule:
July 22-28 (excluding weekends) , 2026

Poster Sessions

  • Presenting a poster during the lecture course is mandatory for internship and lecture participants.
  • To facilitate interaction between participants and RIKEN members, please prepare a poster presentation that represents your research (past, present or future) at your current institution.
    Poster board size: 876 mm (Width) x 1643 mm (Height), A0 portrait (vertical) orientation. Image is Here.
  • NOTE: Please bring your poster already printed.

Eligibility

  • Applicants must be enrolled in an academic institute or company at the time of application throughout the program period.
    you need to submit a certificate of enrollment at your affiliation during the program.
  • High school students are not eligible.
  • Foreign participants must have a valid passport.
  • For participants who need a VISA: If you are unable to obtain a VISA, you will not be able to attend.
    Please check if you need a VISA Here.
    *In case your nationality has a NOTE, check the VISA flowchart to see whether you need a VISA.

Fee & Expense

  • No registration fees are required.
  • There will be no salary supplement or support for food expenses.
  • Airfare and domestic transportation must be purchased by the participant.
  • Accommodation
  • For Internship Course Participants
    1. Accident insurance: Participants in the internship course are required to have accident insurance. Check to see if your affiliation provides insurance coverage for you.
    2. Medical examination: A medical examination must be completed within six months before your departure. The medical examination form must be filled out by a physician in either English or Japanese.

RIKEN will provide financial assistance to participants in courses A and B whose letters requesting financial support have been approved. Applicants must follow RIKEN's travel itinerary in accordance with RIKEN's regulations.

  • Accommodation
  • Round-trip airfare or bullet train (Shinkansen) fare
    Airfare and domestic transportation must be purchased by the participant. Reimbursement will be made after the required documents are submitted upon return to your country.

For additional information, please refer to the FAQ.

Accommodations

All participants except for those who reside within commuting distance will be assigned living quarters.

NOTE:Participants who have not received approval for a financial support request letter will not be eligible to receive financial support for accommodation expense.

Plan A: Internship Course

Plan B: Lecture Course

Alumni Stories

Inquiries

info.summer2026@ml.riken.jp