The TN2 organizing committee and Amsterdam Neuroscience team invite young researchers to apply to give a 10-minute lightning talk on their research idea or results at the full-day TN2 Symposium, which will take place on Thursday, May 28. Selected speakers will not only present their research during the symposium, but they will also receive professional training beforehand to help build their talk and strengthen their communication skills.

Instead of giving a standard scientific presentation in the intro-methods-results-discussion format, these talks are meant to spark inspiration, make very specific concepts accessible to all of Amsterdam Neuroscience, and draw people’s attention to topics they have not explored before! Check out the program of the full-day TN2 Symposium.

Why apply?

This is more than a scientific speaking slot. It is a chance to level-up how you communicate your scientific ideas. Selected speakers will:

  • Receive group professional coaching by Laurens van der Vuurst ahead of the event to refine their presentation;
  • Learn how to communicate complex research ideas clearly, confidently, and engagingly;
  • Present their work in a dynamic format to a broad, interdisciplinary audience;
  • Gain experience translating their research beyond their immediate subfields.

Training will focus on storytelling, structure, clarity, and delivery, inspired by TED-style talks.

Who should apply?

We welcome applications from:

  • PhD candidates
  • Early postdoctoral researchers
  • Others who identify as young researchers

Applicants from all areas of neuroscience and related disciplines are encouraged to apply.

Selection criteria

Abstracts (maximum 1300 characters including spaces) will be evaluated based on:

  • Availability to attend both the presentation training on April 29 (9-13hrs) and the symposium on 28 May in person in Amsterdam
  • Diversity of the to be selected five talks across topics (e.g. pillars of ANS) and speakers (e.g. gender balance)

  • Translational character of the talk idea. This can include, but is not limited to:

    • Animal to human translation
    • Cross-scale integration
    • Patient-research links
    • Theory to experiment
    • Broad conceptual translation across subfields
  • Relevance to the symposium theme of “Mind the cause: exploring causality in neuroscience”

Of note, we will NOT select based on the CV of the applicant or ‘maturity’ of the results. This is all about ideas, translation and causality!

Important dates

  • Abstract submission deadline: 31 March 2026
  • Professional presentation training: 29 April 2026, 9-13hrs
  • TN2 Symposium: 28 May 2026, full day

How to apply?

Please submit your abstract via this form

Registration for the TN2 Symposium will open in the beginning of March.