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<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-weight: 400;">Dear colleagues,</span></p>
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<p class="elementToProof" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-weight: 400;">Please note that the deadline for application submission to the Nengo Summer School,
February 1st, 2024, is approaching.</span></p>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-weight: 400;">[All details about this school can be found online at</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(17, 85, 204); font-weight: 400;"><u><br>
</u><a href="https://www.nengo.ai/summer-school" id="OWAb69bfe94-f629-ca63-d7ca-a9c40e58c92e" class="OWAAutoLink" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204); text-decoration: none; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">https://www.nengo.ai/summer-school</a></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-weight: 400;">]</span></p>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-weight: 400;">The Centre for Theoretical Neuroscience at the University of Waterloo is excited to announce our 9th 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.
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-weight: 700;">Summer school</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-weight: 400;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-weight: 700;">participants
will be given on-site access to neuromorphic hardware</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-weight: 400;"> and will learn to run high-level applications 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, which includes spiking deep learning, reinforcement learning, adaptive
motor control, and cognitive control networks. </span></p>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-weight: 400;">For a look at the last in-person summer school, check out this short video:
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(17, 85, 204); font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://youtu.be/vRcN5-0wdQE" id="OWA5ba5bf13-b72d-c295-979c-fe53bef38bb2" class="OWAAutoLink" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204); text-decoration: none; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">https://youtu.be/vRcN5-0wdQE</a></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-weight: 400;"> </span></p>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-weight: 400;">We welcome applications from all interested graduate students, postdocs, professors, and industry professionals with a relevant background.</span></p>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-weight: 700;">***Application Deadline: February 1, 2024***</span></p>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-weight: 700;">Format</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-weight: 400;">: A combination of tutorials and project-based
work. Participants are encouraged to bring their own ideas for projects, which may focus on testing hypotheses, modelling 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!</span></p>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-weight: 400;">Participants will have the opportunity to learn how to:</span></p>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-weight: 400;">interface Nengo with various kinds of neuromorphic hardware (e.g. BrainDrop, SpiNNaker)</span></p>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-weight: 400;">build perceptual, motor, and sophisticated cognitive models using spiking neurons</span></p>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-weight: 400;">model anatomical, electrophysiological, cognitive, and behavioural data</span></p>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-weight: 400;">use a variety of single cell models within a large-scale model
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-weight: 400;">integrate machine learning methods into biologically oriented models</span></p>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-weight: 400;">interface Nengo with cameras and robotic systems</span></p>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-weight: 400;">implement modern nonlinear control methods in neural models</span></p>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-weight: 400;">and much more…</span></p>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-weight: 700;">Date and Location</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-weight: 400;">: June 2nd to June 14th,
2024 at the University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.</span></p>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-weight: 700;">Applications</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-weight: 400;">: Please visit
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(17, 85, 204); font-weight: 400;"><a href="http://www.nengo.ai/summer-school" id="OWA0cb8010c-c874-033c-07b2-2f40d7037f89" class="OWAAutoLink" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204); text-decoration: none; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">http://www.nengo.ai/summer-school</a></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-weight: 400;">,
where you can find more information regarding costs, travel, lodging, along with an application form listing required materials.</span></p>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-weight: 400;">If you have any questions about the school or the application process, please contact Michael Furlong (</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(17, 85, 204); font-weight: 400;">michael.furlong@uwaterloo.ca</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-weight: 400;">).
The school is partly supported by ABR, Inc. We look forward to hearing from you!</span></p>
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