Applications for ACAN 2026 are NOW OPEN
New deadline please apply by 11:59pm Wednesday 18 March
We're pleased to announce that applications for the upcoming Australasian Course in Advanced Neuroscience (ACAN) are now open.
ACAN will once again be run at the University of New South Wales during May, 2026. Once again, twelve students will join over 60 Australian, New Zealand, and International faculty to learn advanced neuroscience experimental techniques across 3 weeks, including patch clamp electrophysiology, calcium and advanced functional imaging techniques, optogenetics, in vivo recording and manipulation techniques, and behaviour.
Thinking about applying? Here are some important dates to note -
ACAN 2026 - Sunday 10th May 2026 to Saturday 30th May 2026
Applications Open - Monday February 2nd 2026
Applications Close – 11:59pm Wednesday 18 March
First-round offer letters to successful applicants will be sent in late-March 2026 to give you time to prepare for the start of the course. The course fee for 2026 is unchanged at AUD$5250 + GST. The course fee covers the whole course, accommodation, and meals. ACAN accommodation for 2026 will be at Sydney Lodges.
The program for this year’s course is available here.
The Australasian Course in Advanced Neuroscience (ACAN) is an intensive neuroscience course targeted at early to mid-career researchers with the aim of providing substantial theoretical and solid practical insight into modern neuroscience techniques.
The course runs yearly for 3 consecutive weeks and brings a small group of elite students (~12 per year) together with Australasian and international faculty (over 50 each year) under the same roof. ACAN has a fundamentally practical focus with emphasis on one-on-one tuition, making it unique and setting it apart from the other few neuroscience courses existing in North America and Europe.
Over its nearly 20-year history, the course has been run in various Australiasian settings, including the Moreton Research Station in North Stradbroke Island (Queensland), the Florey Neuroscience Institute at the University of Melbourne (Victoria) and now the Schools of Psychology and Biomedical Sciences in UNSW Sydney (New South Wales).
In its current form, the course provides an integrative program based on interrelated themes that span most disciplines and techniques in modern neuroscience:
- Neurons and Networks
- Networks and Systems
- Systems and Behaviour
Thanks to the generous support from The Finkel Foundation and many institutions and partners across Australia, New Zealand and overseas, ACAN prides itself on imparting a broad program that counts with cutting edge technology in neuroscience, including patch-clamp, optogenetics, 2-photon imaging, in vivo fibre photometry, in utero electroporation and behavioural conditioning.
See the program from the most recent ACAN Course: