NeurAlbertaTech (NAT) is delighted to announce the involvement of the McGill Community in this year’s upcoming natHACKS! Designed to inspire beginners and provide interactive, challenging opportunities for seasoned hackers, natHACKS 2024 is a hotspot for all things neurotechnology-related. McGill University graduate students (Master’s and PhD) are invited to demonstrate their neurotech skills and creativity through the 2024 NeuroSphere Neurotech Hackathon Challenge Award. Facilitated by NeuroSphere, and funded by Healthy Brains Healthy Lives (HBHL), this prestigious challenge award aims to support potential delegates by providing them with up to $3,000 in funding. 8 graduate students have subsequently benefitted from these funds, representing a variety of faculties/programs with a neuroscience research intersection.
Fueling Talent with the 2024 NeuroSphere Challenge Award
This partnership between McGill and NAT initially came to fruition in association with HBHL, McGill's interdisciplinary neuroscience and neuroinformatics program. Eden Redman, NAT’s CEO, became acquainted with Dr. Adrienne Crampton and Karthikeyan Swaminathan at an HBHL social from the 2024 Symposium and began working together towards forging award possibilities for McGill grad students. This connection was facilitated with the idea of empowering capable and intelligent individuals at McGill and the U of A alike. It hopes to incentivize inter-institutional collaboration as well as bridge the gap between disconnect dissemination and engagement with open sites and tools within institutions.
Effectively, the Neurosphere aims to redefine what it means to be a graduate student, by returning to the basics of necessary skills pertaining to the innovation and research domain. The natHACKS Hackathon provides an opportunity for delegates to focus on rapidly holistically building one’s skills, pushing every participant to get exposure to technical skills in business, and research development.
Both parties are committed to making this collaboration successful, utilizing it as a pilot to support other delegations within the context of the Neurosphere. Eden Redman shares that NAT is thrilled to partner with McGill, an institution equally dedicated to investing in early-stage collaborative initiatives. This partnership aligns closely with NAT’s mission, allowing both organizations to work together in supporting the growth, success, and development of their trainees.
Two students collaborate at natHACKS 2023, Canada's top neurotech hackathon
McGill’s 2024 NeuroSphere Neurotech Hackathon Challenge Award & Whats Next
NeurAlbertaTech (NAT) is on a mission to extend its neurotech impact nationally, and this collaboration with NeuroSphere is just the beginning. This collaboration opens doors for students across Canada to participate in a one-of-a-kind neurotech experience that empowers talent, tackles real-world challenges, and fuels a thriving neurotech ecosystem.
Extending NAT’s impact to Eastern Canada is all about driving meaningful community outcomes. In doing so, we aim to scale strategically, addressing challenges and collaboration gaps across institutions.
As NAT grows, so does our commitment to nurturing talent that dares to push the boundaries of neurotech and adjacent domains. Here at NAT, we see that it is important to have these skilled individuals directed to positions of leadership that allow them to focus on their passion, and grit to create a positive impact. NAT hopes to facilitate top-level connections across various neurotech/neuroscience institutes, as well as support trainees by equipping them with opportunities to build skill sets across real-world problems.
If you are interested in staying up-to-date with the latest breakthroughs in neuroscience and neurotechnology, stay connected with NeurAlbertaTech by following us on our social medias. Be the first to witness our latest developments, attend our workshops and competitions, and join us for networking events!