Educational Information for Faculty
Educational Information for Faculty
University faculty are the essence of the MBB educational mission. We welcome and greatly value faculty contributions to our undergraduate programming
Proposals
The major ways faculty can be involved are (1) teaching MBB undergraduate seminar courses; (2) training students in their laboratories or research programs; and (3) organizing an undergraduate symposium.
Overview: MBB Undergraduate Program and Seminars
Undergraduates have three ways to participate in MBB academic programs: (1) pursue an MBB “track;” (2) pursue a secondary field in MBB; or (3) simply to enroll in an MBB course. The tracks are honors-eligible programs integrated into existing undergraduate concentrations, with students required to complete a senior thesis and interdisciplinary course work. Participating concentrations are computer science, history and science, human evolutionary biology, linguistics, neuroscience, philosophy, and psychology. The secondary field (analogous to a minor) is available to students in any concentration and requires 5 MBB-related courses.
All tracks and the secondary field require students to take an interdisciplinary seminar. These upper-level courses, normally taken in the junior year, may be offered by the MBB standing committee or by individual departments. More information about the seminar program, including a listing of recent offerings, can be found at seminars.
Eligibility
Faculty members at the level of assistant professor or higher may offer MBB seminars.
Co-instructors may be other Harvard affiliates with doctoral or terminal professional degrees. We welcome applications from any school at the university.
Course Content
The content of an MBB Seminar is fairly flexible, given that it meets some broad goals established by the MBB Standing Committee:
The course should center on a single, compelling scientific question that provides students with the ability to learn how to use an integrative approach to scientific investigation and knowledge. Students should come away with an appreciation of the advantage of bringing multiple perspectives (i.e., historical and neurological, philosophical and psychological, evolutionary and cultural) and research methods (literature-based, historical analysis, logic, lab research, field work, etc.) to bear on a scientific question.
Emphasis should be placed on how students can integrate various approaches to deepen their understanding of issues related to mind, brain, and behavior. The course content does not have to focus on all three parts of mind, brain, and behavior, but it should incorporate at least two significantly different perspectives and methods to answer a question related to at least one part of mind, brain, or behavior.
The course content should be at a relatively high level (i.e., assume familiarity with basic research methods, college-level psychology, and basic neurobiology). Students should engage deeply and critically with primary literature and with each other. An occasional guest presenter who can provide additional material and perspectives is welcome.
Normal Course Expectations
Catalog Listing: The course will be assigned an MBB course number.
Format/Hours: The course follows a discussion or presentation and discussion format and meets once a week for two hours, usually in the afternoon or evening (12-2, 12:45-2:45, 3-5, 3:45-5:45, or 6-8 p.m.).
Enrollment: Usually maximum of 15 students. Enrollment preference is given to students in MBB tracks or secondary fields; non-MBB students are welcome to enroll if
space is available.
Prerequisites: Normally, Psychology 1 (Introduction to Psychological Science) and Neuroscience 80 (Neurobiology of Behavior), or equivalent. Most MBB students will
have taken both these foundation courses before their junior year.
Evaluation: The course and instructor should be evaluated, and evaluation summary published, within the standard “Q” system.
Compensation: Instructors are compensated $15,000.
Course Renewal: Depending upon MBB funding, course ratings, enrollments, and curricular needs, the instructor may have the opportunity to teach the course multiple years.
To Apply
To initiate your application, please send a proposed course title and paragraph-length course description to Education Program Coordinator Shawn Harriman (shawn_harriman@harvard.edu). He will share it with our faculty seminars committee.
Brief “Catalog-Style” Description (for examples, see recent descriptions at /seminars)
Instructor Information: Harvard title and departmental affiliation; if co-instructors, how specific instructional duties will be shared. Instructor eligibility and responsibilities for FAS courses are described at at this link.
Instructor Teaching Evaluations: Copies of student evaluations (or summaries/composite scores), especially if you have taught undergraduates and/or at Harvard before.
Course Statement: Please submit one to two pages that (1) identify the question that organizes the course, (2) note the disciplines and approaches the course will cover in considering the question, and (3) discuss how you see these contributions intersecting and integrating (or not) in moving us toward possible answers to the question.
Draft List of Major Topics/Units in the Course
Draft List of Major and/or Representative Readings (does not need to be exhaustive; the committee does not need to see a syllabus at this time)
Course Budget: If the course will involve additional expenses beyond instructor compensation, please submit a budget with specific expense categories and amounts. If
relevant, please also include a note explaining any administrative support required.
Most Mind Brain Behavior undergraduates are involved in research at some point in their career, and most culminate their studies in a thesis project. Do you have research in your laboratory suitable for undergraduate contributions? MBB would be happy to help recruit candidates for any RA positions you currently have or would like to create. Our website includes a section listing undergraduate research opportunities, and we also note positions in enewsletters we send our students.
Most students look for RA positions at the start of each semester and in the spring for summer positions. We are happy to post openings at any time, and welcome term-time, summer, and full-time/post-graduation listings.
Most positions we advertise are unpaid, although paid positions are welcome. Unpaid RA work may be eligible for course credit. Some departments have independent
research courses, and MBB has a similar course, MBB 90r. MBB 90r enrollment is by student application, and students may add the course through Monday 6 October. If you have any course credit questions, you or your RA are very welcome to email me.
If you would like to have us advertise a position for you, please email Shawn Harriman (shawn_harriman@harvard.edu) the following position information.
- General topic of research (e.g. Psychopharmacology and Autism, Behavioral Neuroscience of Aggression, Bias in Artificial Intelligence)
- Co-Supervisor if relevant (postdoctoral fellows and graduate students should list a faculty PI)
- Brief description of research your lab undertakes, both its general program and current studies
- Responsibilities of RA position
- Requirements and Expectations of RA position (including hours per week and previous experience required or desired, if any)
- Additional Information (including if position is paid or available for course credit, lab location if not on Harvard Square campus, lab website url – for fall semester, please also note whether position is virtual or in-person)
- How to Apply for Position
Each year we hold an interdisciplinary symposium for our undergraduates on a theme of current interest in MBB. These events are organized by pairs of faculty members, or a faculty member and a postdoctoral fellow, and we always welcome interested faculty to design a symposium for our students.
Faculty organizers decide on a theme and select three speakers (usually from the Harvard research community), and themselves participate in the closing panel discussion.
The symposium usually takes place in the spring – in recent years, in February on a Friday afternoon 3-5 p.m. Each talk is usually about twenty minutes long and is followed
by ten minutes Q&A. After the talks, the speakers and organizers hold a discussion with the students. Logistics are managed by the MBB program.
There is no formal application process to organize an undergraduate symposium. If you are interested in considering this for a future year, please contact Shawn Harriman
(shawn_harriman@harvard.edu).