SPICE Expectations

This page outlines the expectations for students, mentors, and co-directors participating in the Summer Program in Computational Psychiatry Education (SPICE). It includes guidelines and expectations for attendance, participation, project work, mentorship, course delivery, and program evaluation.

Students

Attendance and Participation

  • Attend the crash course covering Fundamentals of Computational Psychiatry and Neuroscience and Scientific Computing.

  • Be prepared for and actively participate in lectures, discussions, journal clubs, and programming tutorials.

  • Collaborate with student peers to complete course assignments and research projects.

  • Be present at the Center for Computational Psychiatry (55 W 125th Street Floor 13 New York, NY 10128) weekdays, except on holidays or when noted otherwise.

Research Project

  • Work with mentors to define a research question and project.

  • Use pre-existing, anonymized datasets; no new data collection is permitted.

  • Dedicate time outside of crash-course activities to work on the research project.

  • Communicate any matters or questions that arise about your project with your mentor.

Overall Conduct

  • Engage respectfully and professionally with peers, mentors, and staff.

  • Contribute to a collaborative and inclusive learning environment.

  • Seek support from co-directors with any issues or concerns during the course. This will be treated confidential.

Presentation

  • Prepare and present research findings at the end of the course (August 20 or 21).

  • Presentations should primarily include (1) Background and motivation for your research question and (2) Research methods. If you have results, then you may include them along with interpretations, implications, and potential future directions.

Mentors

Guidance and Support

  • Meet with students to outline the research project and plan.

  • Ensure the project is feasible to complete during the eight-week program.

  • Provide regular mentorship (i.e., meet once or twice per week or as needed) to guide students through their projects.

  • Offer feedback and support for students’ research work and presentations.

Project Scope

  • Ensure projects fall within your area of expertise.

  • Use pre-existing, anonymized datasets; no new data collection is permitted.

  • Help students develop relevant skills and knowledge for their projects.

Availability

  • Be accessible to students for guidance and support throughout the program.

  • Facilitate a positive and constructive mentorship experience.

Co-Directors

Recruitment and Application Review

  • Oversee outreach and recruitment.

  • Review applications, conduct interviews, and select the summer cohort.

Program Oversight

  • Coordinate the matching of students with mentors based on interests and expertise.

  • Organize social events and networking opportunities for participants.

  • Monitor the overall progress of the program and address any administrative or logistical issues that arise.

  • Provide support to make the program accessible to all students and mentors.

Course Delivery

  • Teach the crash course covering Fundamentals of Computational Psychiatry and Neuroscience and Scientific Computing.

  • Ensure the course is interactive, collaborative, and covers essential topics.

  • Update and maintain the interactive course Jupyter Book for student access.

Communication

  • Ensure clear and timely communication with students and mentors.

  • Promote an inclusive and supportive environment throughout the program.

Program Evaluation

  • Conduct evaluations at the end of the program to assess student satisfaction and learning outcomes.

  • Gather feedback from students and mentors to identify areas for improvement.

  • Use evaluation data to enhance the program.