Announcements

Cognitive Science Travel Awards: Up to $1,000 for Study Abroad & Travel

Posted on by
The Cognitive Science Program is excited to announce the continuation of the Cognitive Science Travel Award Program, which provides funding to COGS students to support educational and professional opportunities that involve travel. The Travel Award Program operates on a rolling deadline. View the full eligibility requirements, application, and full details on the Cognitive Science Travel Award webpage. Questions regarding the Cognitive Science Travel Award Program may be sent to cogsci@uconn.edu.

Welcome Back Students! Come Meet the COGS Team on 9/10

Posted on by

Welcome back, COGS students! We hope your semester is off to a great start!

To kick off the new academic year, we’re hosting a casual Meet the COGS Team drop-in on Thursday, September 10 from 3–4 PM in Arjona 339.

Come meet the people behind the Cognitive Science Program:
Dr. Dimitris Xygalatas – COGS Director
Dr. Adrian Garcia-Sierra – Director of Undergraduate Studies
Crystal Mills – COGS Program Coordinator

Whether you have questions about the program, want to learn more about COGS, or simply want to stop by and introduce yourself, we’d love to see you!

This is a casual drop-in — stay for five minutes or the whole hour.

Can’t make it but have a question? You can always reach us at cogsci@uconn.edu.

Expand Your Skills with a Graduate Certificate in Cognitive Science

Posted on by

The UConn Cognitive Science Graduate Certificate Program is accepting applications for the fall semester through October 1, 2026.

Requiring just 12 credits (four courses), the certificate provides interdisciplinary training across fields such as psychology, linguistics, philosophy, anthropology, communication, education, artificial intelligence, computer science and engineering, biomedical engineering, and speech, language, and hearing sciences.

The program is open to current UConn graduate students as well as individuals with a bachelor’s degree who are not currently enrolled in a UConn graduate program. The certificate can complement an existing graduate degree or be pursued as a standalone credential by those looking to broaden their knowledge, develop interdisciplinary skills, or enhance their professional experience.

Application Deadline: October 1, 2026

Applications require a CV, brief personal statement, and two letters of recommendation. Current UConn graduate students receive an application fee waiver.

Visit the Cognitive Science Graduate Certificate webpage for complete eligibility, course, cost, and application information.

Next COGS Graduate Certificate Deadline: 3/1

Posted on by
The next application deadline for the Cognitive Sciences Graduate Certificate Program is March 1, 2026.
Requiring just 4 courses, the COGS certificate is a great way for current graduate students or those with a bachelor’s degree to diversify their profile in an expanding field relevant to many career paths in today’s competitive job market. Three courses can be selected from a list of 60+ pre-approved options from affiliated departments such as Psychological Sciences, Philosophy, Anthropology, Linguistics, Educational Psychology, Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Communication, Computer Science Engineering, and Biomedical Engineering. Note that the Director has the discretion to approve courses not currently listed to count for the certificate based on their relevance to Cognitive Science.
Completing the Cognitive Sciences Graduate Certificate opens doors to careers in areas like user experience and human-computer interaction, data and behavioral analysis, AI and machine learning, neuropsychology support, and education technology, among others. It also strengthens your profile for graduate study in the social, health, and data sciences, giving you both practical skills and a competitive edge in a rapidly evolving job market. 
For questions about the program, including the application and graduation process, refer to the program page, FAQ page, or email me directly (xygalatas@uconn.edu).

IBACS Sponsored Talk: Dr. Matthew Sacchet on 2/2

Posted on by

Talk Sponsored by The Institute for the Brain & Cognitive Sciences (IBACS): Dr. Matthew Sacchet from Harvard Medical School and Mass General

Date/Time: February 2, 2026, at 12:20pm (during TalkShop)

Location: SHH 101

Bio: Dr. Matthew D. Sacchet, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor and the Director of the Meditation Research Program at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital (Mass General). Dr. Sacchet and his team study advanced meditation: states, stages, and endpoints of meditative development and mastery. He has authored more than 150 publications that have been cited more than 10,000 times, and his work has been presented more than 170 times at international, national, regional and local venues including at Cambridge, Harvard, Oxford, Princeton, Stanford, and Yale Universities, and the United Nations. His research has appeared in leading scientific journals in the mind and brain sciences and psychiatry, including American Journal of Psychiatry, Biological Psychiatry, Cerebral Cortex, JAMA Psychiatry, Journal of Neuroscience, Molecular Psychiatry, Nature Mental Health, Neuropsychopharmacology, Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and World Psychiatry. He has received generous support from numerous foundations and repeat awards from federal funding bodies in the United States, including the National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation. His work has appeared in many major media outlets where it has been viewed many millions of times, including in 10% Happier, CBC, CBS, Forbes, Men’s/Women’s Health, NBC, New Scientist, NPR, Scientific American, TIME, Vox, and Wall Street Journal, and Forbes named him one of its “30 Under 30.” Dr. Sacchet is an Associate Editor of the leading meditation academic journal Mindfulness, and a Research Fellow of the Mind & Life Institute. He has been nominated for mentorship awards five times in the last five years.

Talk Abstract: Mindfulness has gained considerable momentum globally as an intervention for improving health and wellbeing. Beyond mindfulness, advanced meditation includes states, stages, and endpoints that result from mastery of meditation. Matthew D. Sacchet Ph.D. (Harvard/Mass General) will provide an overview of current directions in advanced meditation research that characterize the third wave of meditation research. The study and practice of advanced meditation promise incredible new opportunities for elevating human potential in diverse clinical and non-clinical contexts. See the Meditation Research Program’s website for more information: https://meditation.mgh.harvard.edu/

Cognitive Science Travel Award Program

Posted on by
The Cognitive Science Program is excited to announce the continuation of the Cognitive Science Travel Award Program!  The application is now open to be used during the Fall 2025, Spring 2026, and Summer 2026 periods.
Students can use this award to either cover their flights to/from a relevant study abroad program or to travel domestically or internationally to present at conferences, workshops, and meetings. Students are eligible to apply for up to $1,000 for international and $500 for domestic travel. Any travel costs in excess of the allotment would be responsibility of the recipient. Other experiences requiring travel that are intended to further student’s education or experience relevant to cognitive science will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Deadline: This award program operates with a rolling deadline. Once funds are exhausted, the application will close.
You can view all of the details, including eligibility requirements and the application, on the travel award webpage.
Questions regarding the Cognitive Science Travel Award Program may be sent to cogsci@uconn.edu.

 

If you are applying because you plan to study abroad: Priority will be given to students attending the Interdisciplinary Ethnography Field Summer School in Mauritius (not offered in summer 2026), the Neuroscience Study Abroad Summer Program in Salamanca, Spain, and UConn Brain & Behavior in Tel Aviv, Israel. The COGS Program will consider other study abroad programs on a case-by-case basis. All program details can be found on the Experiential Global Learning webpage. Note that most courses taken through these summer programs can be counted as elective credits towards the Cognitive Science degree.

Call for proposals: COGS student-faculty research collaboration

Posted on by
The Cognitive Science Program is pleased to announce a call for proposals to promote collaboration between Cognitive Science undergraduate students and faculty on student-led projects. These grants are intended to support new ideas, pilot studies, and exploratory projects that bring together our community of scholars across disciplines. Priority will be given to projects that provide clear opportunities for student mentorship and training.
Funding details:
  • Awards of up to $2,000 each.
  • Funds may be used for research expenses such as participant recruitment, software, materials, travel for data collection, or other justifiable research-related costs.
  • Funds must be spent within 12 months of the award date.
Eligibility:
  • Applications must involve at least one UConn COGS student (graduate or undergraduate) and one UConn faculty member.
  • Proposals should clearly demonstrate how the project will foster collaboration and contribute to the mission of the Cognitive Science Program.
  • Proposals emphasizing student training will be prioritized.
Application details:
  • Project title and team members.
  • Research proposal (no more than 2 pages, single-spaced), and include:
    • A project description. Define research goals, hypotheses, and methods precisely.
    • A brief description of the individual participant roles in the project design and execution.
    • Plan for collaboration between student(s) and faculty.
    • Anticipated outcomes (e.g., pilot data, conference presentation, publication, future grant submission, presentation at IBACS end of year event) including undergraduate-specific departmental poster nights.
    • Project timeline (not included in page maximum).
    • Budget and justification (not included in page maximum).
    • References (not included in page maximum).
  • CVs for all applicants
Conditions:
  • If awarded, necessary safety and protocol materials (e.g. IRB, IBC, SCRO, Safety Training, etc.) must be provided before funds can be disbursed.
  • The Cognitive Science students should be active students for the duration of the project.
Deadline:
December 1, 2025
Funding decisions will be made by December 15, 2025
Visit the award webpage to apply!
If you have any questions about this award, please email cogsci@uconn.edu.

COGS Director Dimitris Xygalatas Featured in UConn Publications!

Posted on by
Our very own COGS Program Director, Dimitris Xygalatas, has been featured not once, but twice recently in major UConn publications!
Check out these fascinating pieces that spotlight his latest research on the powerful social bonds formed through rituals—especially in the world of sports fandom:
“It’s Not the Game, It’s the Group: Sports Fans Connect the Most Over Rituals”
The study, by a UConn team of scientists, shows that levels of emotional connection and euphoria are on average higher during intense pre-game rituals than they are during the game itself.
“All Together Now”
That connection you feel with fellow fans at the game? It’s even more powerful than you think.