This fund makes it possible for the Director of the Institute of Cognitive Science to provide flexible and responsive support for nurturing innovative new research directions and advancing the professional development of early career scholars. Two example programs enabled by this fund include the ICS Student Fellowships program and the ICS Pilot Studies program. The Student Fellowship program supports individual graduate students enrolled in ICS programs to travel to domestic and international conferences and workshops to disseminate their work and advance their skills and knowledge in cognitive science, as well as providing monetary support for research needs, such as study participant payments and equipment purchases that can't be funded through other means. The Pilot Studies program supports interdisciplinary teams of investigators to conduct high-risk/high-reward early-stage studies in new research areas with strong potential for transformational advances and broader impacts.
