The Austrian Neuroscience Association (ANA, Österreichische Gesellschaft für Neurowissenschaften, ÖGN) was founded in 1993 for the advancement and public representation of the neurosciences in Austria. The first ANA president was Friedrich Barth (University of Vienna). All physical persons pursuing or having completed academic degrees may become ordinary members.
ANA is a member of the FENS (Federation of European Neuroscience Societies) and member of the VWGÖ (Verband der Wissenschaftlichen Gesellschaften Österreichs). Upon the founding of FENS, ANA was appointed its Austrian national member. ANA promotes neuroscience activities in Austria and organizes the Biennial National ANA Meeting.
Why become ANA Member?
ANA provides a platform for Austrian Neuroscience, and by being member of FENS links Austrian to international Neuroscience. We organize and have organized national and international meetings, such as the ENA (European Neuroscience Association) Meeting 1994 (Austria Center), the international Synaptogenesis Meeting 2003 (Campus Altes AKH), or the FENS Forum Meeting 2006 (Austria Center). Our national meetings rotate on a biennial basis by being organized by the local neuroscience communities in Innsbruck, Salzburg, and Vienna.
ANA cares for the understanding of science and research in general and for the neurosciences in particular by the general public. We thus coordinate the international annual Brain Awareness Week that, under the patronage of the European Dana Alliance for the Brain (EDAB), also takes place in several cities in Austria. ANA, on the other hand, has initiated a number of public discussions on science policy and research funding. We repeatedly reminded politicians – and will continue to do so in the future –that funding sciences is crucial for the prospects of our country.
As member of ANA you are member of FENS. FENS was founded on grounds of a Federation of National and Single Discipline Member Societies. Hence, without these members, including the ANA, FENS - with all the services it provides for European and international Neuroscience - would not exist. ANA members have served as FENS officers by being Treasurer (Alois Saria), Chairperson of FENS and PENS Schools (Sigismund Huck), and as FENS Secretary General (Sigismund Huck).
Every other year, ANA awards the Otto Loewi price worth 5.300 € to outstanding neuroscientists who have accomplished a major part of their work in Austria. This has been made possible due to partnerships with widely recognized sponsors, currently the Peter und Traudl Engelhorn-Stiftung.
As of 2018, ANA awards the annual "Best Thesis Award" for ANA members. The price has attracted our best young ANA members and turned out to be extremely competitive. Every student who has graduated as PhD in Austria in the very year for which the call has been placed may submit his/her application. ANA student members who graduated at a lab outside of Austria may also submit if they completed their undergraduated studies in Austria.
ANA members profit from reduced registration fees at our national ANA Meetings and at the international FENS Forum Meetings. FENS and ANA provide travel grants for young scientists for their meetings, for the Brain Conferences in Copenhagen, for the FENS Summer (at Bertinoro/Italy) and Winter Schools (ObergurglAustria), for the CAJAL Advanced Neuroscience Training Programme (at Champalimaud/Lisbon and Bordeaux/France), for slots in National Courses (of the NENS Schools program), and even for the transcontinental YITP exchange program with China, Japan, and Australia (see the FENS Website).
By being an ANA member you support all these activities, you benefit from reduced registration fees, and you qualify for travel grants provided by both ANA and FENS!
ANA activities include:
- organizing the biennial ANA Meeting
- awarding the biennial OTTO-LOEWI Prize
- organizing activities for the international annual BRAIN AWARENESS WEEK
- contributing to European Neuroscience as a member of FENS
- representing the Austrian neuroscience community in the VWGÖ (Verband der Wissenschaftlichen Gesellschaften Österreichs)
- setting activities to foster research in general and neuroscience in particular in Austria
- informing ANA members on upcoming meetings, lectures, and other activities by e.g. the electronic ANA newsletter
- providing an overview on neuroscientific research in Austria (Neuroscience in Austria)
Benefits for ANA members include:
- full access to the ANA Homepage
- regular information on ANA activities by ANA Newsletters
- post your Meeting on the ANA Homepage
- reduced registration fee at ANA Meetings
- travel grants for National and International Neuroscience Meetings
- reduced registration fee at FENS Meetings
- travel grants for FENS Schools and Course
- application for FENS awards and travel grants
- post jobs at no charges on the FENS Job Market
- registration at reduced rates at the FENS Forum
- access the official FENS journal, EJN, online free of charge (EJN direct access via your FENS account) and subscribe to the print edition at a reduced rate
- apply for one of the free abstract slots for the SfN Meeting, linked to a reduced registration fee (as for SfN members)
- receive the FENS e-mailings (Job Market, EJN table of contents etc.) regularly
- Visit and post your own Meeting on the FENS Meeting Calendar
