Neuroscience Competition

This year, the Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology of Behavior – caesar is proud to host once again the regional competition of the German Neuroscience Olympiad Bonn, organized by the DNO Bonn e.V. and supported by MPINB, NeuroTechEU, and ibehave.

The German Neuroscience Olympiad (DNO) is a nationwide competition for secondary school students from grades 9 to 13, designed to foster an interest in neuroscience. Mirroring the format of the Mathematics and Biology Olympiads, participants compete by answering questions from various neuroscience topics in English. The regional competitions are set to take place across Bonn, Heidelberg, and Berlin on 29 March 2025.

For this year’s event in Bonn, our local jury will be comprised of distinguished scientists from our institute, alongside esteemed guest jurors who will evaluate the students' knowledge and presentation skills. We are also excited to host a variety of interactive and engaging activities for all attendees.

Highlights of the event include:

• Interactive Coding Workshop by iBOTS: Participants can engage in 15-minute coding sessions, learning to integrate software engineering with neuroscience.
• Keynote Lecture and Ask-me-Anything-Session: A series of talks by leading neuroscientists will illuminate current research and future directions in neuroscience.
• NeuroExpo: An all-day exhibition where students and visitors can explore hands-on experiments and interactive displays, learn about ongoing scientific projects, and discuss potential educational and career paths in neuroscience.

The top 15 students from this regional competition will advance to the national level in Frankfurt, with the eventual winner representing Germany at the International Brain Bee.

We eagerly anticipate an enriching exchange among students, teachers, parents, and all attendees. The event is not just a competition but a celebration of scientific inquiry and discovery, open to everyone interested in learning about the brain and its functions.