Overview of the UC-Davis ERP Bootcamp

The UC-Davis ERP Boot Camp is an intensive introduction to the ERP technique, organized and led by Steve Luck with additional lectures by many other ERP experts. The boot camp is intended for beginning and intermediate ERP researchers--at any career stage--who would like to obtain a firm grasp of the fundamentals of ERP research.

This year's UC-Davis ERP Boot Camp will be held July 7-17, 2008 at the UC-Davis Center for Mind & Brain. We will hold yearly bootcamps at UC-Davis every summer through 2011 (and possibly beyond). The dates for the 2009 UC-Davis ERP Boot Camp have not yet been set. Information about dates and application procedures will become available in approximately January of 2009.

Boot Camp topics include:
1) Where do ERPs come from? What do they mean?
2) ERP components
3) Setting up and running an ERP lab
4) The design and interpretation of ERP experiments
5) EEG data acquisition
6) Filtering, artifact rejection, and artifact correction
7) Measuring and analyzing ERP components
8) ERP localization

We also focus on the use of ERPs in several research areas, including:
1) Attention, memory, language, and executive control
2) Aging, dementia, and brain damage
3) Schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders
4) Cognitive development

The boot camp consists of lectures on these topics, accompanied by discussions of classic and contemporary ERP papers and guided lab activities (e.g., EEG recording, filtering waveforms, measuring ERP components).

Participants at previous Boot Camps have come from around the world and have ranged from beginning graduate students to full professors. They have included psychologists, neuroscientists, psychiatrists, neurologists, and speech pathologists. We encourage the participation of individuals from underrepresented groups.

Faculty and Staff for the 2008 Boot Camp are expected to include:
Steven J. Luck, UC-Davis
Helen Neville, University of Oregon
Brian F. O’Donnell, Indiana University
Robert T. Knight, UC-Berkeley
Cameron S. Carter, UC-Davis
Sharon Coffey-Corina, UC-Davis
David P. Corina, UC-Davis
Petr Janata, UC-Davis
George R. Mangun, UC-Davis
Lee M. Miller, UC-Davis
John M. Olichney, UC-Davis
Charan Ranganath, UC-Davis
Clifford D. Saron, UC-Davis
Tamara Swaab, UC-Davis

Mini ERP Boot Camps

A 2-day Mini Boot Camp will be held prior to the 2008 SPR meeting in Austin, Texas, September 30 - October 1. To register for this mini boot camp, you will need to register for the SPR meeting and indicate on the registration form that you would also like to attend the boot camp (which involves an additional registration fee). The registration form and other details should be available in June on the SPR web site (http://www.sprweb.org/).

It is also possible to arrange for a 2-day Mini ERP Boot Camp to be held at a conference, a university, a research center, etc. For more information, contact Steve Luck (sjluck@ucdavis.edu).

Support for the UC-Davis ERP Bootcamp

The UC-Davis ERP Boot Camp is generously supported by a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health.

ERP recording activities will use the Biosemi ActiveTwo system, with support provided by Biosemi and their U.S. distributor Cortech Solutions

Data analysis activities will use BrainVision Analyzer 2, which was graciously provided at no cost by Brain Products.

Support has also been provided by EasyCap and Advanced Neuro Technology.

Cost and Scholarship Information

For the 2008 UC-Davis Boot Camp, there will be a registration fee of $400, which will cover the cost of materials, lunches, snacks, and transportation between the hotel and the Center for Mind & Brain. Participants will be housed at a local hotel at a cost of approximately $100 per night (including taxes). Travel costs will, of course, depend on where you are coming from. Davis is located approximately 15 miles (24 km) west of Sacramento, and it is usually best to fly into the Sacramento airport (SMF). A shuttle bus can transport you between Davis and the Sacramento airport. The Oakland and San Franciso airports are about 80 miles (130 km) away, and it is possible to reach Davis by train from these airports.

Our NIMH funding allows us to provide scholarships for U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents that will cover most or all of the costs. All U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents will automatically receive scholarships. Unfortunately, we are unable to provide scholarships for our international participants. However, many international participants are able to obtain funding from their labs, institutions, or local funding agencies.

Application Information

Only 30 participants can be accepted each year. Applications are no longer being accepted for the 2008 session (July 7 - 17). The application deadline was March 31, 2008. Admission decisions will be made on approximately May 1, 2008. There is no separate application form for scholarships; all U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents will automatically receive scholarships.