BNA2027 International Festival of Neuroscience

The British Neuroscience Association’s International Festival of Neuroscience comes to ICC Belfast from 25 to 28 April 2027. BNA2027 is set to be Europe’s largest neuroscience gathering of the year, bringing together more than 1,000 researchers, clinicians, industry leaders and patient representatives.

Hosted in partnership with Neuroscience Ireland, the eighth Festival covers the full breadth of neuroscience across eleven themes, from neural circuits and computational neuroscience to psychiatry, research culture, and training and education. Alongside the plenaries, symposia and workshops there’s a career zone, a public engagement programme and plenty of time for networking. If big meetings aren’t really your thing, our introvert’s survival guide to conferences is worth a read before you go.

A dedicated neurodegeneration track with Alzheimer’s Research UK

Alzheimer’s Research UK, one of Dementia Researcher’s funders, is the Festival’s Programme Partner, and BNA2027 is the charity’s main engagement activity for 2027. ARUK has a dedicated neurodegeneration track in the programme, so if you work in dementia or neurodegenerative disease there’s a strand built around your field, set within a much wider meeting where you can pick up ideas from across neuroscience. Neurodegeneration and Ageing is also one of the poster themes.

Present a poster

Poster abstracts are open to researchers at every career stage, and the deadline is Sunday 31 January 2027. You need to register for the Festival first, and you’ll then be sent a link to the submission portal. There’s a £65 handling fee per abstract. You can submit a traditional poster on completed work, or a preregistration poster describing work you have planned.

PhD students and early career scientists up to five years past their highest qualification are eligible for poster prizes, and authors can ask to give a three-minute rapid-fire talk as well. Our guides on how to write a powerful conference abstract and how to design an award-winning conference poster will help. Full details are on the BNA2027 poster submissions page.

Travel grants and support

BNA members who have registered for the Festival can apply for a travel grant of up to £200 towards travel and accommodation. Priority goes to international students, applicants from low and middle income countries, poster presenters and first-time attendees, and the deadline is also 31 January 2027. BNA Brain Carer Grants of up to £200 are available too, to help registered delegates cover the cost of caring for dependants while they attend.

Heading over on your own? Have a look at our survival guide to flying solo to an international conference.

Registration

Early-bird rates are available until Monday 30 November 2026, and standard rates apply from 1 December. Early-bird fees, including VAT, are:

• Students: £110 for BNA members and partners, £150 for non-members
• Postgraduates: £155 for members and partners, £215 for non-members
• Standard: £315 for members and partners, £455 for non-members

Reduced rates are available for delegates from low and middle income countries, and groups of ten or more get an extra 10% off. Registration covers the full scientific programme and daily refreshments, and lunch vouchers can be added when you book. See the registration page for all rates and the cancellation policy, and if you’re travelling from outside the UK, apply for any visa early as it can take two to three months.

Want a feel for the Festival before you book? Listen back to our BNA 2023 Festival of Neuroscience highlights podcast.

Early-bird registration closes Monday 30 November 2026. Posters and travel grants close Sunday 31 January 2027.

Register for BNA2027