GRK 2175:  Perception in Context and its Neural Basis

• Subject Area: Neurosciences
• Term: from 2016 to 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 274219368

We do not perceive the world as it is in absolute terms, but a version of the world that is filtered and modulated by our intentions and expectations that are derived from previous experience. Presently, a coherent picture of the functional and mechanistic underpinnings of such contextual modulations on both the perceptual level and on the level of the underlying neuronal activity is missing. In particular, we aim to pinpoint the advantages of contextual modulation from a functional and ecological perspective. Identifying the underlying principles of contextual modulation of perceptive processes requires a strongly interdisciplinary research environment, ranging from neurobiology, psychology and medicine to computational neuroscience. The proposed Research Training Group (RTG) "Perception in context and its neural basis" aims to contribute towards bridging this gap in our understanding of context-dependent processes by providing a topically focused and inherently crossdisciplinary training program. The RTG will thereby enable early researchers to not only excel in their own discipline, but also be able to profoundly interact with colleagues from other research fields. The specific requirements for such strongly interdisciplinary PhD projects will be addressed by various experts covering a broad range of methods. Each doctoral candidate and each project will have two (or more) supervisors (and a Thesis Advisory Committee; TAC) covering distinct methodological backgrounds. Workshops will be organised to convey basic knowledge in the individual disciplines. Within the first months, doctoral candidates will develop and present a roadmap proposal for their PhD project, which requires them to combine knowledge of different disciplines at a very early stage. A lecture series and retreats on context-dependent perception will complement research training. The RTG will establish a clear scientific focus without generating structural redundancies with established graduate education. The RTG will therefore tightly interlock with the structured PhD training environment of the Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences (GSN_LMU), with full access to its proven teaching measures (e.g. TACs; fast-track curriculum) and content.

• DFG Programme: Research Training Groups
• Applicant Institution: Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
• Participating Researchers: Professor Dr. Herwig Baier; Professor Dr. Thomas Brandt; Professorin Dr. Laura Busse; Professor Dr.-Ing. Heiner Deubel; Professorin Dr. Marianne Dieterich; Professor Dr. Thomas Geyer; Professor Dr.-Ing. Stefan Glasauer; Professor Dr. Benedikt Grothe; Professor Dr. Andreas V.M. Herz; Professor Dr. Mark Hübener; Professorin Dr. Nadine Lehnen; Professor Dr. Hermann J. Müller; Privatdozentin Dr. Ruth Ruscheweyh; Professor Dr. Anton Sirota; Professor Dr. Hans Straka (†); Professor Dr. Andreas Straube; Privatdozent Dr. Thomas Töllner; Professor Dr. Thomas Wachtler-Kulla
• Spokesperson: Professor Dr. Christian Leibold