Academy Teaching Assistants
Shape learning, support discovery.
As a Teaching Assistant, you’ll help students navigate course material while developing valuable experience in instruction and scientific communication.
Gain real teaching experience
Develop skills in instruction, mentorship, and scientific communication while deepening your own technical understanding.
Work with a global network
Collaborate with educators, researchers, and students from around the world in a truly international learning environment.
Make a meaningful impact
Support learners from diverse backgrounds as they build confidence and master new computational skills.
TA Roles and Requirements.
Teaching Assistants (TAs) are integral to student success during the intensive 2- or 3-week synchronous, virtual academies.
Work with students in small learning groups, or pods, made up of 14-18 students. These pods are formed on time slot, common research interests, and language preference using our custom matching algorithm.
Each day, students spend approximately 4.5 hours on curriculum and 3 hours on research projects. Their Regular TA and Project TA support them throughout the course (see below for types of TA roles).
Requirements to Apply
- Provide a 5-minute teaching sample of a specific course tutorial
- Proficiency in Python
- A fundamental background in the course topic you are applying to (see below)
- Undergraduate degree
- We define an undergraduate degree as a ~4-year program where all academic requirements for graduation are completed. In some fields and/or regions—such as medicine or engineering—degrees may be conferred only after mandatory industry internships, national licensing exams, or additional basic training periods, which serve as professional rather than academic requirements in most cases. If you’ve finished your coursework but are awaiting such steps, you’re still eligible to apply as a TA.
- Strong verbal and written communication skills in English
- Belief and dedication to create an inclusive and equitable learning environment
- Accept Neuromatch Code of Conduct
- Stable internet connection with video on
- Accept time commitment, 8-hours/day, Monday – Friday for the course dates
- You should not have other work or school commitments during this time
- Able to attend TA training (See Course Page for dates) and complete asynchronous TA training
- Additional training required for Lead TAs
- You must be able to receive payment for your services
- We will provide a stipend for those teaching assistants legally allowed to accept it (depending on tax or visa details). Teaching assistants are recruited as independent contractors, therefore it is your responsibility to ensure that you are allowed to invoice our company as an independent contractor to receive the stipend amount. Here is an example of the form from last year. If you are an international student, the international center of your university can be a valuable resource to gain further information.
- If you are on a J1 Visa in the US, you likely cannot receive payment. Please check with your institution before applying.
- See if you’re eligible to be paid here.
Preferred Qualifications
- Previous TA or teaching experience
- Experience working with students from diverse backgrounds
- Having taken or TA’d a Neuromatch course previously
- Experience with Google Colab and/or Kaggle
- Experience with Zoom and Discord
Course Specific Requirements
Computational Neuroscience
- Experience with the relevant Python libraries (numpy, scipy, and sklearn).
- Minimum 2 years of experience in computational neuroscience Some exposure to neuroscience concepts.
- If you are new to neuroscience, we will have precourse material on neuroscience that is mandatory for you to watch (~2 hours of content). We also recommend watching videos 1.1-1.6 and 2.1-2.4 from this Coursera course.
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Math and Python resources here.
Deep Learning
- Experience with the relevant Python libraries (numpy, scipy, and sklearn).
- Math and Python resources here.
- Minimum 2 years of experience in computational neuroscience and/or machine learning.
- Some exposure to neuroscience concepts.
- If you are new to neuroscience, we will have precourse material on neuroscience that is mandatory for you to watch (~2 hours of content). We also recommend watching videos 1.1-1.6 and 2.1-2.4 from this Coursera course.
NeuroAI
- Experience with the relevant Python libraries (numpy, scipy, and sklearn).
- Minimum 2 years of experience in computational neuroscience and AI.
- Strong preference for TAs who have participated in our CN or DL course.
Benefits
Competitive compensation, professional training, and recognition for the work you do.
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Competitive pay, determined by TA role and adjusted to the cost of living where you reside during the course.
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Compensation rates are reviewed annually using data from the World Bank.
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Certificate recognizing your course participation and specific teaching role.
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Training in peer-to-peer programming and problem-based learning methodologies.
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Access to all Neuromatch professional development events.
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Option to request a teaching letter of support.
Types of TA Roles
There are four types of full-time, temporary paid TA roles: Teaching Assistant, Lead Teaching Assistant, Project Teaching Assistant, and Lead Project Teaching Assistant
- All TAs require an 8-hour/day commitment (Monday-Friday) during the course
- See timeslot options here.
- During the application process, you will provide two timeslots that work for you
- Regular TAs must be available for curriculum and project time
- Project TAs must be available for at least two project timeslots
- Facilitate problem-based learning and peer-to-peer coding for our students
- Create a respectful learning environment
Role Specific Requirements
Regular TA
- Full-time, 8-hours/day, 5 days a week
- Work with 1 pod (14-18 students)
- Attend all synchronous tutorial times with your pod
- Utilize problem based learning and peer-to-peer programming teaching methods, and support the students to move through the content, including facilitating discussions and guidance through Python tutorials
- ~4.5 hours per day including a 1-hour break
- Ensure students are able to take scheduled breaks
- Support students during project time. Attend 45 minutes with each of the two project groups in your pod (total of 1.5 hours per day)
- Support with project development and Python coding
- Additional daily and as-needed tasks (total of 2 hours per day):
- Review all course content ahead of time to be able to guide students and answer questions
- Track students’ attendance, review attendance waivers, and award Completion Certificates
- Schedule meetings with your pod’s assigned Mentor
- Manage your pod Discord channel and reply to student questions and requests
- Complete all asynchronous TA training and attend one half-day synchronous training via Zoom
- Attend 2-hour Orientation
Lead TA
- Full-time, 8-hours/day, 5 days a week
- Higher compensation for additional expertise and commitment
- All responsibilities of a regular TA
- Have previous experience as a TA in an Academy course
- Support 7-8 regular TAs that make up a megapod
- This includes support with content questions, pod dynamics, making sure TAs are prepared for the course, and answering other policy-related questions
- Familiarize yourself with all content ahead of the course
- Answer content-based questions for regular TAs
- Manage TA absences by communicating with the pod and merging the pod with the absent TA into another pod from your megapod
- Schedule project presentations for your megapod on the last day
- Complete all asynchronous TA training and attend two half-day synchronous training via Zoom including one day just for Lead TAs and one day for all TAs
- Actively participate in general TA training for your megapod
- Attend 2-hour Orientation
Project TA
- Full-time, 8-hours/day, 5 days a week
- Work across two time slots during their project block
- Have experience leading graduate-level research projects
- Guide and support 7-8 project groups (usually 5-7 students per group). Including support with:
- Brainstorming
- Forming a research question
- Doing literature reviews
- Developing Python code
- Preparing an abstract and project presentation
- Be an expert in the dataset(s) you are assigned to
- You will select your preferred dataset in the application
- Meet with each project group daily or every other day for either an hour or 2 hours at a time respectively
- Respond to questions and requests of your pods in Discord
- Complete all asynchronous TA training and attend one half-day synchronous training via Zoom
- Attend 2-hour Orientation
- Scheduling Note: Project TAs work during two different timeslot’s project blocks, they do not work during curriculum time. You must be available for at least two project timeslots. Please note this when applying.
Lead Project TA
- Full-time, 8-hours/day, 5 days a week
- Higher compensation for additional expertise and commitment
- All responsibilities of a regular Project TA
- Have previous experience as a Project TA in an Academy course
- Support the regular Project TAs
- This includes support with content questions, pod dynamics, and ensuring Project TAs are prepared for the course
- Plan and run weekly meetings for Project TAs to support each other and problem-solve
- Assist in complex project troubleshooting and advanced coding issues
- Complete all asynchronous TA training and attend two half-day synchronous training via Zoom
- Attend 2-hour Orientation
- Scheduling Note: Project TAs work during two different timeslot’s project blocks, they do not work during curriculum time. You must be available for at least two project timeslots. Please note this when applying.
Join our global community of over 1,262 people who have already been Academy Teaching Assistants.
“Being a Neuromatch Academy TA gave me an opportunity to connect with researchers globally through collaborative research. I had the opportunity to learn and grow, while guiding students.”
Nigeria, Computational Neuroscience Alumni, Impact Scholar, Neuromatch Academy TA
“As a TA, I want newcomers to feel what I felt. I hope they get to experience science as something to be shared and discussed beyond borders. This course is not just about students studying the brain and math; it’s about people coming together through science.”
Iran, Computational Neuroscience Alumni, Deep Learning Alumni, Nueromatch Academy TA
“I deeply cherished this rare opportunity to become the kind of math/computational science teacher my younger self always wished for.”
China, Neuromatch Academy Teaching Assistant
Frequently Asked Questions
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I withdrew my application in the Portal to make an edit, but now I cannot reapply!
Please email nma@neuromatch.io and ask us to delete that application. You’ll be able to resubmit your application!
Am I eligible to apply as a TA if I haven’t officially received my undergraduate degree but finished all necessary academic coursework?
Yes. We define an undergraduate degree as a ~4-year program where all academic requirements for graduation are completed. In some fields and/or regions—such as medicine or engineering—degrees may be conferred only after mandatory industry internships, national licensing exams, or additional basic training periods, which serve as professional rather than academic requirements in most cases. If you’ve finished your coursework but are awaiting such steps, you’re still eligible to apply as a TA.
I’m a TA and I’m confused about the acceptance and payment process.
We’ve created a guide that walks TAs through accepting their offer and the several tax and payment forms they need to fill out. See our Teaching Assistant Payment Instructions.
Can I apply as both a teaching assistant and a student?
Yes, you can submit applications for both roles, but you will only be accepted for one.
What time zone will the course take place in?
We offer 5 time slots to accommodate participants globally. You can see which time slot is best for you here. After you’ve been matched to your pod, you’ll be able to see your pods time slot in the portal.
Will the courses be in any languages other than English?
The main language of instruction will be English, and all materials will be in English. In addition, many of our students will be grouped into pods where the TA and students all share another language. Language pods are subject to availability and cannot be guaranteed.
How do students get grouped into teams or ‘pods’?
Do I need a letter of reference to apply?
Nope!
Can Iranian residents participate in the courses?
Yes! Iranian residents can apply to be either a student or a TA. Since the founding of our courses in 2020, we have prioritized global inclusion and have received a sanctions exceptions for all our courses that allows us to run our course in Iran.
I have logged in to the Portal but cannot see the applications, what’s wrong?
You have to complete your Profile in the upper right before you begin. There is also an email verification that you need to complete before your account is active.
I am having trouble creating an application through the Portal from a mobile browser.
We have not been able to test our application on mobile browsers. Please try to use a computer with a normal display instead.
Do students and TA receive a certificate?
Yes, both students and TAs will receive a certificate of completion. Students must comply with our Attendance Policy. Certificates are in the Profile page of Portal, under Documents. Students and TAs must complete the end of course survey to access their certificate. If you choose to connect your Portal account to your ORCiD account, you can publish your certificate via ORCiD.
Have more questions? Email us at nma@neuromatch.io
