This summer program is for students interested in computational projects using FlyWire connectomic data to analyze complete brain wiring diagrams. It’s open to undergraduate and graduate students, as well as highly skilled high school students with strong programming ability and experience using modern AI-assisted tools.

Whole-brain connectomics is a young field. The datasets are large, public, and still only partly understood. Good ideas and computational skills can lead to real discoveries.

What participants work on

The FlyWire team will propose a few projects. Students may also propose their own projects. A good project is concrete, data-driven, and feasible over the summer. Suitable topics include graph algorithms, optimization, statistics, machine learning, visualization, interactive tools, and exploratory data analysis.

Projects should not require deep prior knowledge of neuroscience or connectomics. Prerequisites are: solid understanding of networks, graph algorithms, and data analysis, strong coding ability, and ability to make clear analyses or visualizations.

How the program works

Students work independently or in small teams. The program starts with a virtual kickoff meeting in early June (exact date TBA). After that, we will hold virtual weekly office hours. There will also be one midpoint check-in meeting, where each student or team presents progress.

This is a lightly supervised program designed for independent work. Students must be self-sufficient, motivated, and able to make progress between meetings. The program is best for people who enjoy scientific discovery and can ask focused questions when they get stuck.

This is not a paid internship. Time commitment is up to the participants.

Successful projects may be presented to the FlyWire community after the program ends. Some concluding presentations may happen in person at Princeton University.

What participants can gain

• Experience working with real, large-scale scientific data.
• A completed project suitable for a portfolio or paper.
• Feedback from FlyWire researchers and the FlyWire community.
• An opportunity to present results to an active research community.

Example project directions

The FlyWire Data Challenges are useful examples. They are computational focused and do not assume neuroscience expertise:

• Visual Columns Mapping Challenge
• Minimum Feedback Arc Set Challenge
• VNC Matching Challenge
• Max Quasi-Cliques Challenge

Getting started

Start with the FlyWire Academy. Explore the public data in the FlyWire Codex. For videos, see the FlyWire Princeton YouTube channel.

For more background, see the lectures from the school on connectomics and brain emulation: schedule and GitHub. For a general introduction, read Prof. Seung's Connectome: How the Brain's Wiring Makes Us Who We Are.

Who should consider applying

• Students who like coding, algorithms, data analysis, and visualization.
• Students who can work independently and communicate progress clearly.
• Students interested in large scientific datasets.

Participants will be selected based on coding experience, prior projects, and proposed ideas, if applicable.

Apply

Complete this form: FlyWire summer projects signup.

Questions? Contact flywirecodex+summer2026@gmail.com.