Welcome to Grey Matters Journal Production! We are an undergraduate neuroscience journal at the University of Washington that produces professional, visually appealing journals that are available in print and online free of cost. We are committed to fostering public interest in neuroscience, promoting scientific literacy, and developing skills in scientific communication, critical reading, and informative illustration.
We ask that interested individuals review the following information before applying to write, edit, illustrate, or design for the journal.
- It is rare for a single individual to occupy multiple production positions in a single quarter. Generally, we consider all combinations of positions to be possible, except two writing positions (author, editor, or core editor) at the same time. There are some exceptions to this.
- If you would like to be considered for multiple positions, please fill out the applications for all of those positions. This will increase your chances of being involved! We may consider people for positions they have not applied for, but this is rare and not guaranteed.
- Please note: All application forms require sign in with a UW NetID to get access.
See below for position descriptions, and read them carefully before applying. Please check out our resources page for some helpful tips that can strengthen your writing or editing application.
In general, production meetings will take place on Thursday at 6:30 PM in HSEB 125 for those who apply and are accepted. If this does not work for you, contact us via thalamus@greymattersjournal.org, and we will do our best to make alternative arrangements, including virtual, synchronous attendance, or participation in a virtual, asynchronous production group.
Applications
Production applications are now open and open the first week of every quarter. If you have any questions, please email thalamus@greymattersjournal.org or message on our Discord server! We highly recommend attending our welcome meeting on the first Thursday of every quarter, at 6:30 PM to learn more about the application process (including what we look for and what's reasonable to take on) in HSEB 125. Please also carefully read the following descriptions for each position before applying.
Core Editing
Core Editors lead the production group from start to finish, mentoring editors, authors, and artists. This is a leadership role in every sense of the word. In order to apply, you must have edited or written for at least two quarters at Grey Matters.
While editors often make lower level edits related to style, clarity, transitions, and jargon, core editors specialize in making large structural edits regarding the overall direction of the article. Additionally, a major component of their job is in mentoring the members of their team – keeping track of patterns in authors' and editors' work to provide them with useful, constructive feedback to help them improve their scientific communication skills and teamwork skills.
Core Editor Application can be found here
Writing
Articles written for the journal have covered topics ranging from consciousness to the neuroscience behind jazz improvisation to Alzheimer’s Disease. There is a neuroscience of everything any sentient creature has ever done, and we accept a wide range of topics in psychology, behavior, and neuroscience.
Because we are committed to mentorship and the development of scientific communication skills among undergraduates, we ask that individuals interested in writing for the journal submit article proposals, rather than written articles. If the proposal is accepted, authors are placed into a group of editors and artists to develop a finished piece for publication. Drafts of articles will be reviewed by editors, the leadership team, and finally, graduate students at the University of Washington. Authors must be willing to accept edits and work collaboratively in teams to produce a high-quality, finished piece.
Topics that have been recently or extensively covered are less likely to be accepted. For reference, here is a list of past topics that have been covered in previous issues, but the best way to find previous topics is to explore this website!
You will need to make an outline of your article in order to apply to be an author. Here is a sample outline. We are happy to meet with you before the application close date to discuss and workshop your outline. Our welcome meeting will also include an outline workshop to provide advice and guidance to increase your chance of acceptance.
Additionally, please view the resources page for more information on writing and editing to help your application process. SNIPPET is also a great way to gain experience in writing in Grey Matters before joining the production process as an author.
We highly recommend that authors and prospective authors attend Journal Club at least once to get a feel for how we read and communicate about scientific literature. First-time authors are required to attend at least one Journal Club meeting each quarter. This is also a great place to find cool topics in a low-stakes environment!
Author Application can be found here
Editing
Editors are at the core of the Grey Matters publication process. Editors must be willing to critically read drafts of articles for scientific accuracy, ease of understanding, flow, and grammar. They are responsible for making weekly edits to the article drafts. Core editors lead groups of 1-2 authors and 2-6 editors, and are expected to monitor the progress of these articles and act as a liaison between authors, editors, artists, and the leadership team.
Please view the resources page for more information about editing before applying.
We highly recommend editors and prospective editors attend at least one Journal Club meeting to get a feel for how we read and communicate about scientific literature. First-time editors are required to attend at least one Journal Club meeting each quarter. Due to high number of applications every quarter, we strongly recommend applying as an author in conjunction, as it'll increase your chances of being a part of the Grey Matters production team!
Editor Application can be found here
Art
Grey Matters is a unique scientific journal in large part due to the high-quality illustrations that accompany each article. Artists work closely with both their assigned authors and the Grey Matters art director to produce illustrations in a variety of mediums for the journal. Please review previous issues of Grey Matters to see the variety of illustrations we have printed in the past.
Artist Application can be found here
Design
Grey Matters strives to constantly improve to be the best, most educational, and most beautiful publication in our category. Layout design is essential towards delivering the incredible work produced by our undergraduates in an enjoyable and digestible way. Designers work closely with the Grey Matters design director to organize each issue.
Design Application can be found here
Translation
Grey Matters Journal is excited to open a new translation opportunity for dedicated individuals to join our translation team and help make neuroscience more accessible to non-English speaking communities. As a translator, you will assist in translating original Grey Matter Journal neuroscience research articles, media content, and other publications into various languages, ensuring scientific accuracy and fluency. This role involves reviewing, revising, and enhancing machine translated texts for clarity, accuracy, and fluency, as well as creating the final translation manuscript. We welcome speakers of all languages to apply to this position an make neuroscience more accessible in more languages. No prior translation experience is required, though proficiency in languages, attention to detail, and a passion for biological sciences are essential.
Applications can be found here and will be reviewed and accepted on a rolling basis throughout the academic quarter.