The Greek letters of the honor society, “ΝΡΨ”, designates the interdisciplinary science that engages its members in the study of the brain and the rest of the nervous system.

Membership is by invitation and is open to undergraduate and graduate students who are making the study of neuroscience one of their major interests and who meet the other academic qualifications.

Requirements for membership include: The National Council of Nu Rho Psi awards charters to colleges and universities in the United States that have qualified based on their neuroscience curriculum, faculty expertise, and student research opportunities – among other factors.

Students and faculty are elected to membership by the chapter at participating institutions, according to the provisions in the national Nu Rho Psi Constitution and locally adopted by-laws.

Membership in Nu Rho Psi is open to qualified candidates regardless of age, sex, sexual orientation, race handicap or disability, color, religion, or national or ethnic origin.

Nu Rho Psi offers competitive travel awards for members to attend and present their research at the annual Society for Neuroscience meeting.

Nu Rho Psi also offers competitive small grants to facilitate member's senior theses or summer research projects.

They are also responsible for promoting Nu Rho Psi activities during the regional undergraduate neuroscience meetings (e.g. mGluRs,[4] NEURON,[5] SYNAPSE,[6] MIDBRAINS[7]).

Nu Rho Psi chapters are divided into four regional areas in the United States (Northeast, Midwest, South, and West), each with their own representative vice-president.