BGS Career Development

Making It Count!

National Institutes of Health

NINDS Diversity F31 Applicant Assistance Webinar

by

“This webinar will explain the process of putting together an application for the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Predoctoral Fellowship to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research (Parent F31 -Diversity).

The first half of the webinar will go through each part of the application, including eligibility, the research training plan and research strategy, sponsor and co-sponsor information, letters of reference and support, and the certification letter. The second half of the webinar will be allotted for a question and answer session with attendees.” (Via NIH/ Unified Communications & Collaboration)

Date: Tuesday, June 18, 2019
Time: 2:00 pm 
Register here.

Dr. Shai Silberberg (NINDS), ‘Assuring a bright future for biomedical research’

by

Dr. Shai Silberberg, Program Director and Director of Research Quality at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) will be visiting Penn on Wednesday, June 5, 2019. Dr. Silberberg in his role with NINDS has an especially sophisticated understanding of what drives the emphasis by NIH on rigor and transparency. His institute, as well, has been particularly aggressive in experimenting with solutions through pre- and postdoctoral training venues. Dr. Silberberg’s talk, ‘Assuring a bright future for biomedical research’, will take place 10–11:30am in the Austrian Auditorium.

We have worked at Penn on issues of rigor and transparency for some time. Dr. Silberberg’s talk will reinforce much of what we do, but it will also provide specific insight into emerging thoughts and expectations of NIH. Those interested in familiarizing themselves with Dr. Silberberg’s work prior to the talk may read his important publication on reporting scientific outcomes (Landis et al., Nature 490 (2012) 187).

12th Annual NIH Career Symposium

by

12TH ANNUAL NIH CAREER SYMPOSIUM
NIH Campus, Bethesda, Maryland
Natcher Conference Center, Building 45 
May 10, 2019 8:00 am – 4:00 pm

Register

The NIH Career Symposium highlights the diversity of career choices available to your generation of biomedical researchers.  Whether you are a new graduate student, postdoc, or clinical fellow just beginning to consider career options or a senior student/fellow ready to look for a job, the NIH Career Symposium is for you. Here are the panel descriptions and the agenda:

Panel Descriptions
Career Symposium Agenda

NIH invites any postdoc, clinical fellow or PhD-level graduate student to join, regardless if you are part of the NIH intramural program or not. This event is free to attend (participants are responsible for their own travel expenses)

Wondering what the Career Symposium is all about?  Check out past events here.

(Via NIH)

BEST: “Take the leap? What to do when the first job offer comes your way”

by

The NIH Broadening Experiences in Scientific Training (BEST) career development blog recently published this post about navigating a multi-prong career search. The author is a postdoctoral researcher who found themselves weighing their interest in a tenure-track faculty job versus a non-academic career, either in medical writing or graduate & postdoc professional development. They reflect on the logistical challenges of strategically applying to both academic and non-academic jobs as well as the factors that led them to ultimately accept a role helping postdocs navigate their career search processes. These factors included intuition, work-life balance, and salary, among other considerations.

Read more here.

OITE: “Using Online Job Simulations for Career Exploration”

by

InterSECT Job Simulations

InterSECT Job Simulations

A recent post from the NIH Office of Intramural Training & Education (OITE) careers blog features a useful tool for career exploration: InterSECT Job Simulations.

As OITE explains, “It can be difficult to find internships or detail opportunities that allow you to see if a field is a good fit for you in real life. And while informational interviews are fantastic, they don’t allow you to try things out for yourself. This is where an online job simulation can be of help.”

Each task has been reviewed by professionals in that field for authenticity. Read more here.