Career and Professional Development

Once a month, scholars will attend a career and professional development focused seminars and workshops sponsored by the U-RISE training program.

Program

Regular Topics Include:

  • The Lifecycle of a PhD student, where students will be introduced to stages on how they will grow in a PhD Program.
  • Preparing and applying to graduate school.
  • Where does scientific funding come from and how does it work? We will introduce the students to the various avenues of research funding, including federal and private, emphasizing how to identify and apply to Predoctoral Fellowships such as the Individual National Research Service Awards.
  • Why does having a PhD make a difference in the industry? We will do a comparison of salaries and upwards mobility for the students that have PhDs and those that do not. We will discuss the career possibilities that are associated with levels of degrees.
  • Diversity and inclusion training. In these workshops we will create a safe space where students can discuss their experiences. We will work on activities to build empathy and to spark one-on-one conversations about topics people may ordinarily feel uncomfortable approaching.
  • Scientific department seminars. Trainees will be advised by their mentors to attend departmental seminars in BME, BS or CES relevant to their work and produce a short report.