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Strengthening the Pathways to Toxicology: Volunteer Opportunities with ABRCMS and SACNAS

By Checo Rorie posted 2 days ago

  

As a scientific community, SOT is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment for the next generation of toxicologists. Two organizations, ABRCMS and SACNAS, play a pivotal role in supporting students in STEM, including students from underrepresented backgrounds.

Every year, these organizations seek the expertise of established scientists to mentor and inspire students and evaluate their work. By volunteering your time, you not only support these students’ professional growth but also help raise the profile of toxicology as a premier career path within these large scientific communities.

Here is how you can get involved and make an impact.

ABRCMS
November 18–21, 2026, Seattle, Washington

The ABRCMS conference relies on professional volunteers to provide the critical feedback that helps students refine their research and communication skills.

  • Conference Judging (In-Person): If you are attending ABRCMS, consider serving as a judge for poster or oral presentations. Senior-Level graduate students, postdocs, and faculty are eligible to provide rubrics-based scores and constructive feedback.

  • Virtual Reviewing: If you cannot attend in person, you can still contribute by serving as an Abstract Reviewer or a Travel Award Reviewer. These roles are vital for ensuring that high-quality research is represented and that financial support reaches the students who need it most.

Visit the ABRCMS volunteer page for details.

SACNAS Annual Conference
October 29–31, 2026, Long Beach, California

SACNAS Annual Conference offers a range of volunteer opportunities.

  • Research Presentation Judging: Similar to ABRCMS, SACNAS seeks professionals to evaluate student presentations during its annual conference.

  • Session Proposal Reviewing: Help shape the scientific content of the conference by reviewing educational and scientific session proposals virtually ahead of the conference.

Explore the SACNAS website to learn about volunteer opportunities.

Why Volunteer?

When SOT members volunteer with ABRCMS and SACNAS, it creates a “win-win” for the scientific community:

  1. Advocacy for Toxicology: Your presence as a judge or reviewer ensures that toxicology is represented alongside other biomedical sciences, sparking interest in our field among young researchers.

  1. Support for Diversity: You provide direct, tangible support to students from underrepresented backgrounds, helping to bridge the gap in STEM representation.

  1. Professional Development: Serving as a reviewer or judge is a valuable service contribution to the broader scientific community and offers a chance to network with colleagues across disciplines.

We encourage all SOT members from senior graduate students to full members to share their time and expertise. Together, we can ensure that the future of toxicology is as diverse and vibrant as the world it serves to protect.


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