SOT offers award opportunities to graduate students and postdoctoral scholars to facilitate training and career development. The deadline to apply for either the New Experiences in Toxicology (NEXT) Program or the Supplemental Training for Education Program (STEP) is October 28, 2019.
New for Postdoctoral Scholars: New Experiences in Toxicology (NEXT) Program
SOT recognizes that toxicology-related training experiences facilitate the successful transition of postdoctoral scholars into a professional position in toxicology. The New Experiences in Toxicology (NEXT) Program provides funding of up to $1,000 to cover costs associated with additional training related to toxicology that will broaden postdocs’ expertise and prepare them for the competitive job market. Applicants will identify professional development workshops, short courses, or activities that would provide training outside the scope of their current postdoctoral training. The toxicology skill gap desired to be fulfilled via NEXT should not be one that can be met at their current institution and should be related to career goals. NEXT funding should not be requested to refine a research project–related technique or to attend a professional society or scientific conference.
Three awards of up to $1,000 per recipient may be given at each deadline. The next deadline is October 28, 2019.
Awardees will be selected based on their achievement record, the relevance of the proposed professional activity to career goals in the field of toxicology, the quality of the proposed experience, and the recommendation by their postdoc mentor.
Awardees are required to provide a brief follow-up blog post on the funded experience, which will highlight their receipt of the award and the benefits of the experience to their professional career goals. This blog post is mutually beneficial, as it both underscores the success of NEXT and provides visibility of the postdoc’s award and dedication to the field.
To apply, please visit the “New Experiences in Toxicology Program” web page on the SOT website.
Graduate Students Supplemental Training for Education Program (STEP)
The next deadline for graduate students to submit applications for the SOT Supplemental Training for Education Program (STEP) also is October 28, 2019.
Graduate students are encouraged to be creative in proposing an activity to pursue training in an identified area of professional/scientific development that is important to achieve career goals but outside the immediate scope of their graduate training and research program. This funding does not support activities to refine a dissertation project–specific technique or attendance at a professional society conference. Successful applicants make a strong case that the proposed activity will build the skill portfolio for a specific career track.
The award reimburses costs of up to $1,000. The SOT Education and Career Development Committee administers this award in recognition of the diversity in preparation required for graduate students to enter the modern workforce. Awardees will provide a brief follow-up communication on the funded experience, which will showcase their receipt of the award and the benefits of the experience to their graduate education.
Some of the previous awards have involved:
- Risk Assessment Training
- Topological Quantum Field Theories Master Class
- Woods Hole Frontiers in Reproduction Short Course
- Pharmacokinetic Modeling
- Mass Spectrometry Training
For the application and more examples of previous awards, visit the SOT “Supplemental Training for Education Program” web page on the SOT website.
