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Trainee Workshop Handouts and Presentations

 
  Workshop: Interviewing Outside the Ivory Tower (This is the third session in the Industry Career track.)
Description: Join us to see how to navigate an interview in industry. We will explore common questions, typical schedules, and how to prepare yourself to make a positive impression.
Speakers: Libbie Mansell, President, White Oak BioPharma Solutions, LLC, and Eric Nelson, HR Director at MedImmune
Date: December 2, 2008
Slides [PDF, 24 KB]
Handout: Interview schedule [PDF, 65 KB]
Handout: Interview questions [PDF, 64 KB]
View the videocast [RAM, Total Running Time: 1:47:59]


 
  Workshop: Resumes and Cover Letters for Industry (This is the second session in the Industry Career track.)
Description: Get an insider's view on what companies are looking for in cover letters. What content should you include, how can you avoid repeating your resume/CV, and how can your materials make it past online screening systems?
Speaker: Wendy Penry, Associate Director, Human Resources, Human Genome Sciences Inc.
Date: November 18, 2008
Slides [PDF, 105 KB]
View the videocast [RAM, Total Running Time: 1:15:00]


 
  Workshop: Exploring Careers (This is the second session in the Career Decisions 101 track)
Description: Learn the skills that will allow you to gather information on different careers. Mock informational interviews are demonstrated.
Speakers: Elaine M. Diggs, Career Counselor, NCC, NCCC and Anne Kirchgessner, Career Counselor, LCPC, NCC
Date: November 20, 2008
Slides [PDF, 1.69 MB]
Handout: Informational Interviewing [PDF, 34 KB]
Handout: Resources for Career Investigation [PDF, 68 KB]
View the recording [Adobe Flash Presentation, Total Running Time: 1:37:47]


 
  Workshop: Job Interviews (This is the fourth session in the Academic Job Search track.)
Description: After the application packet, the job interview is the next most vital element to securing a position. In this workshop, learn the "do's and don'ts" of academic job interviewing and hear a perspective on what interview committees like to see. Topics include:
  • What to expect
  • How to prepare
  • Types of questions to expect
  • Questions to ask
  • What to do after the interview
Speakers: Sharon Milgram, PhD, Director, OITE, with comments from Joann Boughman, PhD, Executive Director, American Society of Human Genetics and former Vice President for Academic Affairs, University of Maryland, Baltimore
Date: November 20, 2008
Slides [PDF, 230 KB]
View the videocast [RAM, Total Running Time: 2:13:44]


 
  Event: Fifth Annual GPP Graduate Student Research Symposium
Description: A day-long event showcasing the research of graduate students at the NIH, including platform talks, poster sessions, an awards ceremony to recognize the accomplishments of recent GPP graduates, and more.
Date: November 14, 2008
Agenda [PDF, 156 KB]
Abstracts [PDF, 292 KB]


 
  Workshop: Careers in Science Policy
Description: Research, government, law, ethics, and society intersect in the field of science policy. This panel discussion addresses careers that use scientific expertise to inform the public, advise lawmakers, influence the direction of scientific research and education, and advocate for those at the bench or bedside. Organized by FelCom.
Speakers: Nathanial Hafer, PhD, AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow; Michael Stebbins, PhD, Federation of American Scientists; Bruce Altevogt, PhD, IOM; Dan Poux, AAAS
Date: November 13, 2008
View the recording [Adobe Flash Presentation, Total Running Time: 1:42:26]


 
  Workshop: Writing Personal Statements for Graduate School
Description: This workshop will guide you through the process of planning and writing your personal application statements for graduate school. Examples of both good and bad personal statements will be shown during the workshop.
Intended audience: Postbacs
Speakers: Sharon Milgram, PhD, Director, OITE and Pat Sokolove, PhD, Deputy Director, OITE
Date: October 29, 2008
Slides [PDF, 161 KB]
View the videocast [RAM, Total Running Time: 1:45:48]
Access the podcast


 
  Workshop: Written Communication Skills
Description: We all know the importance of good writing to a scientific career. This new three-hour workshop is for any NIH trainee who wants to improve his/her writing at the most basic level. The examples-based workshop features:
  • A hands-on review of grammar, punctuation, and word usage (including, for example, subject-verb agreement, active vs. passive voice, split infinitives, agreement of pronoun and antecedent, commas, semicolons, colons, and more exotic punctuation).
  • Tips on writing and editing the perfect e-mail correspondence.
  • Advice on organizing, writing, and editing coherent short documents such as cover letters, personal statements, and abstracts.
You can find the recommended course text, CliffsQuickReview Writing: Grammar, Usage, and Style (~ $10) at the FAES Bookstore.
Speaker: Maggie Meitzler, writer and editor
Date: October 17, 2008
Slides [PDF, 1.62 MB]
Handout [PDF, 51 KB]
View the videocast [RAM, Total Running Time: 2:38:20]


 
  Workshop: Planning for Career Satisfaction and Success (This is the first session in the Career Decisions 101 track.)
Description: The goal of this workshop is to help participants understand how their personal interests, skills, and values contribute to future success. Topics to be covered include the importance of career decision making, learning styles, self-assessment, transferrable skills, defining success, personal needs, work/life balance, and defining short-term and long-term goals.
Intended audience: Postbacs
Speaker: Denise Saunders, PhD
Date: October 6, 2008
Slides [PDF, 97 KB]
View the videocast [RAM, Total Running Time: 1:43:16]


 
  Workshop: Choosing and Applying to a Graduate School
Description: Beginning with the question, "Why do you want to go to graduate school?" this workshop will help participants determine what sort of graduate program would be the most appropriate for them and then begin the preparation of an appropriate application.
Speaker: Sharon Milgram, PhD, Director, OITE
Date: October 3, 2008
Slides [PDF, 51 KB]
Handout: Graduate Program Selection Worksheet [PDF, 87 KB]
Handout: Grad School Success [PDF, 51 KB]
View the videocast [RAM, Total Running Time: 1:53:15]


 
  Workshop: Giving a GREAT Science Talk
Description: This workshop begins with a discussion of the characteristics of a good scientific presentation and then guides the audience in the art of developing and presenting a great talk. Some of the topics on which it focuses attention are:
  • The parts of a scientific presentation
  • Getting and keeping the audience's attention
  • Creating slides that work
  • Presenting yourself
  • Answering questions
Speaker: Sharon Milgram, PhD, Director, OITE
Date: September 24, 2008
Slides [PDF, 1 MB]
Handout [PDF, 80 KB]
View the videocast [RAM, Total Running Time: 01:02:26]


 
  Workshop: Overview of the Academic Job Search (This is the first session in the Academic Job Search track.)
Description: As you begin your search for an academic job, it is important to be aware of all the aspects of a well-planned job search. In this workshop, hear an overview of what you need to do to ensure a productive academic job search.

This is a seminar-style presentation. Topics covered include:
  • Finding job announcements
  • The application packet:
    • CV
    • Cover letter
    • Letters of recommendation
    • Teaching/research statements
  • Timeline
  • What search committees look for in applicants
Speaker: Sharon Milgram, PhD, Director, OITE
Date: September 18, 2008
Slides [PDF, 2.3 MB]
View the videocast [RAM, Total Running Time: 01:50:13]

If you are a trainee at the NIH, you may also contact Betsey Wade at wadeel@mail.nih.gov to request a copy of the handout.


 
  Postbac Orientation: Getting What You Came For!
Description: Tips from the Director of the Office of Intramural Training & Education (OITE) on making the most of your time at the NIH, followed by a panel of second-year postbacs discussing their experiences
Speaker: Sharon Milgram, PhD, Director, OITE
Date: September 9, 2008
Slides [PDF, 320 KB]
Handout: Goals of Postbac Research and Training [PDF, 88 KB]
View the videocast [RAM, Total running time 01:26:44]


 
  Workshop: Improving Spoken English
Description: Improving Spoken English is a communications workshop designed for scientists whose first language is not English. The workshop offers basic tips to improve the clarity of your spoken communications. Attendance at the workshop qualifies you to register for the popular small group sessions. Each small group will meet twice for two-hours of interactive exercises and individual speaking practice. These sessions are a safe and low-key place to improve your English skills with help from trained group facilitators. In addition, one-on-one appointments to improve your skills will be available as our Improving Spoken English program expands.
Speaker: Scott Morgan
Date: August 26, 2008
Slides [PDF, 235 KB]
NOTE: The recording of this event is not sufficiently good to be useful. Mechanisms for producing an improved recording are being explored.


 
  Workshop: Writing a Research Proposal
Description: If you are asking yourself these questions; "Where do I start?," "How much background do I put in?," "How many specific aims should I include?," "Do I need preliminary data?," then you are probably wondering what it takes to write a good research proposal. In this workshop, Dr. Sharon Milgram, who has over 15 years of successful grant writing experience, discusses the dos and don'ts of writing a great research proposal. The target audience is graduate students who are preparing their dissertation proposals.
Speaker: Sharon Milgram, Director of the Office of Training & Education
Date: August 11, 2008
Slides [PDF, 245 KB]
View the recording [Adobe Flash Presentation, Total Running Time: 01:44:55]


 
  Workshop: Patents, Products, and Public Health: The Technology Transfer Experience at NIH
Description: This talk provides an overview of the NIH Office of Technology Transfer (OTT), interactions the office has with scientists who develop patents, and opportunities for NIH fellows to gain experience in the technology transfer field through fellowship and volunteer opportunities. (Sponsored by the Patent Law and Technology Transfer Scientific Interest Group)
Speaker: Steve Ferguson, PhD, Deputy Director, OTT
Date: August 7, 2008
Slides [PDF, 725 KB]


 
  Special Event: NIH Graduate and Professional School Fair
Description: Representatives of more than 90 graduate medical, dental, public health, and other schools came to the NIH to recruit our trainees to their programs. In addition to the Fair itself, workshops on writing personal statements, interviewing and applying, and MD/PhD programs were offered.
Date: July 10, 2008
Writing Personal Statements for Graduate School [PDF, 110 KB]
Writing Personal Statements for Professional School [PDF, 442 KB]
MD/PhD: Is It for You? [PDF, 148 KB]


 
  Workshop: How to Give an Effective Job Talk
Description: Are you a postdoctoral fellow just beginning your job search? Would you like to learn how give effective job talks in academic or industry settings? This seminar will provide you with valuable insight into giving an outstanding, memorable job talk for a variety of audiences. Learn important elements to be included in any job talk, tips on giving a successful academic "chalk talk," how to structure your talk for your specific audience, and more! (Sponsored by the FelCom Career Development Subcommittee)
Speaker: Sharon Milgram, Director of the Office of Training & Education
Date: June 30, 2008
View the videocast [RAM, Total running time, 1:57:08]


 
  Workshop: Scientific Writing from the Reader's Perspective
Description: The approach used by Gopen is based on a single idea: to improve your writing, learn how readers go about their reading. Readers know where to look for what. Learning what readers do allows a writer to control what readers learn. Dr. Gopen's workshops have changed participants' writing habits permanently, often resulting in improved grant writing success.

Here is what Dr. Gopen has to say about his presentations:
In the working world, the writer is usually the expert (however momentarily), writing for an audience that has a need to know something. We call that rhetorical act "communication." No one cares how hard the writer tried or how much progress has been made since the last effort. In the professional world, the important person, where prose is concerned, is not the writer, but rather the reader. The bottom line question where writing quality is concerned is simple: Did the reader actually get delivery of that which the writer intended to send? If the answer is yes, the writing was adequate; if the answer is no, the writing was inadequate.
Speaker: George Gopen, JD, PhD, Professor of the Practice of Rhetoric, Duke University
Date: June 7 and 8, 2008
View the videocast of Day 1 (HHS Only) [RAM, Total running time, 6:34:05]
View the videocast of Day 2 (HHS Only) [RAM, Total running time, 5:57:34]
Handout (NIH Only) [PDF, 253 KB]
Read Dr. Gopen's article, The Science of Scientific Writing, which appeared in the American Scientist, 78: 550 - 558.


 
  Workshop: Written Communication Skills
Description: We all know the importance of good writing to a scientific career. This new three-hour workshop is for any NIH trainee who wants to improve his/her writing at the most basic level. The examples-based workshop will feature:
  • A hands-on review of grammar, punctuation, and word usage (including, for example, subject-verb agreement, active vs. passive voice, split infinitives, agreement of pronoun and antecedent, commas, semicolons, colons, and more exotic punctuation).
  • Tips on writing and editing the perfect e-mail correspondence.
  • Advice on organizing, writing, and editing a coherent cover letter (e.g., to accompany a resume or manuscript submission).
You can find the recommended course text, CliffsQuickReview Writing: Grammar, Usage, and Style, at the FAES Bookstore.
Speaker: Marguerite Meitzler, professional writer and editor
Date: June 6, 2008
Handout [PDF, 198 KB]
Suggested Reading [PDF, 71 KB]
View the videocast [RAM, Total running time, 2:47:45]


 
  Workshop: Career Symposium — Interviewing Etiquette and Skills
Description: This session focuses on how to manage your interview to get the job you want. Hear how to prepare for an interview and effectively assess and present your strengths. Learn about different interview types, what to expect of each, and how to navigate your way through them.
Speaker: Melanie Sinche, a certified career counselor and consultant
Date: April 9, 2008
View the videocast [RAM, Total Running Time: 00:54:58]


 
  Workshop: Career Symposium — Networking! Networking! Networking!
Description: Networking is critical to obtaining the job you want and moving ahead in your career. Not only does it help you get your name out in the job market, it can also foster collaborations and build friendships. Learn how to network using the Internet; how to communicate with people at job fairs, departmental seminars, and professional meetings; and how to approach non-science social functions in a way that allows you to create and maintain lasting business connections.
Speaker: Lori Conlan, PhD, new Director of the Office of Postdoctoral Services, OITE
Date: April 9, 2008
View the videocast [RAM, Total Running Time: 00:50:38]


 
  Workshop: Career Symposium — Plenary & Welcome
Description: Dr. Fiske presents a motivating discussion of his career path, the exciting options awaiting PhD scientists, and the opportunities postdocs have to make great contributions.
Speaker: Peter S. Fiske, PhD, is President and CEO of PAX Mixer, Inc., a new company created to commercialize high-efficiency mixing technologies developed by parent company, PAX Scientific. Both companies use "biomimicry" — the application of methods and systems found in nature to the study and design of engineering systems and modern technology.
Date: April 9, 2008
View the videocast [RAM, Total Running Time: 01:12:34]


 
  Workshop: Postdoctoral Fellowships: NRSA (F32), PRAT, and IRACDA
Description: This workshop provides information on the GrantNets database and applying for postdoctoral fellowships. The intended audience is postdoctoral fellows who have been at the NIH less than two years and graduate students. Postdocs in the NIH Intramural Research Program are eligible to apply to the PRAT program. The other opportunities are generally for individuals planning to leave the NIH.
Speakers: Clifton Poodry, PhD, NIGMS; Richard Okita, PhD, NIGMS; Catherine Croft Swanwick, PhD, NIDCD, PRAT Postdoctoral Fellow
Date: March 13, 2008
Dr. Poodry's slides [PDF, 221 KB]
Dr. Okita's slides [PDF, 444 KB]
Dr. Swanwick's slides [PDF, 73 KB]
View the recording [Adobe Flash Presentation, Total Running Time: 01:40:28]


 
  Workshop: K99/R00 Grants.
Description: The primary, long-term goal of the Pathway to Independence (PI or K99/R00) Award program is to develop and maintain a strong cohort of new and talented NIH-supported independent investigators. The PI award program is designed to facilitate a timely transition from a mentored postdoctoral research position to a stable independent research position with independent NIH or other independent research support at an earlier stage than is currently the norm. Support is provided for a total of five years. One or two years of funding is provided to advanced postdoctoral trainees. The trainee then takes the remaining support with him/her when beginning a faculty position in an academic institution. This workshop will provide guidance to NIH postdocs, both U.S. citizens and international scholars, who would like to submit applications to this grant program.
Speakers: Joan Schwartz, PhD, Assistant Director, Office of Intramural Research; Steven Korn, PhD, Director of Training and Career Development, NINDS.
Date: February 12, 2008
Dr. Schwartz's slides [PDF, 73 KB]
Dr. Korn's slides [PDF, 92 KB]
View the videocast [RAM, Total Running Time: 1:32:59]
Access the podcast


 
  Workshop: Filing IRTA Taxes
Description: Need advice on completing your income tax forms as an IRTA? This workshop contains useful information for trainees appointed under the IRTA mechanism (postbac, technical, predoc OR graduate student, and postdoc IRTAs).
Speaker: Edward Everitt, formerly of the NIH Division of Financial Management
Date: February 5, 2008
Handout [PDF, 1.6 MB]
View the videocast [RAM, Total Running Time: 1:16:16]


 
  Workshop: Applying to Medical School: Preparing for the MCAT (Part 2)
Description: Strategies for attacking the different sections of the MCAT. How to study, Deciding what to study, Test Day!, Final preparations, "Do's" and "Don'ts," procedures.
Speaker: Dr. William Higgins, Associate Professor of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park and pre-professional adviser, OITE
Date: January 24, 2008
Slides [PDF, 706 KB]
View the videocast [RAM, Total Running Time: 2:06:37]


 
  Workshop: Applying to Medical School: Preparing for the MCAT (Part 1)
Description: Insights into the application process and application evaluation for medical school. How will your MCAT test score affect your likelihood of being accepted? When should you take the test? What is the test like: sections, content, types of questions?
Speaker: Dr. William Higgins, Associate Professor of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park and pre-professional adviser, OITE
Date: January 16, 2008
Slides [PDF, 1.47 MB]
View the videocast [RAM, Total Running Time: 02:23:12]


 
  Workshop: Interviewing for Graduate School
Description: January is here and, for many of you, that means graduate school interviews are not far behind. The goal of this session is to prepare you to make your interview a success and to provide you with the opportunity to practice interviewing with graduate students currently at the NIH.
Speaker: Sharon Milgram, PhD, is the Director of the OITE. She came to the NIH from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, where she was deeply involved in graduate education.
Date: January 15, 2008
Slides [PDF, 66 KB]
View the videocast [RAM, Total Running Time: 2:20:04]


 
  Workshop: Working and Playing Well with Others: Using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator to Understand Yourself and Those around You
Description: The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is the most widely used personality assessment in the world for understanding individual differences and uncovering new ways to work and interact with others. Once we understand how we relate to others, ourselves, and the world around us, we can learn how to work with others who view the world through a different lens. This three-hour session uses the MBTI to help participants understand their own and others' styles in order to enhance individual and team performance at work, develop leadership skills, and reduce workplace conflict through improved interaction with others.
Speaker: Melanie V. Sinche, NCC
Date: December 6, 2007
Slides [PDF, 1.7 MB]
Handout [PDF, 1.4 MB]
View the videocast [RAM, Total Running Time: 2:30:41]


 
  Workshop: Opportunities to Build Your Career and Enhance Your Resume at the NIH
Description: For almost every science career option, non-bench work experiences are becoming increasingly beneficial and often required. Fellows can develop important career-building skills by taking advantage of the many opportunities available right here on the NIH campus. Learn how to gain valuable non-laboratory experiences that can enhance your CV and ultimately give you an advantage in the job market. Local opportunities for teaching, science communication, science writing, committee work and leadership are some of the many areas addressed in this workshop. Organized by the Fellows Committee.
Date: November 15, 2007
View the recording [Adobe Flash Presentation, Total Running Time: 01:58:03]


 
  Workshop: Science Policy: Shaping the Role of Science in Society
Description: The global impact of science and technology has never been greater or, in some cases, more controversial. As a result, expertise in all areas of science is needed in the policy-making process. A career in science policy can give you the opportunity to inform the public, advise lawmakers, influence the direction of scientific research and education, and/or advocate for those at the bench or bedside. Organized by the Fellows Committee.
Speaker: Drs. Lana Skirboll, Director, NIH Office of Science Policy; Laura Brockman, Senior Science Policy Analyst, FASEB; Steve Feldgus, Legislative Staff, U.S. House of Representatives
Date: October 9, 2007
View the recording [Adobe Flash Presentation, Total Running Time: 01:19:19]


 
  Workshop: Applying for an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship
Description: NSF Graduate Fellowships provide beginning graduate students with three years of support that includes a $30,000 stipend and tuition. Graduate Fellowship staff members from the NSF discuss eligibility criteria, application materials, and the review process. They also provide suggestions for applying successfully.
Speaker: Dr. William Hahn, et al.
Date: September 11, 2007
"NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program" [PDF, 820 KB]


 
  Workshop: Getting the Most Out of a Job Fair
Description: In this interactive session, participants will learn how to prepare for a job fair, how to take advantage of time spent at a fair, and how to follow up with employers after the fair. Specific information about how to approach employers, how to dress for the fair, what to bring, etc., will also be covered.
Speaker: Melanie V. Sinche, NCC
Date: September 6, 2007
"Getting the Most Out of a Job Fair" [PDF, 79 KB]
"Preparing for a Job Fair" [PDF, 16 KB]
"Job Fair Employer Survey" [PDF, 33 KB]
View the videocast [RAM, Total Running Time: 01:40:08]


 
  Workshop: CV and Resume Writing: Preparing Effective Job Search Correspondence
Description: In this session, participants will learn about the differences between resumes & CVs, when to use each, and how to write and edit these documents to attract employers more effectively.
Speaker: Melanie V. Sinche, NCC
Date: September 6, 2007
"CV and Resume Writing: Preparing Effective Job Search Correspondence" [PDF, 43 KB]
"Converting a CV to a Resume" [PDF, 58 KB]
"How to Write a Curriculum Vitae (CV)" [PDF, 46 KB]
View the videocast [RAM, Total Running Time: 01:40:08]


 
  Workshop: Career Counseling Workshop: Planning for Career Satisfaction and Success
Description: Finding a satisfying career requires a combination of knowledge, both of yourself and of career options, and a commitment to the career planning process. To that end, the goals of this workshop include: introducing attendees to the career planning process; assisting attendees to identify the skills, interests, and values they possess; helping attendees to use this information to explore career options; and providing attendees with the tools they need to create a plan. This workshop will be both informative and interactive, integrating didactic material with self-guided assessment and career-exploration exercises, group discussions, and samples of individual career development plans.
Speaker: Melanie V. Sinche, NCC
Date: June 12, 2007
View the videocast [RAM, Total Running Time: 01:47:30]



 
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Page last revised on December 11, 2008 (sva)