ASPIRE Biomedical Scientist’s Toolkit
Explore topics specific to the professional development of Ph.D. students and postdocs in the biomedical sciences.
The ASPIRE Biomedical Scientist’s Toolkit is a career development workshop series focused on equipping biomedical Ph.D. students and postdoctoral fellows with the skills and insight to achieve their highest potential during their training period and beyond.
Add the sessions to your calendar!
Past session handouts can be found via the special Vanderbilt Box ASPIRE Biomedical Scientist’s Toolkit
Training Stage Key
Sessions are open to Postdoctoral Fellows and Graduate Students at any stage of their training and all are welcome to attend. However, many topics are most relevant at specific stages. Each session is designated as such. Please use this key as a guide to determine which would be most beneficial to you.
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| Graduate students | Year 1/2 | Year 3+ | All years |
| Postdoctoral fellows | First half of training period | Second half of training period | All years |
All sessions are held on Thursdays from 11am – 12pm.
Spring 2023
| Date | Title | Speaker | Location | Training Stage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 2, 2023 | Applying for Fellowships & NRSAs | Kim Petrie, Ph.D. Assistant Dean for Biomedical Career Development, Associate Professor of Medical Education and Administration | Light Hall 214 | |
| February 23, 2023 | Preparing to Mentor | Kathy Gould, Ph.D., Louise B. McGavock Professor Department of Cell and Developmental Biology Senior Associate Dean for Biomedical Research, Education and Career Development | Light Hall 214 | |
| March 2, 2023 | A Fair Look-How to Review a Paper | Kathy Gould, Ph.D., Louise B. McGavock Professor Department of Cell and Developmental Biology Senior Associate Dean for Biomedical Research, Education and Career Development | Light Hall 350 | |
| March 23, 2023 | Intro to Life Design | Angela Zito, Assistant Director, BRET Office of Career Development ASPIRE Program | Light Hall 214 | |
| April 6, 2023 | A Next Step: Getting a Postdoc | Kathy Gould, Ph.D., Louise B. McGavock Professor Department of Cell and Developmental Biology Senior Associate Dean for Biomedical Research, Education and Career Development | Light Hall 214 | *PhD Students |
| May 4, 2023 | Let's Rumble | RC Stabile, Ed.D. Associate Director of Trainee Well-being | Light Hall 214 | |
Fall 2022
| Date | Title | Speaker | Location | Training Stage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 17, 2022 4:00pm-5:00pm | Overview of the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) (Workshop 1 of 2) | Kim Petrie, PhD Assistant Dean for Biomedical Career Development, Associate Professor of Medical Education and Administration | Light Hall 208 | *PhD Students |
| September 1, 2022 | Efficiency of information transfer – how to present a poster for interest and understanding | Chris Wright, D. Phil. Louise B. McGavock Chair Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology Director, Vanderbilt University Program in Developmental Biology Associate Director, Vanderbilt Center for Stem Cell Biology | Light Hall 214 | |
| September 6, 2022 4pm-5:30pm via Zoom | Writing the NSF GRFP Personal Statement and Graduate Research Plan (Workshop 2 of 2) | Kim Petrie, PhD Assistant Dean for Biomedical Career Development, Associate Professor of Medical Education and Administration | Zoom | *PhD Students |
| October 6, 2022 | Grant Resources at Vanderbilt | Abigail Brown Ph.D., BRET Director of Outcomes Research | Light Hall 214 | |
| October 27, 2022 | A Next Step: Getting a Postdoc | Kathy Gould, Ph.D., Louise B. McGavock Professor Department of Cell and Developmental Biology Senior Associate Dean for Biomedical Research, Education and Career Development | Light Hall 214 | *PhD students |
| November 3, 2022 | Building healthy writing habits/ combatting writing anxiety | Beth Estes, Ph.D., Academic Support Coordinator, Vanderbilt Writing Studio | Light Hall 214 | |
Questions or suggestions for other topics? Email Angela Zito at angela.zito@vanderbilt.edu.