Path To Career Resources

Written by Georgia Caso, PhD Candidate, Microbe-Host Interactions The transition from academia to industry can feel daunting to many PhD students and postdocs. Just getting your CV past the hiring manager may feel like running a marathon, but once you do, you still have miles to go before that job is yours –… Read More

As a scientific researcher, you likely are familiar with what a career path would look like conducting research in academia, industry or government, but you may be less familiar with the wide variety of independent research institutes that exist and also employ PhD scientists at various career stages, including as… Read More

ASPIRE Resources: Beyond the Lab podcast series This podcast series has several informational interviews from Vanderbilt alumni who have careers in Consulting. https://medschool.vanderbilt.edu/career-development/beyond-the-lab-see-listen/   Vanderbilt Resources: Career Center: Vandy in Business and Consulting Although primarily geared towards undergraduates, the Vanderbilt Career Center has compiled business and consulting resources that… Read More

A simple trick that can greatly improve your resume is to add quantifications. What do we mean by that? Try adding numbers and details to add depth, impact, and credibility to your resume. To do this, write out a list of your career accomplishments. Then, fill in the blanks. Ask… Read More

ASPIRE Resources: Beyond the Lab podcast series: https://medschool.vanderbilt.edu/career-development/beyond-the-lab-see-listen/ This podcast series has several informational interviews from Vanderbilt alumni who have careers in Science Policy. ASPIRE Internships: https://medschool.vanderbilt.edu/career-development/aspire-internships/ Check out the ASPIRE internships page to see if there are any active policy-related internships. Federal STEM Policy & Advocacy ASPIRE… Read More

The flow chart below provides a high-level overview of the fellowship submission process for Vanderbilt and VUMC applications. You will need to work closely with your Grant Manager throughout this process. Click here to go back to the main Fellowship Project Management blog series. … Read More

How to use and customize the ASPIRE Grant Planner Trello Board Applying for an NIH fellowship can feel like you are juggling dozens of moving parts at once. The ASPIRE grant planning Trello board helps you manage these tasks in one visual, flexible workspace. Throughout this blog, we will walk… Read More

Your fellowship sponsor (your PI) plays an important role in your fellowship application, especially for fellowship applications to the NIH. Beyond supporting you as a scientist, they are responsible for writing key sections of the application to demonstrate their commitment to your training and career development. Sections of an NIH… Read More

Applying for NIH fellowships comes with a whole new set of acronyms. Here’s a quick guide to the ones you’re most likely to encounter: Funding Announcements FOA – Funding Opportunity Announcement The official notice that describes eligibility, objectives, requirements, and deadlines for a grant or fellowship. NOFO – Notice… Read More

Not all fellowship applications are funded on the first try, but many successful fellows are awarded after resubmission! If you plan to resubmit your application, consider the following: Read your summary statement carefully. The reviewer comments highlight strengths and weaknesses, so look for common themes across reviewers. These will… Read More