Communication Skills

New for 2026! The Lasker Foundation is proud to announce a refreshed format for its annual student essay contest. For 2026, the annual essay contest will transition to a video, reflecting the growing importance of visual storytelling in conveying complex biomedical research to diverse audiences. The Lasker video essay contest provides talented,… Read More

The Writing Studio’s annual Dissertation Writers’ Retreat series provides dissertating graduate students with time to work individually in a quiet, collegial atmosphere. During retreats, we couple ample writing time with optional, one-on-one consultations and daily workshops meant to focus writers on their argumentation, chapter structure, and daily writing… Read More

Working with your advisor can shape your entire training experience. To help you make the most of this mentoring experience, check out this 7-episode podcast series from the Science Communication Lab covering everything from finding the right mentor to handling conflict and building a strong, productive partnership. Check out… Read More

Enrollment is now open for the Academic Communication for Postdocs self-paced course, offered by the English Language Center (ELC), in collaboration with the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs. This self-paced course allows enrollees to work independently on various aspects of academic speaking and writing. Participation in this course will… Read More

The Academy of College Teaching (ACT) is a ten-week, cohort-based workshop series for Vanderbilt graduate students and postdocs who are preparing for careers in college-level teaching. The program covers course design, classroom techniques, and professional development strategies for early-career instructors. Participants leave the program with teaching resources they can use… Read More

Engaging with the media: Essential skills for successful interviews A NEW free training opportunity from SciLine, based at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)   Thursday, April 3, 2-3 P.M. ET – NEW COURSE Scientists are often wary of speaking with… Read More

Nashville’s “Pint of Science” is a 3-day event where we gather around a local brewery and hear speakers give presentations upon anything science. This year’s event is May 19-21 and will be hosted by Bearded Iris Brewery Last year, Pint of Science returned to the US (from Europe), where… Read More

  Interested in developing your networking and interviewing skills? Join us for StoryMason, a card game designed to help students learn how to engage people, gain confidence in telling your story and navigating professional conversations. Enjoy drinks and food at the pub while playing a card came… Read More

The Vanderbilt English Language Center (ELC) supports the internationalization of the university and the School of Medicine Basic Sciences through academic support programming for international students, faculty, and postdocs. Our approach is to teach how language is contextualized within a given context.  We find that our international community… Read More

The Foundations of Leadership Program, a Torrey Pines Leadership Development Program at Sanford Burnham Prebys, is now accepting applications. This year-long program, initially established in 2015, is designed specifically for postdocs and advanced graduate students. The purpose of the program is to learn more about your leadership style and the… Read More