Trainee Research and Professional Development Resources
The Dartmouth SYNERGY Clinical and Translational Science Institute provides several educational resources for T32 Trainees, including Project Planning for exploring research design topics ranging from choosing and refining a research question to planning a study, collecting and analyzing data, and submitting your protocol for review; Grantsmanship for learning about organizing your grant application process, choosing a funding agency, budgeting and more; and Career Development for accessing information and resources to help sell yourself collaborate and communicate with others, and navigate mentor-mentee relations.
Trainees can use Dartmouth’s Grant Proposal Support Initiative (GrantGPS) to obtain feedback on grant drafts or instruction and training on grant development. A wide range of services are offered, including support for brainstorming ideas, assistance with identifying funding opportunities, help coordinating application processes, editing and external review of applications, and identifying and facilitating connections to internal resources for bolstering research. Trainees are encouraged to attend grant writing and other early career workshops that are offered at scientific conferences.
The Dartmouth College Postdoctoral Association (DCPDA) offers a wealth of resources for both incoming and current postdocs, including a guide to living and working in the Upper Valley, the Post Doc Buddy Program, calendar of relevant events, funding opportunities, resources for employment and for career development, information about the National Postdoctoral Association (NPA), and workshops and forums offered by the National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity. The purpose of the DCPDA is to give each and every postdoc an opportunity to succeed according to their individual wants and needs, whether it is to increase their network, participate in social activities, or benefit from the training/career enhancement seminars the association will plan and/or sponsor. Equipping postdocs with the tools needed to find and obtain satisfying and fulfilling careers within or outside of academia is one of the goals of the DCPDA. The DCPDA advocates for Dartmouth Postdocs by fostering institutional recognition of 1) postdocs as a group associated with the College and 2) of our individual training and professional development needs. We play a critical role in creating a centralized resource for postdocs to find personal, professional and career resources needed to succeed within and outside of academia.
Predoctoral trainees are linked to Dartmouth’s Professional Development Module program, through the Guarini School of Graduate and Advanced Studies, which offers diverse workshops across key areas such as: core competencies (i.e., ethics, writing, mentoring, presenting), research and teaching skills, and career exploration. Trainees can participate in any relevant offerings which occur 3-4 times per month. The Guarini School also offers resources for academic support, teaching, career services, externships, and research grants and funding.
Lastly, The Dartmouth Institute (TDI) offers a Professional Development Seminar Series open to junior faculty, postdoctoral, and graduate students. This three-term seminar (10 sessions each term) aims to enhance skills in research communication, and is focused on funding opportunities, grant and manuscript writing, oral presentations, and reviewing journal articles. It covers PowerPoint presentations, talks to professional and lay audiences, posters, abstracts, articles for professional journals, and research grants. The course leaders will present brief didactic material, but the primary method is alternating peer presentations. Trainees apply to participate, but entrance is limited to 10 participants; 3 trainees have participated to date. TDI also offers a seminar series in Advanced Research Methods, a three-term course limited to 8-10 participants, covers a range of advanced research methods topics with an aim toward enhancing the knowledge and skills of young investigators. The Seminar will include core content each year in the Fall and Winter terms, as well as special topics in the Spring term, which may vary from year to year. Each term will include 10 weekly two-hour sessions. Enrollees do not need to participate in all three terms. These two seminar series are also described on the Didactic Training and Seminar Series section of our T32 website.