Career Development

Our Department helps people find their path and acquire the right skills for their research careers. Several initiatives have been developed to optimize intellectual resources toward this end. Through our programs and mechanisms of support, seasoned investigators nurture new scientists to help them make a meaningful impact in their area of interest.

Scene from the Department's Annual Research Day

The career development infrastructure within our Department is extensive. Through our Career and Research Development Seminars (CARDS), our trainees learn about different career paths like being an independent investigator, working in industry or government, contributing to research as a co-investigator, or exploring other career paths such as scientific writing. For individuals seeking to pursue an independent investigator career path in our Department, we also have a well-developed, structured K Review Program.

Click below for information about these resources:

Career & Research Development Seminars

The K Review Program

Grant Management

Wide Column

Continued Support After Training

Following completion of postdoctoral training, a number of departmental mechanisms exist to foster continued research success for those individuals who join our faculty, including a progress check-up through the Second Year Consultation Program, pilot funding through our PRIME-the-R program, and the creation of a highly competitive first R-series NIH grant application through the First Independent Research Support and Transition (FIRST) program.

The Department’s Office of Grants and Contracts also provides in-depth support to guide applicants through budgeting and other technical portions of their first NIH K or R submission, and to train new grant recipients in effective post-award management and strategic budget planning.