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Student Research @TxSt | Lab Skills | Career Planning | Applying to Jobs & Grad School | Scientific Communication
Student Support at Texas State
The College of Science and Engineering and the Office of the President offer STEM-specific Undergraduate Research Fellowships. This program will renew in AY2020-21, so keep your eyes on this one!
The SURE program offers financial support and structured mentoring for summer research on campus for first-generation and Pell-eligible undergraduate students. The application is free, and the deadline is usually early Spring semester. Contact Dr. Lewis if you’re interested in joining our lab for the summer!
The Houston-Louis Stokes STEM Pathways and Research Alliance (H-LSAMP) is a community of undergraduate scholars engaged in mentoring, research, interdisciplinary learning, and individualized support. Prospective scholars can read about eligibility, requirements, and the application process here.
The Texas State U-RISE Program supports biomedical career exploration and preparation for Ph.D. programs through undergraduate research and professional development. Selected U-RISE Scholars receive tuition support and a stipend, as well as fully supported summer undergraduate research experiences at major research institutions.
The South Texas Doctoral Bridge Program supports select M.S. students at Texas State who are planning on pursuing a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences. Application is free, but students must simultaneously apply to the M.S. program.
Career Planning and Exploration
How do I figure out what to do with my biochemistry/molecular biology degree?
Podcasts with scientists!
Once A Scientist with Nick Edwards
Conduct some informational interviews to learn about possible careers.
Exploring Careers in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (2011, ASBMB; PDF download)
Chemistry Careers (ACS portal)
Applying to Graduate School & Jobs
The NIH Office of Intramural Training and Education has extensive and excellent career services resources for students at all levels.
OITE Advice for Personal Statements for both professional and graduate schools (by Dr. William J. Higgins, University of Maryland; PDF download)
OITE Advice for Personal Statements for graduate school (by Dr. Pat Sokolove, NIH OITE; PDF download)
Particular advice on preparing a CV as an undergraduate student, from Columbia University’s Center for Career Education.
More advice for structuring a personal statement/statement of purpose, from University of California Berkeley’s Graduate Division: Writing the Statement of Purpose
AskAManager has a host of advice on writing a compelling cover letter.
Guidance on asking for letters of recommendation/reference from Cornell University and Pomona College.
Reference Letter Information Template to prepare and give to your reference letter writers
Advice on interviewing for grad school:
Questions to Ask and Answer at Your Interview (Science Careers)
Detailed Questions to Ask (PDF download; compiled by Elizabeth Hessom and Lauren Velasco)
Things to Ask About Grad School Article_CandlerCham (PDF download; Rob N. Candler) (originally accessed 2018Feb13; original source link is broken)
Scientific Communication
How to write a professional email (to a professor, hiring manager, boss, collaborator, etc.)
More specific advice about writing emails to your professors.
Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab outlines how to write a personal statement, as well as a scientific communication series that includes instruction for writing problem statement, writing an abstract, and preparing an effective poster presentation.
Northwestern University’s CLIMB program has excellent resources for oral communication and written communication. Many of their tips and tricks for effective scientific communication are also discussed in videos on the CLIMB YouTube channel.
For everyone who is about to have their first day in the lab, Adam Ruben has timely advice for those early days.
And a thread of advice for 1st year graduate students starting their rotations, from Scott Barolo at University of Michigan Ann Arbor.
What do I need to know to be a successful professional scientist? Answer: Core Competencies for Trainees (also from OITE!)
Signing electronic forms: Texas State University (and many others) use Adobe Sign to securely collect electronic signatures on PDFs. (KAL prefers this method, too!) Here’s an excellent tutorial on how to properly prepare the PDF form for signatures within your University-provided Adobe Sign account.