Description

The SOT recognizes that career development experiences facilitate successful entry of students into advanced degree programs and into a professional position in toxicology. The Experiential Opportunities Career Development Award provides funding up to $1,000 to those from groups underrepresented in the sciences who are undergraduate and graduate students, and persons in their first year of a formal postbaccalaureate research position, to engage in additional education and career development opportunities to enhance their professional development towards a career in toxicology or a related field. The SOT Diversity Initiative Endowment Fund provides this award, which is administered by the Education and Experiential Opportunities Committee. Created in 2009, the goal of this fund is to increase and retain individuals from groups underrepresented in the biomedical sciences.

About four awards of up to $1,000 per recipient may be given at each deadline. Deadlines are April 30 and October 31. Available funds support experiences occurring by July 31 of the current SOT Fiscal Year.

Eligibility Criteria for the Award

The applicant must

1. At time of application and the time of the activity, be enrolled as an undergraduate student or graduate student at an accredited US institution in a STEM-related major or program related to toxicology, or in the first year of a formal postbaccalaureate research position.
2. Be an SOT Undergraduate Student Affiliate or Graduate Student Member.
3. Designate an activity that begins no sooner than one month following the application deadline. 

Preference will be given to

Those who are underrepresented in toxicology as it pertains to a person’s participation in toxicology education, research, or practice are meaningfully lower than that group’s representation in a relevant comparison population (e.g., national/regional population, eligible applicant pool, or professional ranks).

Underrepresentation may relate to the following areas

• Demographics
• Disability
• Socioeconomic Status
• First-generation college students (defined as none of the parents or guardians with whom you primarily resided received a bachelor’s degree)
• Attend an undergraduate institution that does not confer undergraduate or doctoral degrees in Toxicology

NOTE: Students may apply for all awards for which they are eligible. However, they will only receive funding from one SOT source for a specific activity.

Eligible Expenses Might include, but Are Not Limited to:

• Conference registrations (SOT Annual Meeting excluded)
• Internship or conference travel (subject to SOT Reimbursement Policy guidelines)
• Professional workshops
• Extramural laboratory experiences

Examples of Expenses Not Eligible for the Award:

• Institutional administrative and/or overhead costs
• Laboratory training and supplies for a laboratory rotation at your home institution
• Tuition costs, textbooks, or materials which are part of normal course work at current institution
• SOT membership dues, Annual Meeting travel or registration
• Membership dues for other professional organizations

Award Criteria

Awardees will be selected based upon

• Alignment of the proposed activity with Experiential Opportunities Career Development Award goals.
• Scope and relevance of the proposed professional activity to a career involving the science of toxicology.
• Value of the proposed experience to support the student’s career goals.
• Applicant’s academic achievement in both coursework and research pursuits.
• Strength of letter of support from the academic advisor or graduate mentor.
• Demonstrated financial support to complete the activity if costs exceed $1,000.

Application Requirements

1. Applicant will submit the online application including:
   • Written statements explaining why the activity proposed meets an unmet need in training, how this would be beneficial to the attainment of your education or career goals related to toxicology, why this type of training is not available as part of your current program, and other professional development activities in which you have participated.
   • Budget, budget justification, support available, and any additional funds required.
   • Evidence of commitment of institutional, personal, or other funds to cover costs of attendance in excess of $1,000.
   • An uploaded CV not to exceed three pages.
   • An uploaded copy of transcript(s), including current enrollment (unofficial transcripts are accepted); graduate students provide graduate transcripts only.
2. Applicant’s academic advisor will receive an email with a link to complete the mentor support form in SOT Apply indicating:
   • Approval of the applicant’s participation in the defined educational or career development activity.
   • The relevance and value to the applicant's educational or career goals related to toxicology.
   • Why the proposed activity cannot be met by the student’s program.
   • The availability of funds (i.e., institutional commitment) proposed to cover costs exceeding $1,000 (if applicable).
3. Award recipients will complete the experience no more than one year after the deadline for which the application was submitted.
4. Award recipients will be reimbursed after the activity has taken place. To receive reimbursement, the recipient will send a completed reimbursement form in compliance with the SOT Reimbursement Policy and receipts confirming payment to SOT within two weeks of completion of the funded activity.
5. Award recipients are required to provide feedback on their use of the award and the value of the experience towards their career development to SOT in the form of a blog. They also will provide one-year follow-up feedback on the long-term impact of the activity. These reports are submitted through SOT Apply.

Examples of Career Development Opportunities which Have Received Funding

• “Advanced Imaging Mass Spectrometry” laboratory course at Vanderbilt University
• Training on bioinformatics analysis of RNA-Seq transcriptome data at the National Center for Genome Research (NCGR)
• “Toxicology for Pharmaceutical and Regulatory Scientists” online course at the American College of Toxicology (ACT)
• Four-day workshop on exposure-response analysis at the National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Learn about Our Former Awardees

• SOT Award Enables Participation in Career Training Program, Krystal Taylor
• Exploration of Pulmonary Research and Career Development Opportunities at the American Thoracic Society (ATS) Conference, Rakeysha Pinkston
• Learning and Capitalizing on My Knowledge in Toxicology, Courtney McClure
• Exploring the World of Environmental Endocrine Disruptors (EEDs) at the Gordon Research Conference (GRC), Sylvia Sanchez
• Experience Career Growth Opportunities with SOT CDI, Kimberly Rivera Caraballo
• Dose-Response Relationships in Risk Assessment: CDI Endowment Career Development Award, Yanelli Nunez
• Learning How to Bridge the Gap Between Biology and Data Analysis, Ignacio Tripodi

See other Experiential Opportunities Career Development Award blogs here.

Questions? Contact SOT Headquarters.