Description

The SOT recognizes that diverse training experiences facilitate successful entry of graduate students into a professional position in toxicology. The Graduate Intern Fellowship in Toxicology (GIFT) provides up to $3,000 to cover costs to enable a graduate student to obtain experience not normally included in graduate training. Immersion in internships provides students unique appreciation of the day-to-day activities of toxicologists and paths for success in industry, government, and non-profit organizations. Additional information and links to example opportunities are found on the GIFT web page. The James Bond-Michele Medinsky Graduate Student Development Temporary Fund supports this award.

GIFT awards are made to outstanding doctoral students who have identified supplementary areas of professional/scientific development that will advance their career goals in toxicology. Applications require the proposal of an internship outside of the trainee’s academic institution. Priority will be given to students proposing a toxicology-related internship with clearly stated objectives, research project goals, career development-related activities, and methodologies to be acquired.

One award of up to $3,000 may be given for Summer 2025 to support travel to the internship site, local housing, and/or stipend if not provided by the internship host. The SOT funds requested would close gaps in funds available from the internship host and home institution. All internships should last at least six consecutive weeks between May and August. These must occur during the degree program (for example, cannot be an add-on at the end of a degree program to help a student stay funded), and scope must be outside the available resources of the applicant’s graduate training or research program. 

If the deadline for the application is before acceptance into the internship, the application and host documentation should state this. Once accepted, the applicant should upload the acceptance notice to the application in SOT Apply. The SOT award will be finalized only after confirmation of acceptance into the internship.

Administered by the Education and Experiential Opportunities Committee (EEOC), one award of up to $3,000 is given each year. Deadline is February 15.

Awardees are required to provide brief follow-up communications on the funded experience, which will highlight their receipt of the award and benefits of the experience to their graduate education and professional advancement.

Eligibility Criteria

The applicant must:

• Be enrolled in a PhD program in toxicology or related field at the time of application.
• Have completed at least 2 semesters or 3 quarters in the program (PhD candidacy is not required). 
• Be an SOT graduate student member (or have an application pending) at the time of application and be an SOT member at the time of the experience.
• Designate an internship that begins no sooner than six weeks following the application deadline.

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.

Award Criteria

Awardees will be selected based on

• Alignment of the proposed internship with GIFT goals.
• Scope and relevance of the proposed internship to career goals in the field of toxicology.
• Value of the proposed internship to support the student’s career goals. 
• Applicant academic achievement in both coursework and research pursuits.
• Strength of graduate mentor letter of support. 
• Demonstrated financial support to complete the activity if costs exceed $3,000.

Application Requirements

1. Applicant will submit the online application including:

• Details about the proposed internship.
• Personal statements and goals for the experience.
• Budget, budget justification, support available, and additional required.
• A CV not to exceed three pages.
• An uploaded copy of graduate transcripts (unofficial).
• Documentation from the graduate program’s Director of Graduate Studies (or similar position) indicating approval of the applicant’s participation in the defined internship and any plans needed to release the student from program tuition relevant obligations (e.g., leave of absence for the program if needed).
• Documentation from the host of acceptance for this internship describing availability and details (e.g., content, duration, cost, etc.) of the internship, learning objectives for the experience, and confirmation of acceptance (if this is not available at the time of application, it will be required before an award is finalized).

Alternatively, if the internship is organized by an established organization for which specific detailed information is available online, the applicant will include a link to the internship details.

2. The applicant’s PhD Advisor must complete the mentor support form in SOT Apply indicating:

• Approval of the applicant’s participation in the defined internship.
• The relevance and value to the applicant’s career goals.
• Any plans needed to release the student from program tuition relevant obligations (e.g., leave of absence for the program if needed).
• The availability of funds (e.g., institutional commitment) proposed to cover costs in excess of $3,000 (if applicable).

3. 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.

4. 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.

EEOC members are available for discussion of applications before they are submitted. Contact SOT Headquarters to make such a request.