I am writing to express my interest in applying for an NIH BEST travel award to attend this year’s 12th Annual NIH Career Symposium taking place on May 10th, 2019 in Bethesda, Maryland. This symposium will host panels that are focused on a wide-range of scientific careers within and outside of academia, with the goal of exposing graduate students and post-doctoral trainees to various job opportunities. For example, a few panels are focused on a career path in industry with discussion of the differences between job roles within different phases of drug development. I’m especially interested in learning more about careers away from the bench, such as in science administration, science and education outreach, and science policy and advocacy. I find this opportunity comes at a pivotal timepoint in my graduate career as I plan to advance to candidacy in the summer, and therefore, of high importance to me is career planning. I think this experience will help me better understand the diversity of career opportunities available to me after graduation so that I can make a more informed decision. Additionally, I am interested in the opportunity to network with professionals in my field as well as outside my field, as my fellow colleagues who have attended have mentioned that they were able to develop strong networking and mentorship opportunities at this symposium. Finally, I will have the opportunity to learn some transferable skills, such stress management, interviewing techniques, and delivering an outstanding chalk talk, all of which will facilitate my success within or outside of academia. 

This travel award would alleviate part of the financial burden of attending these panels and workshops, as the grant I am covered under has minimal funding for professional development opportunities, and these funds have already been allocated elsewhere. I have estimated the travel expenses (car rental, insurance, gas) ($300), hotel room for the night before the symposium ($250) to be approximately $550. Thank you for the consideration.