I've been accepted into the Science Communication Boot Camp at the Alan Alda Center in Stony Brook. The program would teach me flexible skills applicable to communicating with a range of people outside my own field, including students, funders, employers, policymakers, community members and scientists in other disciplines. I'm the founder of the VTC Student Outreach Program (the only STEM outreach group in the VTCRI), a contributing writer to Scientific American and HuffPost, and have been to Capitol Hill on a number of occasions to advocate for biomedical research funding. So, I have a keen interest in this Boot Camp and the skills it teaches. 

Unfortunately, the Alda Center's costs are quite prohibitive. Tuition is $1200, travel is $789, and lodging (in dorms) is $325. I have secured funding for tuition and travel, but not for lodging. My requested amount represents lodging plus a little bit more for food per diem. I will be in Stony Brook from 6/17-6/21 and can provide receipts for lodging now.