The Research Coordinated Network (RCN) for Evolution in Changing Seas seeks to bring together marine scientists with evolutionary biologists to further our understanding of adaptation in the ocean. The RCN is excited to announce a new Virtual Lab Meeting Training Program.

In this program, the RCN seeks to provide training to students at the undergraduate or graduate level (“mentees”) by participating in lab meetings of a research group that shares their interests. The mentee will participate by attending lab meetings during 2020-2021. A designated “mentor” from the research group will dedicate portions of two lab meetings to the mentee’s professional development. The format for lab meetings dedicated to the mentee’s professional development is flexible, but could take the form of review of graduate school or grant application statements at lab meeting, research presentation at lab meeting, lead paper discussion at lab meeting, etc. Upon completing the program (10 lab meetings with portions of 2 lab meetings dedicated to mentee’s professional development) before May 2021, a subset of pre-approved applicants will receive a $500 stipend (see information on eligibility and number of stipends available below). Mentors may be Faculty, Postdoctoral Fellows, or Research Associates - as long as lab meetings can be dedicated to the mentees professional development.

We hope that this program will help mentees develop a supportive network, provide a pathway for mentees to future success, and broaden their knowledge in our field. Since all lab meetings are virtual during COVID, this is an excellent time to take advantage of these unusual circumstances with a training program.

If you haven’t yet, please sign up to be a member of the RCN. It’s as simple as filling out a form and signing up for our listserv!

To view a list of mentors who have signed up for the program and their research interests, check out this table of interested mentors. We encourage applicants to reach out to mentors who are not on the list and encourage them to sign up with the RCN lab meeting mentor sign-up form.

Information for mentors

Please use the RCN lab meeting mentor sign-up form to sign up to be a mentor for this program before Sept 15. Applications are due Sept 30, so we want applicants to have the full list of mentors two weeks ahead of time.

PIs that sign up will agree to invite the matched applicant to join 10 lab meetings and at least parts of 2 lab meetings will be devoted to professional development of the applicant in the fall of 2020 or spring semester of 2021 (by May 2021). PIs can indicate if they want to have 1 or 2 applicants.

Information for applicants

Eligibility to apply

We welcome and encourage applications from all students at the undergraduate or graduate level, regardless of institution or nationality, age, culture, race, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, national origin, disability, politics, religion, sex, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, or subculture. For more information, check out our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement

We aim to be able to place every applicant with a mentor.

Note, however, that there are a limited number of stipends, and stipends can only be paid to US Citizens. Stipends will be priortized for individuals who best describe how their particiation in this program will help to increase diversity of underrepresented groups in our field. In a recent RCN survey, 74% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that a proportion of stipends should be prioritized to increasing underrepresented groups within the RCN. This program is part of our antiracism response to systematic racism in society.

To apply:

The application can be found at the RCN lab meeting application form

To view a list of mentors who have signed up for the program and their research interests, check out this table of interested mentors.

If you have trouble submitting the application with the google form, email evolvingseas@gmail.com

Applications are due Sept. 30, 2020. Lab meetings will take place between October 2020 and May 2021.

In the application, mentees will choose their top 3-4 choices for a mentor. The RCN will match applicants with mentors.

The applicant will also need to submit the following two documents in pdf format:

  • A CV or resume
  • A 1-page statement that describes the applicant’s
    • current research interests and/or experiences related to the themes under the Evolving Seas RCN
    • future career interests,
    • how interactions with the host lab would help to advance their careers and/or support their professional development,
    • a description of how their participation in this program will help to increase diversity (broadly defined) within the network