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Overview and Goals

Salk EDGE aims to Elevate Diversity in Graduate Education by equipping graduate students from underrepresented backgrounds for careers in science. The goal of this two-week, technique-intensive summer program is to train current PhD candidates who are contributing to cancer research on cutting-edge research techniques while also supporting the use of these new techniques in their home labs. In addition, students will participate in several soft skills workshops (including scientific communication, grant writing, networking, and more) and have the opportunity to meet and network with different Salk labs, current trainees, staff, and faculty interested in recruiting post-docs.

Primary program goals:

1. Provide participants with high-quality instruction in cutting-edge research techniques and soft skills to prepare for postdoctoral positions in top-tier labs.
2. Provide participants with networking opportunities with Salk faculty.

In addition to providing roundtrip travel and lodging accommodations, the students will be awarded a $1,000 pilot grant to help implement these new technologies at their home institution’s PhD lab.

2025 Program Dates: July 14 – 25, 2025

Read the full Salk EDGE Terms & Conditions here.

Click here to view the EDGE Scoring Rubric »

Program outline

During the program, students will spend the morning in their track-specific sessions. Lunch will be provided each day throughout the program and include networking sessions with Salk trainees, faculty, and staff. Afternoon sessions will be dedicated to in-depth and hands-on soft skills workshops led by Salk faculty, postdocs, and staff.

Sample itinerary:
9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. | Genome Editing in Cancer track session
12:30 – 1:30 p.m. | Networking lunch with Salk postdoctoral fellows
1:30 – 4:00 p.m. | Soft Skills Workshop: How to Give an Elevator Pitch

Soft Skills Trainings

Throughout the two-week program, Salk EDGE participants will attend daily soft skills workshops on the following topics:

• Networking
• Elevator Pitches
• Scientific Communication
• Formal Communication: Presentations
• Grants
  • Introduction to Grants
  • How to Write an Aims Page
  • Resources and Peer Review
• Effective Mentorship

Pilot Funding

Upon completion of the program, each participant will be awarded a $1,000 pilot grant to be used for implementing new research techniques in their PhD labs upon their return.

These funds are intended for the student to employ new technology during their PhD studies. These funds must be used by the PhD student’s home lab and can be used to purchase reagents, supplies, or recharges for shared facilities.

The pilot funds cannot be used to support the salary of the student or other personnel, animal costs, or travel.

Salk EDGE – Program Track Topics

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must:

• Be a graduate student who has passed their qualifying exams and chosen a lab for their thesis work.
• Be able to commit to the full program dates in person.

Application Requirements and Tips

Applicants must complete an online application and submit their resume or curriculum vitae (CV).

*Applicants who are considered underrepresented in biomedical research according to the NIH guidelines or who train at a Minority Serving Institution (MSI) are strongly encouraged to apply. This program aims to build and sustain a diverse biomedical research pipeline to advance the Institute’s mission for training the next generation of bold, innovative scientists.

Click here to view the EDGE Scoring Rubric »

Promoting the value of a diverse workforce and fostering an inclusive community at Salk

The value of a diverse work force has been documented across sectors, from business to medicine, and this is especially true in academic science. Despite this realization, Black, Indigenous, Hispanic, and other peoples of color (BIPOC) have been historically under-represented and actively over-excluded in academia. Since the murder of Mr. George Floyd (2020), there has been a concerted push to increase representation in STEM, although the challenge still feels insurmountable. The US population consists of roughly 34% Black, Hispanic, and Indigenous populations combined. In 2019 about 24% of the STEM related undergraduate degrees were awarded to BIPOC students. The NSF reported in 2017 that approximately 23% of doctoral degrees were earned by Black and Hispanic students. In 2016 it was reported that 15% of post-doctoral candidates in the US were from underrepresented groups. And in 2020, there were just 6.3% of faculty in basic science departments identified as a URM researcher*^1-3. The downward trend of these numbers along the academic career tract indicates a leaky pipeline.

The EDGE program promotes inclusivity at Salk, while also training diverse talent for the scientific community at large. The program also includes mechanisms to promote the Salk Institute and the amazing science and diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging efforts, taking place year-round at Salk.

Salk is composed of many brilliant scientists who are leading experts in their fields and in addition to trainees poised to become leaders in STEM, around the globe. A key component of the Salk EDGE program is its unique focus on fostering near-peer mentorship opportunities, which are extremely important both in academia and within other industries. Senior mentors are important, but near-peer mentors are equally instrumental. These near-peer mentors can provide insight and opportunities as the trainee pursues their own career goals. These networks help students find and secure postdoctoral positions, faculty positions, and leadership roles in biotech and pharmaceutical companies.

References

(1)

W Marcus Lambert, Martin T Wells, Matthew F Cipriano, Jacob N Sneva, Juanita A Morris, Linnie M Golightly (2020) Research Culture: Career choices of underrepresented and female postdocs in the biomedical sciences. eLife 9:e48774

(2)

Cancio M, Hebert K, Kim S, Aljurf M, Olson T, Anderson E, Burroughs L, Vatsayan A, Myers K, Hashem H, Hanna R, Horn B, Prestidge T, Boelens JJ, Boulad F, Eapen M. Outcomes in Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation for Congenital Amegakaryocytic Thrombocytopenia. Transplant Cell Ther. 2022 Feb;28(2):101.e1-101.e6. doi: 10.1016/j.jtct.2021.10.009. Epub 2021 Oct 17. PMID: 34670170; PMCID: PMC8816844.

(3)

Sean C McConnell, Erica L Westerman, Joseph F Pierre, Erin J Heckler, Nancy B Schwartz (2018) Research: United States National Postdoc Survey results and the interaction of gender, career choice and mentor impact eLife 7:e40189

Exploring Salk and the San Diego Area

Fun at Salk

Throughout the Salk EDGE program, participants will have the opportunity to engage in several of Salk’s community events including our monthly SalkFEST where Salkies can connect and get to know one another over themed foods, refreshments, games, and more!

Fun in San Diego

The program also organizes planned group activities like attending a Padres baseball game or heading to the beach for a bonfire. Salk EDGE participants will also be given the opportunity to explore the greater San Diego area on their own time during evenings and weekends. Information on San Diego’s public transportation options are provided to the students prior to their arrival, along with additional resources for getting around and exploring San Diego.

Contact Us

Past Cohorts

2024 Cohort:

• 
  Zoila Estrada-Tobar
  (DSPAN Fellow)
  University of California, Davis
  Neuroscience, AMPA receptors
• 
  Clara Flores
  Clemson University
  Gut Microbiota
• 
  Jessica Johnson
  UT Health San Antonio
  Epigenetics in breast cancer metastasis
• 
  Kofi Khamit-Kush
  Clark Atlanta University
  Prostate Cancer

• 
  Kathy Lindquist
  (NIAAA F31 Fellow)
  Medical University of South Carolina
  Neuroscience, Addiction, Memory
• 
  Hayden Moore
  (NSF GRFP Fellow)
  Georgia Institute of Technology / Emory University
  Alzheimer’s, Microglia, Cytokines
• 
  Liliana Loza Sanchez
  University of California, Davis
  Breast Cancer Metastasis
• 
  Eric Stokes
  (HHMI Gilliam Fellow)
  University of California, Davis
  Neuroscience, Synapses