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Rising Stars Symposium

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Rising Stars Symposium


We are pleased to announce the second annual Rising Stars Symposium at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. This symposium is intended to recognize the accomplishments of outstanding postdoctoral trainees in the scientific workforce and to develop novel opportunities to increase the diversity of faculty at the Institute.

The dates for the symposium are May 13-14, 2025.

The selected candidates will visit Salk and will be provided with opportunities to:

  • Present their novel research in a symposium setting and interact with other trainees and colleagues who are at the forefront of their respective fields.
  • Engage with and meet with Salk faculty one-on-one and over dinner and be paired with a Salk faculty member for mentorship following the symposium.
  • Learn about the Institute, expose them to the ongoing developments at Salk, and inform them of upcoming faculty recruitment opportunities.

All costs associated with attending the symposium will be covered by the Salk Institute.

Eligibility

This opportunity is open to current postdoctoral fellows who are at least 1-2 years from entering the job market. Trainees who identify as underrepresented according to the NIH  or consider themselves underrepresented in STEM are strongly encouraged to apply. The application requires the following:

  • CV
  • Project abstract / description (250 words)
  • Career goals (250 words)
  • Community commitment statement (250 words)
  • Letter of support from their postdoctoral advisor (1 page)

Rising Stars program brings underrepresented postdoctoral fellows to the Institute for the one-day Rising Star Symposium.

Application

The application deadline to be considered for the Rising Stars Symposium is January 10, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. PT.

Postdoctoral trainees are welcome to apply with or without a nomination. All applicants will be required to have a 1-page letter of recommendation from their postdoctoral advisor alongside their application. Postdoctoral advisors will be contacted by our team through the email provided on the candidate's application form with a link to upload the letter. Letters of support will be due by January 24, 2025.

Click here to view the Rising Stars Scoring Rubric »

Nomination

If you are a Principal Investigator and would like to nominate a post-doctoral trainee, please email  oei@salk.edu. Send us their name, contact information, and a brief statement (4-5 sentences) about their current work and potential as an independent investigator. Include details about how the trainee would benefit from the Rising Stars Symposium which is focused on developing opportunities and relationships with aims to increase diversity at the Salk Institute.

Apply Today
Deadline for applications is Friday, January 10, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. PT.

Contact Us

If you have any application questions, please contact us at oei@salk.edu.