Traineeship Opportunities & Enhancement Funds

Professional & Career Development

This NRT will directly integrate professional skills development into the education and training process. We will focus on three critical skill sets: 1) Leadership and Management, 2) Communication, and 3) Visioning. Professional development of these skills will be done through a three-step process: 1) workshops on learning about different professional skills, 2) opportunities to observe and experience the skills in action, and 3) experiences to develop and practice these professional skills firsthand.

In collaboration with the Office of Graduate Studies and the Career Development Center, along with independent programming, we offer several free career and professional development programs throughout the year that are open to all CEDAR trainees and funded fellows. A detailed list of offerings and registration links can be found here.

CEDAR Trainees (funded fellows and non funded trainees) are required to attend at minimum two (2) professional & career development opportunities per semester.

Professional & Career Development Opportunities and Programs include, but are not limited to:

• • CEDAR Convergence Seminars

The CEDAR Convergence seminars will be required for first year cohorts to serve as a point of alignment with the CEDAR program principles and a ‘safe space’ for bold ideas. The seminars will focus on pressing ethical, social, economic, legal, and technical issues arising from the growing awareness of the plight of our earth, its resources, and its impact on society.

• • Individual Development Plan

The purpose of a well-crafted IDP serves both as a planning and a communications tool, so students can identify research and career goals, and communicate them to mentors, advisors, and future employers.

• • 3 Minute Thesis

The purpose is to challenge students to communicate the significance of their projects without the use of props or industry jargon, in just three minutes. Think of this as your elevator pitch

• • Graduate Research and Innovation Exchange (GRIE)

An annual graduate research symposium featuring two rounds of graduate student poster presentations with prizes awarded. GRIE enjoys significant participation level by graduate students and is widely attended by faculty and industry representatives. The first round of GRIE is typically held in February, with finalists advancing to the second round, held typically in April.

Additional Programs and Workshops:

• Poster presentation/Research communications bootcamp
• Health and Wellness series
• Student Training and Readiness Series (STARS)
• Pedagogy Couse (ID527)

**Program and professional development offerings will be posted prior to the start of each term.

Traineeship Enhancement Funds

To support the individualized education and training needs of PhD Trainees, trainees have access to the Traineeship Enhancement Fund. PhD Trainees after their first year are incentivized to develop a formal proposal for funding, with awards up to $1,500.00 per Trainee allocated on a competitive basis using the criteria outlined below. These can be used for trainee-initiated projects including but not limited to conference travel, travel for international or domestic project collaboration, patent filing fees, or other expenses related to their research or professional development. NRT mentors will support trainees in preparing for mini-grants.

Evaluation Rubric for Innovation Incentive Funds Competition.

(1) originality of proposed data science ideas

(2) innovation and creativity in approach

(3) interdisciplinary relevancy to CEDAR

(4) compelling motivation & impact

(5) quality of presentation & written proposal

(6) clarity of responses to judges