• Sept. 10, 2026: Welcome!

  Introduction to the program, review the curriculum, discuss logistics, and address any questions.

• Sept. 29, 2026: Grad School & NSF GRFP Application Prep

  Discussion about the components of grad school and NSF GRFP applications. We will discuss key deadlines, identify features of competitive applications, and more.We will provide redacted graduate student applications as examples.

  Optional: Draft Personal Statement and Scientific Background document for applications.

• Oct. 6, 2026: Grad Student Panel: How to apply to grad school

  Informational panel to discuss the structure of graduate programs, how to approach applications, etc. Come prepared with your questions for our current grad students! Light networking event after the workshop (snacks!)

• Oct. 20, 2026: Grad school personal statement and scientific background workshopping 

  Work with postdoc mentors to discuss drafts of written applications.

  Optional: Review examples of successful applications.

• Nov. 3, 2026: Science writing How to approach scientific writing: articles, reviews, and grants – oh my!

• Nov. 17, 2026: Literature review: Read scientific paper(s) and discuss jargon, interpret figures, identify assays used, and review the impacts of discovery.

• Dec. 1, 2026: Navigating the interview process
  Discuss what to expect during and after the interview process, how to talk about your research in a meaningful way, and formulate questions to ask during the interview.

• Jan. 12, 2027: Mock interviews Discuss what to expect during and after the interview process, how to talk about your research in a meaningful way, and formulate questions to ask during the interview. We will practice mock interviews with each other. 

  Optional: Schedule mock interviews with grad students and postdocs. Let Aloe know if you’d like to schedule additional mock interviews! 

• Jan. 26, 2027: Understanding graduate research training Introduction to the academic research training environment, and the roles and responsibilities of your primary research advisor(s). We will also help you understand the imposter phenomenon and become a more confident researcher.

  Pre-workshop prep: Watch Build Your Research Community module videos. 

• Feb. 9, 2027: Finding your graduate research lab Discuss strategies to help you create a plan of action for choosing a research advisor and lab and identify your preferred mentoring styles.

  Pre-workshop prep:Watch Build Your Research Community module videos.

• Feb. 23, 2027: Literature review Read scientific paper(s) and discuss jargon, interpret figures, identify assays used, and review the impacts of discovery.

  Pre-workshop prep: Read the assigned paper and come prepared to discuss the questions, hypothesis, techniques, figures, and main conclusions of the paper. 

• Mar. 9, 2027: Establishing a positive mentoring relationship with your research advisor(s) Discuss strategies for cultivating healthy and productive professional relationships with your research advisor(s). We will also assess your preferred communication styles, practice strategies of effective communication, and align expectations for your research training experience.

• Mar. 23, 2027: Introduction to coding Introduction to coding resources, how to design sequencing experiments, analyze and interpret data, and more!

• Apr. 6, 2027: Career panel Hear from biotech professionals as they share their career journeys, how they got to where they are today, and insights from their experiences. Come prepared with your questions!

• Apr. 20, 2027: IDP & Goal Setting Tips, tricks, & resources for IDPs, goal setting, and organization in graduate school.

• May 4, 2027: Mastering the art of a captivating talk Lecture to review different ways to tell a scientific story, how to set-up a good question, hypothesis, how much data to present, and provide examples of how to engage your audience during your oral or poster presentation.

• May 18, 2027: Symposium practice talks Opportunity to give your symposium talk and receive feedback. Talks will be ~15min.

Date: TBD

PROPEL Research Symposium!

Joint symposium with the Fred Hutch postbac program. Scholars have the opportunity to share their research through oral or poster presentations. Join us for a fun-filled day of science and networking!