Conferences: Cultivating Competencies, Building Belonging
At MiNDS, career readiness extends far beyond the laboratory. Scholars engage in conferences and retreats designed to strengthen scientific identity, cultivate research communication skills, build professional networks, and prepare students for graduate training and careers in research. In these spaces, scholars attend presentations and lectures on emerging research and share their own findings. The goal is to allow themselves a window into their future world, arming them with the experiences necessary to journey forward.
Orientation & Community Building
Each year begins with a multi-institutional orientation that brings together scholars, faculty mentors, graduate students, and program staff from across Temple University, Howard University, and the University of Maryland. Orientation introduces scholars to the expectations of research, ethics, available resources, and the broader MiNDS community while fostering relationships that often continue throughout the program. With the two-year model, scholars are able to develop inter-program supports, with sessions where Year 2 scholars directly mentor and guide the new Year 1 cohort. This acts as a grounding for the work to come.
Fall Research Retreat
The annual MiNDS Fall Retreat provides scholars in MiNDS and across Temple University with an opportunity to present their research, receive feedback from faculty and peers, and develop confidence in communicating scientific ideas. PhDs and doctoral candidates present research to the scholars, there is cohort community building activities, and the day culminates in a research symposium with poster awards. Based on feedback, scholars are ready for SfN.
Society for Neuroscience (SfN)
A major hallmark experience of the program is participation in the Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting, the world’s largest neuroscience conference. Scholars present research, engage with leading scientists, explore graduate programs, and attend professional development sessions designed to support their transition into the next stage of their academic and professional journeys. With the Early Poster Awards, scholars get a chance to showcase undergraduate research, taking their creations from the MiNDS retreat and refining it for this international platform.
Institutional Research Days & Campus Symposia
Scholars create a second poster each academic year, further advancing their skills in data analysis and communication. Each spring, at their home institution, scholars present at their University Research Day (typically April). These experiences provide valuable opportunities to refine presentation skills, receive feedback from diverse audiences, and contribute to the research communities at their home institutions while advancing the MiNDS mission. Further, in these amplified spaces, they bring awareness to the MiNDS community and showcase the capabilities of under-resourced scholars, aiming for a climate of greater inclusions and acceptance.
Mini-Grants & Specialized Conferences
MiNDS supports scholars in pursuing additional professional development opportunities through conference mini-grants and travel support. Scholars have attended conferences and events such as Black in Neuro, where they engage with scientists from across the country, explore emerging areas of research, share their early research posters, and build professional networks that extend beyond their home institutions.
Through these layered experiences, scholars move beyond conducting research to becoming active participants in the scientific community—developing the confidence, communication skills, and professional networks necessary for success in graduate school, research careers, and beyond.
