The Office of Scientific Career Development (OSCD) assists Fred Hutch graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and medical fellows to help them identify and achieve their career goals and help them to develop aspects of the core competencies of a successful scientist.
OSCD offers professional development training and resources, career counseling for scientists, and resources for international students.
We are inaugural members of the Coalition for Next Generation Life Sciences (CNLS), a national effort to provide data on outcomes of scientific training to help those who are considering a career in the biomedical sciences make an informed decision, including:
- Median time it takes to complete a Ph.D. degree and median time spent in postdoctoral training
- Demographics of students and postdoctoral fellows
- Job outcomes of trainees
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Professional Development | Career Counseling | Resources | Training & Funding Opportunities
The National Postdoctoral Association six core competencies:
- Discipline-specific conceptual knowledge
- Research skill development
- Communication skills
- Professionalism
- Leadership and management skills
- Responsible conduct of research
A recent article, Research Culture: Actionable recommendations from trainees to improve science training (Davis, et al. eLife 2020), outlined seven actionable, trainee-informed changes that academic institutions can implement to improve the trainee experience. Here we highlight those recommendations and how the Hutch and the Office of Scientific Career development are addressing these needs.
1. Supplemental Mentorship: Building a Mentoring Network workshop, career- and professional development-focused peer mentoring groups, Hutch United Mentoring Network
2. Peer Support: career-focused peer mentoring groups, peer review groups, SPAC peer social groups
3. Mentor Training: Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research and FLI Fundamentals training for faculty
4. Exit Surveys: Coalition for Next Generation Life Sciences graduate and postdoc outcomes
5. Clear Guidelines & Timelines: Survival Guide for all incoming graduate students and postdocs, Individual Development Plans (IDPs), 5 year postdoc limit
6. Standard &Transparent Salary & Benefits: NIH minimum salary scale, health benefits, postdoc childcare subsidy program
7. Career & Professional Development Resources: Ivory Tower Quest Program for faculty-track, Exploration Program for Industry Careers (EPIC) for industry-track, Grant Training Program, Mentorship Series, SPAC Conference and Course scholarships
Ivory Tower Quest
Exploration Program for Industry Careers
Grant Training Program
Dr. Barbara L. Berg Scientific Career Transition Program
Ivory Tower Quest
The Ivory Tower Quest Series focuses on finding tenure track faculty positions. The series presents panels and talks on composing an application packet, interviewing skills, and negotiating a start-up package. We also provide a venue to give a practice chalk talk with faculty in attendance.
Featuring:
- Discussions on putting an application packet together and the interview process.
- Peer cohort to assemble application packet and prepare to interview.
- Mock faculty interview, practice research and chalk talks to receive feedback
- Workshop on how to negotiate a faculty job offer
- Sample application packets from postdoctoral alumni now holding faculty positions.
Career Counseling for Current and Alumni
Dr. Karen Peterson, Director of the Office of Scientific Career Development, is available to current and former Hutch scientists to talk about career choices and options.
She can help you work through what you want to do next, connect you with people who have successfully made a transition into the type of position you want, review your application packet (CV/resume and cover letter), and help you think about how to best negotiate a job offer.
Karen is the author of the Nature Guide to Life Science Careers and has been offering career counseling and information to postdoctoral fellows and graduate students for over 20 years. In addition, she started as a postdoc at the Hutch and made a career transition away from the lab bench and into science education and administration.
Seattle Affordability Resources
International Scientists
English as a Second Language (ESL)
Free National Postdoctoral Association Membership
Seattle Affordability Resources
New to Seattle
Utilize the Workforce Development Council of Settle-King County's self-sufficiency calculator to calculate what salary you will need for a family of a certain size.
Also, be aware of the Washington Department of Labor minimum exempt salaries implementation schedule for planning purposes.
Affordable Housing Resources
The MFTE Program provides a tax exemption on new multifamily buildings in exchange for setting aside 20-25% of the homes as income- and rent-restricted. By supporting mixed-income residential development in urban centers, the MFTE program ensures affordability as the community grows.
As of 2019, Seattle’s Area Median Income (AMI) is currently $76,000. To calculate your %AMI divide your salary by Seattle’s AMI. This percentage will help determine what your rent limit is.
If you are interested in applying for income/rent restricted units through the MFTE program, read the Renter’s Guide to Seattle’s Multifamily Tax Exemption and Incentive Zoning Programs.
The following is a list of non-profit organizations who offer affordable housing. Each organization has its own application process – contact each one to learn more.
This training program provides formal coursework as well as research and intervention experience in cancer prevention and control. This program is funded by a Ruth L. Kirschstein NRSA Institutional Research Training Grant (T32) from the National Cancer Institute. The application deadline for the 2023-2024 academic year is in January.
- More Information: Program site on UW.edu
This NIH Training Grant provides support for students in the UW Schools of Public Health and Pharmacy. This grant is funded by a Ruth L. Kirschstein NRSA Institutional Research Training Grant (T32) from the National Cancer Institute.
- More Information: Program site on UW.edu
The aim of the Interdisciplinary Training in Cancer Research Program (IDTG) is to train graduate and postdoctoral fellows to design and conduct research on significant problems in cancer by combining information and approaches from different scientific disciplines. The program is funded by a Ruth L. Kirschstein NRSA Institutional Research Training Grant (T32) from the National Cancer Institute, and an institutional budget from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.
- More Information: Program site on FredHutch.org
This award supports research training and projects in nutrition, genetics, metabolic pathways, and other lifestyle factors in relation to cancer prevention with an emphasis on survivorship. Trainees are provided with formal coursework in epidemiology, nutrition and genetics/human biology and with innovative and transdisciplinary research experiences. The program also ensures trainees gain the skills to prepare for an independant research career; including practice with grant writing, scientific manuscript preparation, oral presentations and long-term career development planning.
This program supports the next generation of physicians and scientists, currently MD or PhD, with expertise in infectious diseases in the immunocompromised host. Trainees are provided with a scientifically rigorous and culturally inclusive training environment to foster creative, innovative and collaborative research on infectious diseases in non-HIV immunocompromised patients (e.g. transplant, cancer, immunomodulatory therapy).
- More Information: Program site on FredHutch.org
The NIH/NHGRI Genome Training Grant prepares trainees for research careers in acquiring and interpreting genomic data and using this information in biomedical research. We recognize that this type of research will demand interdisciplinary approaches and multidisciplinary collaborations. One goal of this program is to attract individuals from the physical sciences and engineering to the forefront of modern biological research. The program also trains cellular and molecular biologists in other disciplines so that they can effectively collaborate at this interdisciplinary interface.
- More Information: Program site on UW.edu
The goal of our program is to train new independent investigators who will utilize molecular and genetic techniques to investigate the biology of aging. The objective of this research is to elucidate the basic mechanisms underlying the process of aging and age-related changes in humans and in animal models of human aging. This includes investigations of the mechanisms responsible for the gradual or programmed alterations of structure and function that characterize normal aging, as well as how these adverse changes become risk factors for, or accompany, age-related conditions and disease states.
- More Information: Program site
This NIH-supported training program's goal is to train the next generation of leaders in STD and AIDS research.
Postdoctoral applicants must be currently training with a program faculty member. MDs are usually affiliated with the Infectious Diseases or Obstetrics & Gynecology fellowship programs; PhDs are working with Program faculty.
Funded by the NCI's Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities, GMaP is focused on advancing cancer health disparities research and training through a comprehensive and systematic approach to the development of region-based networks. Current programs include mentorship, early career travel scholarships and career development workshops.
Pilot funding awards are available to postdoctoral students or early stage investigators who have not received an NIH independant research grant, and with an existing mentor in the field of study.
Multiple course scholarship and conference awards are offered through Human Biology Division, Student/Postdoc Advisory Committee (SPAC), Office of Education & Training, and Fred Hutch/UW/Seattle Children's Cancer Consortium. Details of each award can be found on CenterNet.