ECS Weekly: Navigating academic environments as a disabled person, 2022 ECLP cohort, GSA Undergraduate Conference Awards

This week’s newsletter resources section was written by Stephen Kluzsa from the GSA Equity and Inclusion Committee.

Navigating academic environments as a disabled person

What kinds of resources are available for disabled students and faculty to navigate academia? While there are pockets of information here and there, there is still a paucity of centralized data that can guide disabled people to accommodating institutions. According to the Johns Hopkins University’s Disability Health Research Center, only 10 out of the top 50 institutions have an overall ranking higher than a C (on average). As of 2020, there are officially about 4,000 higher education institutions in the United States; if these percentages hold up, the number of disability-friendly institutions may reach only 800 at best. This is extremely problematic given that 10–20% of the population has a disability and only 17% of disabled students finish their bachelor’s degrees in contrast with 34 percent of non-disabled students.

However, that may change in the near future. The non-profit organization Disabled In Higher Education is working to create a Disability Accommodations Database to help guide all disabled people to achieve their education and career goals in academia. A Google Docs form allows a person to submit official accommodations that they’ve received through a disability resource center as well as unofficial accommodations given to students by faculty and staff without administrative support and/or official diagnoses (note that submissions are being sought internationally, not just from the United States). Such a database would provide critical information that can make the difference between a disabled student achieving their degree or being forced out due to lack of accommodations. It is also my hope that such a database will increase the number of disability-friendly institutions in the United States beyond the trend that we see with the top 50 institutions.

The other major resource is the thriving disabled community on Twitter. Through this lens, we get an intimate glimpse of the lived experience of disabled academics, which is unfortunately filled with pain and anger over this mistreatment at the hands of faculty and administration in higher education institutions. I encourage everyone here to use and pass these resources to fellow colleagues and disabled peers to bolster advocacy in accommodations and make the academic culture more inclusive.

GSA Early Career Leadership Program Resources

We’re taking time to get to know the members of GSA’s Early Career Scientist (ECS) Committees. This week, we feature Lucero Rogel-Hernandez from Stanford University, who is a member of the Policy and Advocacy Subcommittee. Read more about Rogel-Hernandez’s research background and what led her to pursue a career in research here.

NEW! GSA offered a unique Leadership and Management Action Program (L-MAP) to graduate students and postdocs in the Early Career Leadership Program. ECLP co-chairs Madhumala K. Sadanandappa and Kaushal Kumar Bhati share their experience participating in L-MAP in a guest post on Genes to Genomes. Check it out!

NEW! Congratulations to the 2022 Early Career Leadership Program Cohort! Participants receive training and mentoring while serving on committees charged with understanding the needs, interests, concerns, and challenges of early career scientist members of the GSA. As part of this leadership and professional development program, appointees develop programming and resources to advocate for the interests of the GSA, highlight important advancements originating within the genetics community, and build relationships with scientists in all sectors of the workforce.

NEW! Congratulations, Spring 2022 Victoria Finnerty Travel Award recipients! The Victoria Finnerty Travel Award supports conference-attendance costs for undergraduate GSA members who are presenting research at the Annual Drosophila Research Conference.

NEW! Congratulations to ECLP representative Bello Semiu Folaniyi, on his recent scientific publication in Poultry Science: The Study of Candidate Genes in the Improvement of Egg Production in Ducks—a Review.

Use the GSA Policy Fellowship Database curated by the Policy and Advocacy Subcommittee to filter by required education, location, compensation, application deadline, and other features, which makes it easier to find opportunities that fit your unique needs.

The Communication and Outreach Subcommittee curates a list of helpful resources for those interested in joining and/or participating in workshops, conferences and training, international outreach, outreach for K-12 and adults, social media, podcasting, and more.

Postdoc, Yeast Genetics and Molecular Biology | Brandeis University | Waltham, MA, United States

Postdoctoral Fellow, Genome Research | National Institutes of Health | Bethesda, MD, United States

PhD position, Forensic Genomics | Trent University | Ontario, Canada

Research Investigator | BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd. | Shanghai, China

Molecular Genetics Technician | Clemson University | Greenwood, SC, United States

Staff Scientist 1 | NIH National Institute on Aging (NIA) | Baltimore, MD, United States

Research Assistant Professor, Yakoub Lab | University of North Dakota | Grand Forks, ND, United States

Biology Full-Time Tenure Track Faculty | Harper College | Palatine, IL, United States

Is your lab hiring? GSA members qualify for a discounted rate to post job openings and can post student and postdoc positions at no cost on the GSA Job Board!

NEW! The Journal of Science Policy & Governance (JSPG) is seeking undergraduate or graduate students interested in science policy for the position of Science Policy Interns. The interns will provide support for promoting calls for submissions, published work and events, and help further the mission of JSPG. The position will help selected students gain an understanding of journal work, and science policy topics; learn practical skills useful for a variety of science policy careers; network with other science policy professionals; and gain exposure by being actively involved in day to day operations with JSPG leadership and team. Applications are due May 1, 2022.

NEW! Applications are currently open for the DeLill Nasser Awards, which offer up to $1,000 in conference or course funding for student and postdoc GSA members. Apply by May 2, 2022.

The Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in Data Science Fellowship is offering graduate students an opportunity to participate in a two-year program that cultivates the next generation of data science and bioinformatics professionals at Center for Alzheimer’s and Related Dementias (CARD). Fellowship awardees will gain foundational knowledge in data analysis and data management through collaborative online instruction and research performed at CARD with experts in the field of Alzheimer's and related dementia research. Apply by May 2, 2022.

The SEE-Diversity to Success Workshop is seeking participants for September 9–13, 2022 at the University of Chicago. SEE-Diversity is a privately funded program whose goal is to increase the successful transition to and retention of diverse, early career neuroscientists into academic positions. Applications are due on May 2, 2022.

NEW! Applications are open for the GSA Undergraduate Conference Awards, which offer funding for undergraduate GSA members to attend GSA conferences. Awardees in this cycle may use the funds to attend #Yeast22 in person or online. Apply by May 12, 2022.

NEW! The American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES), with support from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, is excited to announce the 2022–2023 Full-Circle Mentorship program. Applications are due by May 15, 2022.

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) just launched the Science Diversity Leadership program, which targets underrepresented early career faculty in the biomedical sciences and related engineering. The grants are for $1 million over five years and can be used for both research and outreach efforts. Applications are due May 19, 2022.

The Northwest Native American Research Center For Health (NW NARCH) will host a summer research training program from June 13–30, 2022, to nurture a cadre of highly trained AI/AN biomedical and health researchers who are sensitive to the culture and specific concerns of Northwest Indian and Alaska Native communities, and who can bring the benefits of academic research into their communities to improve tribal health. Register here.

Calling all clinical researchers in the early stages of their careers! Are you looking to promote your development to a fully independent position? If so, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) invites you to participate in the NIH Lasker Clinical Research Scholars Program. Applications are due June 24, 2022.

Apply to the Committee for Postdocs and Students (COMPASS) to focus on career development, outreach, and science communication. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

Have you found your niche in science? If so, join the Programs to Increase Diversity Among Individuals Engaged in Health-Related Research (PRIDE) to take part in a year-long intensive mentored training program. This training includes intense summer sessions to enhance your research skills and gain access to opportunities that promote scientific and career development. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

Current professional development and training opportunities

NEW! The Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) is hosting the webinar How to be an Effective Mentor on April 19, 2022, at 3:30 p.m. PT. Register here!

The Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) will host a virtual event on April 22, 2022, at 12:00 p.m. PT/2:00 p.m. CT to help graduate students sharpen their grant writing skills. Register here.
The Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers (SASE) is seeking National Volunteers to help move its mission forward. Sign up as a volunteer here.

How to Prepare a Scientific Poster, an article published by Science, includes effective methods in preparing to present your research as a poster presentation during a conference.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is offering several diversity-related funding opportunity announcements, which include fellowship and career development grants available to early career scientists. To learn more about these exciting opportunities and to apply, visit the NIH Diversity in Extramural Programs portal here.

Learn how to choose an appropriate research mentor by the National Institutes of Health. The three major factors to consider when selecting a research mentor are: the research program; the personality and mentoring style of the Principal Investigator (known as a PI); and the research environment. Click the following link to learn more!

The National Institute of Health’s Early Career Reviewer Program aims to help early career scientists become more competitive grant applicants through first-hand experience with peer review and to enrich and diversify the Center for Scientific Review’s pool of trained reviewers. Sign up today!