UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A new workshop series at Penn State aims to help postdoctoral scholars and advanced doctoral students navigate the fellowship application process and strengthen their funding proposals. Workshops will take place on March 20, April 13 and May 5 at Penn State University Park and on Zoom. Registration is required for each workshop.
Securing independent research funding is a key milestone for early-career researchers, but the application process can be complex and challenging, according to Emily Van Syoc, a postdoctoral fellow funded through the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) F32 program in the laboratory of Seth Bordenstein, professor of biology and of entomology, director of the One Health Microbiome Center at Penn State, and the Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Endowed Chair in Microbiome Sciences. To help others navigate the process, Van Syoc developed the Postdoctoral Fellowships Training Series to provide guidance, strategy and hands-on support in a collaborative setting.
The F32 program is part of the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards (NRSA) for Individual Postdoctoral Fellowships through the NIH.
“The goal of this series is to demystify the fellowship application process and empower doctoral students and postdocs with the tools they need to successfully compete for funding,” Van Syoc said. “By creating a supportive, peer-driven environment, we hope to make the process more approachable and accessible.”
With support from the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs the Office of Foundation Relations, and the One Health Microbiome Center, the series offers a structured approach to identifying funding opportunities, aligning proposals with funder priorities and refining application materials with expert feedback. Van Syoc designed the program to feature conversations with funding specialists such as Karen Kemirembe, associate director in Penn State’s Office of Foundation Relations.
The three-part series will cover key aspects of fellowship applications, including best practices for proposal writing, common pitfalls to avoid and strategies to improve competitiveness. Sessions will incorporate peer feedback, case study examples from real-life fellowship applications and reviewer feedback, proposal reviews and discussions on crafting compelling research narratives.
Workshop schedule:
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March 20: Fellowship Funding Landscape and Application Strategies, 2 to 4 P.M., 3rd Floor Commons Area of the Millennium Science Complex or via Zoom. This session will provide an overview of postdoctoral fellowship opportunities, including federal and private funding options. Participants will hear insights on the application process from an F32 awardee and a foundations specialist.
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April 14: Deep Dive into the NIH F32 Postdoctoral Fellowship, times and mode TBD. Participants will analyze real-world examples of NIH F32 postdoctoral fellowships and discuss application strategies, panel feedback and ways to strengthen their proposals. While tailored to the NIH F32, the knowledge and skills gained can transfer broadly to federal and private funding opportunities. Therefore, all students and postdocs are encouraged to attend.
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May 5: Bring Your Own Fellowship — Peer Review and Strategy Session, times and mode TBD. In this interactive session, participants will receive peer feedback on their draft proposals, refine their applications and explore additional funding opportunities.
Postdoctoral scholars and advanced doctoral students interested in participating can find more details and register on the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs website.