ToXchange Graduate students pursuing a toxicology-related degree are encouraged to join SOT. SOT membership facilitates the scientific and professional development of graduate students through networking, scientific programs, and other SOT activities. In addition, students can become actively involved in the Graduate Student Leadership Committee (GSLC), which coordinates activities for graduate students. These include the development of blogs, webinars, and other communications; the hosting the Student/Postdoctoral Mixer at the SOT Annual Meeting; the organization of mentoring activities such as Chat with an Expert; and other programs.
Graduate Student membership resources and activities are developed and led by the GSLC, which is comprised of elected officers and the student representatives from the SOT Regional Chapters, Special Interest Groups, and Specialty Sections. The GSLC members also serve as members of three GSLC Subcommittees: Communications, Professional Development, and Programming. All members of the GSLC must serve on one of the Subcommittees.
GSLC Subcommittees
The GSLC Subcommittees handle all tactical details involved with Graduate Student membership activities throughout the year.
- Communications
Responsibilities include the winter e-Letter newsletter, the GSLC section of the Communiqué, posting messages in the Graduate Student ToXchange community, and Annual Meeting blog writing activities. The subcommittee is led by a chair, who serves on the GSLC Executive Board, and a secretary. - Professional Development
Responsibilities include the development of student webinars throughout the year, as well as the joint Graduate Student/Postdoc Scientific Session at the SOT Annual Meeting and ToxExpo. The subcommittee is led by a chair, who serves on the GSLC Executive Board, and a secretary. - Programming
Responsibilities include coordinating programs and events at the SOT Annual Meeting and ToxExpo, such as the Chat with an Expert program and the Graduate Student/Postdoc Mixer. The subcommittee is led by a chair, who serves on the GSLC Executive Board, and a secretary.
Student Representatives
Each SOT Regional Chapter (RC), Special Interest Group (SIG), and Specialty Section (SS) may appoint one student representative who is officially recognized by SOT and participates in the GSLC. Each RC, SIG, and SS determines its own officers, bylaws, and methods of operation. As such, each component group chooses how to select their student representative, what the terms of service will be, and the expected duties. If you are interested in becoming a student representative, please contact your RC, SIG, or SS leadership to find out how. If your RC, SIG, or SS has already appointed a student representative, please contact the student representative to find out how you can get involved.
*Note: SOT policy is that a graduate student serves as representative to only one component group during a term in order to encourage broader involvement by the student membership. For the same reason, no two graduate students from the same laboratory (i.e., same lab and same advisor) will receive graduate representative travel funding in one year.
SOT Annual Meeting and ToxExpo Travel Funding for GSLC Group Representatives
Each GSLC representative to an SOT Group (Regional Chapter, Special Interest Group, Specialty Section) is strongly encouraged to attend the SOT Annual Meeting and ToxExpo and is eligible for travel funding support to do so. Each SOT Group will provide $350 to its student representative to travel to the Annual Meeting. SOT provides matching funds of $350, for a total of $700 available to each representative. The GSLC Chair and Subcommittee Chairs on the Executive Board will receive $700 travel funding directly from SOT, as they do not hold SOT Group positions.
Chat with an Expert
The Chat with an Expert program arranges meetings between small groups of students and postdoctoral scholars (no more than four people per group) and Associate or Full SOT members for informal discussions at the SOT Annual Meeting and ToxExpo. These meetings may be for coffee, a snack, or social hour and consist of experts from industry, government, academia, and other fields. Each participant is responsible for his own meal or snack costs. Registration for the Chat with an Expert program begins a few months before the Annual Meeting and ToxExpo, which takes place each March. Full and Associate SOT members are encouraged to participate in the Chat with an Expert program. Experts and students are matched based on indicated interests.
Go to: Chat with an Expert information
Student/Postdoctoral Scholar Mixer
Held each year during the SOT Annual Meeting and ToxExpo, the Student/Postdoctoral Scholar Mixer is an opportunity to build valuable relationships with colleagues and learn more about others’ experiences as a graduate student or postdoc. This event is planned by the GSLC Programming Subcommittee.
All Graduate Student members are encouraged to increase their networking at the SOT Annual Meeting and ToxExpo by volunteering.
- The Continuing Education program relies on student volunteers to assist with the courses on-site, including taking entrance tickets and handing out course materials; in exchange, volunteers get to attend a course free of charge.
- Educational programs, such as Domestic ToxScholar and the undergraduate programs at the Annual Meeting, are always in need of enthusiastic assistance and are a rewarding way to spread toxicology to potential scientists of tomorrow.
- At the discretion of the Scientific Program Committee, graduate students and postdocs may also be invited to serve as Poster/Platform Session Chairs.
Many of these opportunities fill on a first-come, first-serve basis, so volunteer today.
e-Letter Newsletters
Each issue of eLetter contains information on upcoming events and networking opportunities supported by the GSLC.
Graduate Student Newsletter Archives
GSLC Webinars
The GSLC hosts webinars designed specifically for SOT Graduate Student Members to provide tips and advice to advance their science and various skills.
Go to: SOT Webinars page
SOT presents many prestigious awards each year in recognition of distinguished toxicologists and students, including awards by the Regional Chapters, Special Interest Groups, and Specialty Sections.
Supported by the SOT Endowment Mission Funds, SOT will offer graduate students funding to engage in internships within industry, government, and non-profit organizations through the Graduate Intern Fellowship in Toxicology (GIFT). This program will enable outstanding doctoral students to pursue an internship in toxicology that advances their professional and scientific development.
The Supplemental Training in Education Program (STEP) enables outstanding doctoral students to pursue training in identified areas of professional/scientific development that are necessary for them to achieve their career goals, but are outside the immediate scope of their graduate training and research program.
Go to: Supplemental Training for Education Program information
Undergraduate and graduate students of US accredited institutions from racial/ethnic groups who are underrepresented in the sciences are eligible to apply for an activity or event that will enhance their personal career development. Applicant must be an SOT Undergraduate Student Affiliate or Graduate Student Member. Recipients are chosen based on criteria that include quality of proposed experience, relevance to the proposed professional activity to a career involving the science of toxicology, academic achievement, and recommendation by an academic advisor. This award is funded by the SOT Endowment Diversity Initiatives Fund.
Go to Diversity Initiatives Career Development Award for application materials.
2023 Application deadline: April 15, 2023
Flyer
Go to Diversity Initiatives Endowment blogs to see past recipients.