The Office of Education delivers workshops, programs, and individualized opportunities to a population averaging 300-325 trainees, including postdoctoral, visiting, and research fellows;clinical fellows and medical students;graduate students;and postbaccalaureate and technical fellows, not forgetting summer trainees. The activities include, typically: public speaking workshops, job interviewing, writing and editorial services, grantsmanship and study section observerships, career presentations and counseling, teaching opportunities through the NICHD Becoming an Effective Scientist course for postbacs and skills workshops and a training program with the University of Maryland, and management programs. An annual retreat for fellows and graduate students is held for 75-100 people each spring to address scientific developments and careers, which includes fellow presentations and a poster presentation by each attendee. The program is developed and run by a fellow-student steering committee. Among the accomplishments from the past year: Most notably, Dr. Yvette Pittman joined the Office of Education as Associate Director in late April 2013. A former NICHD postdoctoral fellow, she is bringing new ideas and skills to expand our programmatic and career activities on behalf of trainees. In June 2013, the Division of Intramural Research gave its sixth Mentor of the Year awards to Mary Dasso, Ph.D., investigator;and Schulyer van Engelenburg, Ph.D., fellow. Twenty-three FARE awards were made for the 2014 competition. A Fellows Intramural Grants Supplement (FIGS) continues to recognize and stimulate grant applications among ellows, and the Fellows Recruitment Incentive Award (FRIA) was created to support investigators who recruit postdocs from populations traditionally underrepresented in science. The NICHD Scholars program, in its third year, has two MD/PhD student members conducting their thesis research in the institute. The Scholars program focuses on """"""""developing talent"""""""" and supporting trainees'academic and career progression. The NICHD Connection monthly newsletter published its 39th issue in August 2013 and reaches all members of the intramural division.
