Scholarships to Enhance and Empower the Development of Scientists (SEEDS) Workshop Grant

The SEE-Diversity to Success Workshop, sponsored by the APA Minority Fellowship Program and others, aims to enhance the transition of diverse early-career neuroscientists into academic roles. This intensive workshop, taking place at the University of Chicago from August 24-28, 2025, includes career-development coaching over 6-10 months. Participants will receive mentoring to strengthen their grant applications, addressing challenges faced by underrepresented groups in neuroscience, thereby fostering inclusivity in scientific careers.

SEE-Diversity to Success Workshop
This program is sponsored by the APA Minority Fellowship Program, International Brain Research Organization, Alzheimer’s Association, and Burroughs-Wellcome Fund.
The program begins with an intensive workshop to be held at the University of Chicago on August 24-28, 2025, to be followed with 6-10 months of individual career-development coaching.
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. The program will provide diverse Ph.D. neuroscientists with long-term mentoring and professional enrichment, with a particular emphasis on assistance with preparation, submission and revision of career development and research grant applications to NSF and NIH. In the initial workshop, participants will form small grant-coaching groups, facilitated by a senior faculty member. These groups will meet in person during the workshop and then engage in virtual meetings for 6-10 months to revise and hone grant applications prior to submission. Therefore, applicants should be planning to submit a career development (e.g., NIH K or NSF Career Award) or research grant (e.g., NIH R or NSF standard) application within 6-10 months of the workshop. Other structured activities during the workshop will address issues that impact the persistence of diverse neuroscientists in academic careers, such as the perception that they do not belong in the scientific community, isolation and solo status, and negotiating institutions and tenure.

Eligibility

APF encourages applicants from diverse backgrounds with respect to age, race, color, religion, creed, nationality, ability, sexual orientation, gender, and geography. Eligible SEE-Diversity participants are early-career PhD scientists in neuroscience-related fields who come from groups that are underrepresented in neuroscience, including racial and ethnic minorities and people with disabilities. “Early career” includes senior postdoctoral researchers, assistant professors, assistant research professors, and other pre-tenure level academic positions.