SPC Presidents Message

It behooves me to start this message by acknowledging the collective and unending grief that myself (and many others) have been experiencing. It feels odd to go on with “business as usual” when many are feeling despondent, angry and/or petrified. It’s also important to me that I pull from James Baldwin in these times and remember that “to be relatively conscious is to be in a rage almost all the time”…to pull from the writings of bell hooks…read my favorite poem by Lucille Clifton. I committed to memory the SER diversity, equity and inclusion statement recently and it states “…understanding that diversity of thought, background and approach at SER is not only morally just, but creates context for both personal and professional enrichment….”It is my hope during my term as SPC president that I highlight resources and ideas important for professional (we are all early career scientists) as well as personal enrichment (we are the future of society and epidemiology) of students and postdocs!
So, for the professional, here are some important deadlines that I want to highlight! Let’s get down to business…

1. SUBMIT AN ABSTRACT. Submissions for the Mid-Year AND Annual Meeting General Submission open on November 9th and are due January 15th, 2024, at 10 AM EST (or earlier, see #2). Given how long it takes to do an analysis, write an abstract, get feedback from coauthors, and make appropriate edits, NOW is the time to start working on these. https://epiresearch.org/annual-meeting/2024-meeting/abstract-submission/

a. LATE BREAKER ABSTRACTS: Submissions open on February 14th and are due March 3, 2024, at 10 AM EST. Note: “I did not get to my abstract on time” for the general submission is unlikely to make a compelling argument for a late breaker submission (although we’ve all been there!)

2. APPLY FOR TRAVEL SCHOLARSHIPS. Submissions are due by January 15, 2024, and you must submit an abstract by the general submission deadline (sorry latebreakers!). These scholarships award current student/postdocs $400 to attend the annual meeting. This year, there are TWO new (additional) scholarship opportunities. The Stephen L Buka (sponsored by the Brown University School of Public Health) and the Kathy Rose (sponsored by DLH Holdings Corp and SER) Travel Scholarships. Attending the annual meeting can be cost-prohibitive for students and postdocs. These help to offset *some* of the cost so do apply!! Also be sure to ask your advisors and administrators for additional funding options. There is often internal support for academic conferences, and those will have their own deadlines. https://epiresearch.org/annual-meeting/awards/spc-travel-scholarships/

3. STUDENT DISSERTATION WORKSHOP. Applications are accepted from November 6 to February 5th, 2024. Receive additional support and feedback on your dissertation from faculty members with expertise in epidemiology, biostatistics, and other substantive areas. The workshop is designed for students in the dissertation phase (e.g., proposal development, analysis phase of dissertation). Selected students receive a fellowship to support travel expenses and onsite childcare services at no charge. Yours truly participated in the 2021 dissertation workshop so please reach out if you have questions or want to hear more. https://epiresearch.org/annual-meeting/student-dissertation-workshop/dissertation-workshop-additional-information/

4. SER AWARDS. Awards nominations and materials are due January 15th. Again, some of these can take a bit to put together, so start now. SPC members should especially look into the Tyroler Student Prize Paper Award, and the Lilienfeld Postdoctoral Prize Paper Award. https://epiresearch.org/annual-meeting/awards/

5. MIDYEAR MEETING. SER 2024 Mid-Year Meeting will be held March 4 – 8, 2024. On Friday, March 8th, SER will hold the full day live conference at the University of Toronto. More information coming. https://epiresearch.org/mid-year-meeting/

6. SERpresents: SERDIGITAL. The next SERdigital is November 9th with Drs. Gianfrancesco and Breskin, entitled “Unlocking Insights through Real-World Data in Epidemiologic Research.” Register here: https://epiresearch.org/serpresents/

If you made it to the end, SER offers so much for students and postdocs, but it all starts now, when the Annual Meeting is far away. If it feels overwhelming, I encourage you to add one new thing at a time. If you’re totally brand new to SER, start by registering for November’s SERdigital and maybe submit an abstract. If you submitted an abstract last year, do that again, and also apply for a travel scholarship or nominate someone for an award. Everything’s a learning experience, including “how to conference.” You don’t have master it all at once. Reach out to me or any of the SPC officers if you have questions. https://epiresearch.org/students-and-postdocs-2/spc-officers/

Nedghie Adrien
SPC President