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Student Dissertation Workshop

Applications will be accepted: November 6, 2023 – February 5, 2024

Since 1977, SER has sponsored an annual student workshop on epidemiologic methods to support doctoral students in their dissertation research. SER seeks applications from doctoral students to participate in the workshop to be held in Portland, OR, immediately preceding the 2023 Society for Epidemiologic Research Annual Meeting (June 18-21, 2024). Yvette Cozier, SER President-Elect, will be the workshop coordinator. Faculty members with expertise in epidemiology, biostatistics, and other substantive areas, will conduct the workshop.


The workshop meets the evening of June 17th and all day on June 18th. The dissertation should be at a stage where the student will benefit from faculty input. Examples of appropriate timing of the workshop in the student’s dissertation process include during dissertation proposal development (e.g. questions about the study design or appropriate analyses) and during the analysis phase of the dissertation (e.g. questions about appropriate methods, methodological challenges, alternative methods, or sensitivity analyses). The application requires a summary of the dissertation topic, study design, and proposed methods. The application requires brief statements about how the topic pertains to health equity and a statement about how the student would propose to transfer knowledge from your dissertation back to appropriate interested parties (e.g. community members, patients, policymakers). Please carefully consider what you will gain from the workshop and include this in the application.


The students selected for participation will receive a fellowship to support travel expenses for the meeting and onsite childcare services will be available at no charge. Students from under-represented racial and ethnic groups are particularly encouraged to apply. Only doctoral students in epidemiology, or related doctoral programs whose thesis involves an epidemiologic study, are eligible. Doctoral students in their second or third year of their training are strongly encouraged to apply. The workshop is not meant for final-year doctoral students.