Struggling to build your research community? To quote the Office of Intramural Training and Education (OITE), “The NIH is a big place; we can almost guarantee that you will be able to find a community that will make you feel at home.” Check out the resources below:
- You are Not Alone! is an OITE-maintained list of groups that NIH fellows may want to join. The website contains a brief description of each group and links to their websites.
- OITE listservs for current NIH trainees provide information about training events and career development activities to specific trainee populations. Some trainee communities have created additional listservs that may be of interest. These can also be found on the OITE listserv page.
- NICHD Affinity Groups within the Division of Intramural Research serve as intellectual hubs for groups of investigators. They provide a forum to share ideas and collaborate on common themes in support of the DIR mission. Take advantage of these groups to network outside of your primary lab but still within your field of interest.
- NIH Intramural Scientific Interest Groups (SIGs) are assemblies of scientists with common research interests. Communication within the group occurs via a listserv, and activities sponsored by the groups include hosting symposia, providing mentorship and career guidance for junior scientists, sharing the latest techniques and information, and more. Most of the SIGs also welcome interested non-NIH scientists, which provides trainees with access to the broader scientific community as well.