The critical first component of the Connected Science Community PhD is the Summer Skills Session. This is an optional program for all incoming COS PhD students, which takes place during the August before the PhD program begins.
The Summer Skills Session includes:
Proposal-writing training that includes cross-disciplinary peer review and faculty support
Skill-building workshops led by Northeastern staff and faculty
Opportunities for community-building with students across PhD programs
Career panels and networking events
Orientation to Northeastern resources
After the summer, all incoming COS PhD students begin coursework and research within their PhD programs. As members of the Connected Science Community of PhDs, students continue to receive opportunities for additional skills development, group mentoring, work experience, and career exploration.
The Summer Skills Session helped me hit the ground running with a robust network of fellow incoming PhDs across many departments, which made the beginning of my program much smoother. Additionally, I was encouraged and helped to write a fellowship proposal which I may otherwise not have completed on my own. More than anything else, the program made me feel like a supported member of a community, with access to numerous resources alongside a newfound network to help me start strong.
