Professional development

[WIP] Collection of professional development opportunities for group members in the field of sustainable materials science and beyond. This is meant to be a living document, please add to it!

We have an internal collection of professional development resources on our group Google Drive, with the following topics:

  • UCB Courses

  • Conferences/workshops

  • Science outreach & communication

  • Berkeley organizations

  • Fellowships/scholarships/awards

  • Textbooks

Science Communication

Writing and Presenting your Research

Training and Events

  • LBNL SLAM - 3 minute thesis-style science communication competition for LBNL postdocs

  • UC Grad Slam - 3 minute thesis-style science communication competition for grad students

Science Outreach

  • Berkeley Lab K-12

  • BASIS, CRS

  • Be a Scientist, CRS

  • UC Berkeley "Grad Slam" Competition

  • LBNL Postdoc Slam Competition

  • Exploring your Universe Symposium

  • Cycle for Science

  • National Science Policy Network (NSPN)

  • Skype a Scientist

Conferences, workshops & summer schools

Here are some annual conferences group members have attended. See Travel page for info on how to apply and get reimbursed for conferences.

Large annual conferences and societies

  • Materials Research Society (MRS): Fall and Spring meetings, smaller conferences too

  • The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society (TMS)

  • European Materials Research Society (e-MRS): Fall and Spring Meetings

  • Electrochemical society (ECS)

  • American chemical society (ACS)

  • American Physical Society (APS)

  • IEEE Photovoltaics Specialists Conference (PVSC)

Smaller conferences

  • Gordon Research Conferences

Summer schools and workshops

There are so many short courses, summer schools and workshops out there! We recommend just googling "summer school" and the topic you are interested in. Here is a collection of some courses or workshops that group members have attended:

WorkshopInfoGroup member(s) who have gone

Materials Project Workshop

Hosted by us, end of summer

International School of materials for sustainale development & energy http://www.ipcb.ct.cnr.it/erice2022/

This week-long school oscillates between CalTech and Sicily every year.

Rachel –– I went to it in Sicily in 2018. It was delightful and I got class credit! They offer scholarships too

American Vacuum Society (AVS) Sputtering Short Course

Three day long course on sputter deposition for materials synthesis.

Rachel –– attended in 2017

SSRL School on Synchrotron X-Ray Scattering Techniques

Rachel –– attended in 2015(?)

Class opportunities

List of courses past group members have taken & recommend

Courses taken by students in the Persson Group

Decals

These are 1-unit courses you can take for pass/no-pass or just audit for fun!

Fellowships & scholarships

Examples of successful and unsuccessful fellowships are in the group drive. Add your own to help future students!

Graduate Fellowships

  • NSF Graduate research fellowship (NSF GRFP), 3 years of funding, can apply before or in beginning of PhD

  • NDSEG, 3 years of funding, can apply before or in beginning of PhD

    • n.b. do NOT submit application until ALL letters of rec are in

  • ThinkSwiss Research Scholarship

  • Kavli Philomathia fellowship (Nanoscience), 1 year of funding and research stipend, can apply in 3rd year and later during PhD

Postdoctoral Fellowships

Career development opportunities

Career counseling and coaching

LBL opportunities

PreviousGroup Member ExpertiseNextHealth and wellbeing

Last updated