Community Resources
BU URBAN is committed to helping trainees succeed in graduate school and beyond. Below you can find resources related to health, wellbeing, community, and professional development.
Health, Wellbeing, and Community
- Office of Diversity & Inclusion is a central hub for resources and support around:
- Office of the Associate Provost for Graduate Affairs hosts information and resources for graduate students, including student groups and associations such as:
- Behavioral Medicine offers various workshops and groups to help address a variety of mental health related needs
- Center for Gender, Sexuality, and Activism
- Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground
- Religions Life at BU
- Disability & Access Services offers services and supports to make sure that students are able to access and participate in the opportunities available at BU
- BU Sexual Assault Response & Prevention Center
- BU Student Health Services Graduate Students Support Group. Every Friday, 3:00-4:00pm via Zoom HIPAA. Directions to access the group will be sent via Patient Connect the night before.
- Professionals of Color in the Environment (POCIE): POCIE is a professional group for those who identify as a Black, Indigenous, or Person of Color* who works in the environmental field in Massachusetts. POCIE brings together environmental practitioners from all sectors in MA with the goal of gathering, mentoring, networking, and collaborating. They also promote integrating justice, equity, diversity and inclusion into the environmental sector through cross-sector partnerships and integrative strategy development. On LinkedIn. Join POCIE’s google group: masspocie@googlegroups.com. Sign-up link for regular Zoom meetings can be found here.
For a comprehensive list of health and wellness resources from Graduate Affairs, visit here.
Professional Development
- BU Professional Development and Postdoctoral Affairs supports BU doctoral students in their professional development journey. Whether you’re exploring career options or looking to build transferable skills, resources and programming exist to support you.
- Professional Development & Postdoctoral Affairs is hosting a Career Development Learning Community for PhDs of all stages: This four-week learning group will help students work through the essential steps in developing their awareness about professional resources available to them and the steps they should take to find the best career for them. Bi-weekly sessions will be a combination of interactive workshops and reflective conversations that help students grow their professional development through the pathways. The objective of this community is to provide accountability, community building, and an opportunity to earn digital badges for students’ career deskills. The Career Development Learning Community will meet every other week starting Monday, February 26. Attendance at all sessions is required. To learn more, please visit our website.
- Broadening Experience in Scientific Training is a network of 17 academic organizations in the country selected by the National Institutes of Health that enhance career development for biomedical trainees. BU belongs to this network and offers several resources for Ph.D. students to explore careers both inside and outside standard academic research.
- BU Career Center offers many career resources and professional development opportunities for STEM graduate students.
- Center for Teaching and Learning supports teaching that is inclusive, centered on student learning, and guided by research.
- ARROWS – Advance, Recruit, Retain, and Organize Women in STEM keeps a current listing of funding sources and career resources for graduate students.
- Graduate Women in Science and Engineering offers workshops, seminars, social events, mentoring, outreach opportunities and fosters interaction across disciplines at BU and connects graduate students to postdocs, faculty, and broader networks in Boston and beyond.
For a comprehensive list of professional development opportunities at BU, visit here.
Writing & Research
- PDPA Writing Support: PDPA is pleased to offer a variety of writing support programs for PhDs across the disciplines at BU. These include synchronous and asynchronous resources. Visit the website for the latest for descriptions and application requirements synchronous writing programs including the Dissertation Writing Group, Accountability Partners, and Dissertation Writing Institute & Intensive.
- Get to Know Your Campus Communicators: For researchers ready to promote findings, it can be invaluable to loop in communications professionals around the University for assistance amplifying your scholarship and expertise. Communicators embedded in schools, colleges, centers, and departments are an excellent first contact. They are connected to other communicators around BU’s campuses and have a broad view of the channels and resources available to get the word out about your work. Learn more about promoting your research.
- CISS Hosts Drop-in Writing Groups: Are you looking for a quiet place to write? A community with whom to brainstorm about nascent research ideas? Bring your laptop and grab a seat in the CISS conference room to get some writing done. The quiet well-lit are provides a space for dedicated writing time with peers.
- Union of Concerned Scientists Toolkit: Research on the Record: How Your Expertise Can Hold Climate Polluters Accountable
Statistical Consulting, Data Analysis, Coding
- Free Statistical Consulting Serivces From BU MS in Statistical Practice
- Biostatistics, Epidemiology, & Research Design (BERD) Program. Connect with Dr. Cabral and Dr. Weinberg, esteemed faculty in the Department of Biostatistics, for personalized consulting sessions tailored to your needs. Request an individual session or drop into our virtual consultations every Tuesday from 12-1 pm.
- Learn Data and AI Skills Online with DataCamp. Trainees, please email Heather Ho at urban@bu.edu if you’d like free access to the learning modules on DataCamp!
Collaboration
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Updated Project Summaries in Environmental Health Document Available!
- This document describes ongoing projects in the Department of Environmental Health in Spring 2024 for which there are potentially opportunities for students to participate in research or other project experiences. The list of projects is split into broad topic areas.
- With questions about a particular project, please reach out to the PI. With general questions about this document, please reach out to the EH APA, Christine Copacino (copacino@bu.edu).
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion and Broadening Participation
- Union of Concerned Scientists
- Report on Strengthening & Diversifying the Federal STEM Workforce
- Updated Scientist-Community Partnerships guide, featuring new case studies of equitable partnerships, more guidance on how to center equity and justice in your collaboration, and additional resources like a template Memorandum of Understanding.
- Become a science advocate: join the UCS Science Network. Science—and scientists—have a critical role to play in advancing equitable, science-based policies that can improve our health, safety, and environment. Scientists, engineers, economists, public health experts, social scientists, and other experts across the country who want to use their expertise to make a difference can join the Science Network to put science into action. You’ll receive emails about online and in-person actions you can take, trainings to level up your advocacy skills, and resources to support your advocacy. Sign up to join the Science Network today.
- What Questions Can I Ask to Ensure the Company I Am Interviewing With Values DEI? (from BU + Beyond, the official blog of the Boston University Center for Career Development)
Planning & Organization
- Semester Planning Resource from NCFDD: Appropriately balancing teaching demands, coursework, and making progress on research can be tricky. The National Center for Faculty Diversity and Development (NCFDD) has free resources to help you prepare for a successful semester, which you can access with your BU email. Some highlights:
- Monday Motivator emails
- Dissertation Success Curriculum for graduate students
- “Every Semester Needs a Plan” webinar.
- Set up Weekly Meeting system for goal setting and tracking
Clothing Resources
- BU Center for Career Development Professional Clothing Closet
- Center for Gender, Sexuality and Activism: Gender Affirming Room for Belonging (GARB) is open!
Additional Resources for Graduate Students:
- University-wide policies that entitle PhD students to vacation time and sick leave.
- PhD Progression is an online program designed to help BU PhD candidates from all fields explore, build, and apply skills outlined in our core capacities framework. Students can earn shareable badges, as they hone skills that will aid them as they prepare for a full range of careers.
- BU’s graduate student life webpage offers students a variety of resources to help them thrive on campus and in Boston, including information on professional development, wellness, and student organizations