In the fall of 2020, which is when I started my PhD, I submitted an abstract to a conference.
Was I nervous? Heck yeah.
Did I know how to communicate Science? Umm, no.
Was it the right decision? Also, heck yeah.
Creating an identity for yourself outside your department, college, or university is a daunting task but a crucial one. It is part of your academic training. Learning to stand on our own two feet without the support of our advisor is a gradual process.
As PhD students, we spend most of our time in our laboratory. This place often becomes our second home. Our comfort zone. However, the so-called safe comfy space can quickly work against our progress. As aspiring researchers, whether in academia or industry, getting into the mindset of working with other human beings, presenting and sharing what you found is equally as important as conducting your research within your laboratory.
You publish manuscripts, correct? So, why do you publish? Just for the sake of getting a job? Or for something more than that?
I would assume that it does add meaning to what you do. It validates your efforts. It gives you a sense of fulfillment that you contributed your efforts in advancing the knowledge or addressing a problem. So, if publishing manuscripts is fulfilling for you, attending a conference will surely leave you will a sense of curiosity and inspiration.
Before I convince you to attend a conference and submit an abstract, let’s take a step back and understand what a professional society is, for my newer PhD students.
What is a professional society?
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Professional societies are organizations/groups/associations of professionals engaged in a similar research area or profession. These societies can operate at a national or international level. One important goal of these societies is to advance the knowledge in a particular research field or even related areas.
It is common for societies to have their own publication such as a scientific journal affiliated to it. They also organize webinars and workshops throughout the year with one annual event happening each year or alternate year. These annual events are most commonly referred to as conferences or annual meetings in academia.
Okay, we have established the idea of these professional societies and conferences. Let us dive into their role in PhD students’ journey and where to start.
Why attend a conference?
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A short answer of why attend a conference as PhD students is for two reasons according to me –
(i) to create an identity without the support of your advisor and
(ii) to stay up-to-date with the current research and get inspired to do great things.
Now time for the long answer.
Do you ever wonder what value your research holds in the larger scientific knowledge? What other researchers are doing? What direction your research field is heading towards?
I don’t know about you all, but one thing I constantly wonder is what is happening outside my lab? What are other researchers working on? Are there other ways or techniques to approach a particular research problem?
And one of the answers to all these questions is conferences. It is an incredible experience where you get to share the same roof with so many creative minds. It not only fuels curiosity, but improves the quality of the science that you indulge in.
What is the point of your research if it never leaves the four walls of your lab?
Read the question again. What’s the point?
It is not worth your time, energy, and resources if your research is only going to get stacked up in a scientific journal and never really make it’s way to the scientific trials or public health pipeline. While there are other ways you can share your research and findings with the world, conferences are a great starting point for PhD students. Easy to blend in, attending the sessions you like, talk with the people you like (or don’t for the first time), and come home.
If you have never attended one yet, it is comforting to just blend in and conferences allow you to do so. Sharing your research through a 10-minute presentation at your university event will NOT allow you to blend in because all eyes will be on you while you are presenting. But, conferences will.
Especially if you choose not to present the first time, there are no expectations from you apart from the fact that you need to attend the conference itself and soak it in. Conferences can be enjoyable and inspiring, just depends on how you approach it.
Still not convinced? Check out this podcast where Nivi and I talk about how attending conferences and networking have benefited us both. We share personal experiences. Nivedhitha, by the way, was a stranger who turned into a colleague and then a friend BECAUSE we met at a conference and she was brave enough to come up to me, a complete stranger and have a conversation.
Where to start
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If you are ready, here is where you start. Start with your mentor and ask these questions-
Do you encourage or take your PhD students to any conferences?
What conferences do you like to attend?
Can you suggest some societies that I can look into to attend in the upcoming year or even present some lab research perhaps?
In case your mentor does not usually attend any conference (which can be the case with late-career researchers), still ask if you can attend one and present your research. As you attend these events, you will realize that there are a ton of other students who are attending the conferences without their mentors. Sure, having a mentor with you at least for the first time makes it less overwhelming, but even without your mentor, you will figure it out.
So, do not get discouraged if your advisor is not interested or can’t accompany you to a conference. If your advisor does not suggest any societies, don’t lose hope yet, the next best resource is your peers. Ask other senior PhD students of their experience and if they attended any conferences and get some suggestions.
Check out this list of professional organizations provided by the Northeastern Illinois University for STEM fields.
Once you have a couple societies in hand, explore their websites. Start with exploring their “about” page to get an idea of their research focus, mission, and goals. Choose 1-2 societies that align with your research area. This is important. Value your own time and invest where it holds meaning for you. This is not just a random conference you are attending, but you may end up building long-term connections with researchers and PhD students in your field.
Attend and present at a conference
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Conferences offer an opportunity to start building a professional network early on. PhD is more than just a degree, it is a big part of your identity and you will notice that not a lot of people outside of academia recognize or understand the challenges you come across. Therefore, it is important to build a professional network with fellow PhD students from other universities and introduce yourself to senior researchers who can potentially become one of your mentors for your dissertation project, learning a new technique, or even during a postdoctoral training for those who choose this career path.
If you are feeling brave, not just attending, but submitting an abstract and presenting your research among other professionals is a good way to make yourself known to the world. It provides you a chance to practice public speaking and communicating complex scientific concepts to an interdisciplinary audience. As PhD students, public speaking and presenting is a big part of the job. Presenting a poster at these conferences makes you more confident and sets you up for more important presentations such as your dissertation prospectus or defense.
Volunteer your time
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This will vary according to your research field. In general, I have observed that public health/community research societies are much more active throughout the year as compared to clinical or basic science research. Regardless, I strongly recommend getting involved and volunteering your time in some form. Some examples are serving as a moderator for a webinar, managing social media, writing an editorial along with other members, etc.
Most volunteering roles in these societies are low-commitment so it would not take up too much of your valuable time and still provide you a space to experiment and improve your people-related skills. Regardless of your field of research, PhDs go on to become leaders. In those roles, people-related skills like public speaking, communication, networking are all crucial to becoming not just an okay leader but an effective one.
You tried but didn’t find any ways to get involved? That’s completely okay. You can still keep an eye out for their conference dates, and figure out what data you’d like to present. Taking two steps in the right direction is way more efficient than taking ten steps at a time, falling down, and hurting yourself. Bad analogy but you get the reference.
Funding, awards, and scholarships
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You have some conferences in mind, you have the data you want to present (this is optional but highly encouraged), so the next common hurdle is finances.
I recognize that budget is one of the main concerns for PhD students not being able to attend conferences. Oftentimes, you have to spend out of your pockets if the advisor does not have enough funds to cover for your travel. Further, most of the conferences charge fees to register and attend the event. This is on top of the flight, hotel, and food expenses.
So, this is an important conversation to have with your advisor. Ask them if there are any funds allocated to student travel to the conferences either within the department or their research grants. If you are feeling hesitant, just know that this is part of your academic and professional training as an emerging PhD so asking for some support is not unreasonable.
Another great resource is applying for scholarships and grants. Time to go back to the society website. Try to find out if there is any student funding available and be sure to apply for one even if your advisor/department has funds for you. This is because these scholarships are often awarded on the basis of the potential of the student and who wouldn’t want to be recognized for their potential to advance their field of research.
Note- There is a difference between societies offering financial aid to the students who demonstrate the need versus offering awards and scholarships based on merit. Applying for the latter does not take away any opportunity from less privileged students. Understand the difference and decide what is appropriate.
To sum up…
I hope I am able to at least present my reasoning for you to consider attending a conference. There is much more information I have to offer and go into the nitty-gritty details about how to actually navigate a conference, especially if you are attending one without your advisor. I will be sure to talk more about it soon.
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