EMPOWER is committed to helping you forge your own career pathway, so we have listed a broad range of programs and resources to support you in graduate school and beyond. We welcome your questions and comments.
Stay current
EMPOWER Calendar of Events and News. For the most up-to-date EMPOWER activities, the Water-Energy Seminar schedule, and events of interest, please see our calendar at empower.syr.edu/events. Student-authored news pieces, news about the accomplishments of our trainees and faculty, and reports of EMPOWER activities are all found in the news section of our website at empower.syr.edu/news.
Follow us on twitter. @SU_EMPOWER
Keep us current! If you know of relevant upcoming events on campus, we want to know so we can put it on our calendar. Also, if you have any newsworthy items (e.g. won an award, published a paper, presented at a conference), please tell us so we can post it on our website! Send all content to Annie Pennella at apennell@syr.edu.
Tell us about yourself. We need the following for the “People” section of our website:
- Professional bio: it should be short and simple. If you already have a bio posted on our website, please check it periodically to ensure that it is current and accurate.
- Photograph: your photo can be casual or formal. Snapshots from the field or the lab are most welcome! If you do not have a photograph, please let Annie know. We can arrange to have a photo taken (see below).
Keep in touch. Contact all of the trainees through our email listserv: EMPOWER-TRAINEES@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
Spend time in Suite 333. Did you know that EMPOWER has a laptop that can be used in Suite 333? It has software loaded to allow you to do analyses without spending time in the computer lab. Please see Annie to borrow it.
Stay on track
Program documents and a more full explanation of the EMPOWER training elements can be found on our website in the “Training” section. For your convenience, the documents are linked here as well:
Professional Development Specialization Area (PDSA) Course Guide
Seed Grant Funding Opportunities:
- Professional Network Development Grants
- Emerging Interdisciplinary Research Seed Grants
- Professional Development Training Mini-Grants
EMPOWER Seed Grant Travel Policies and Procedures
INTERN Supplement from the National Science Foundation: this supplemental funding opportunity provides support for students to complete non-academic research internships. For more information, please read the “Dear Colleague Letter” from NSF and see EMPOWER’s step-by-step description of the proposal submission process (Steps for Applying for an INTERN Supplement from NSF).
Know the resources
In addition to the professional development opportunities that EMPOWER offers, there are many other resources on campus.
SU’s Graduate School Professional Development Office offers many resources and professional development opportunities for STEM graduate students, including the “Just for Master’s” and “Versatile PhD” programs. For even more resources and training opportunities, see careerservices.syr.edu.
Future Professoriate Program (FPP). Offered through the Graduate School, FPP is a structured professional development experience for those interested in pursuing tenure-track faculty positions. For more information, go to graduateschool.syr.edu.
WiSE Future Professionals Program. The Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE) program provides graduate student career development and planning opportunities in the STEM disciplines. For more information, see suwise.syr.edu.
Build your professional profile
Email signature. Details for formatting an email signature are found in the Syracuse University’s Style Guide. See brand.syracuse.edu/web-email/email-standards for more information.
Business cards. Business cards are still relevant currency for networking, particularly at conferences. Order yours before your next conference! Please contact Deanna for more information.
Professional Headshot. EMPOWER can arrange an individual portrait session with Syracuse University’s photographer. You may use the photograph for the EMPOWER website and for any other purposes as you build your professional profile. Contact Deanna for more information.
Build your webpage. You can create your own website through Syracuse University’s online platform. Please go to onlineplatforms.syr.edu/expressions to get started.
Keep communicating
When communicating your science to academic or general audiences, it is important to provide appropriate credit for support. This is done by including a statement crediting the National Science Foundation (NSF) and by using the appropriate logos.
NSF Acknowledgment of Support: information about the statement of support and the exact wording to use is found in this document.
EMPOWER Logo: downloadable versions are linked below. To view, click on the link. To save the file, right-click on the link to “Save Target As.”
- *.png file format: EMPOWER logo
- *.jpg file format: EMPOWER logo
National Science Foundation Logo: information about NSF’s logo standards and several versions of the logo are found on the NSF website (www.nsf.gov/policies/logos.jsp).
Finding Images for Websites: any photographs or figures that you post on a website should be in the public domain or you need to have permission to use them. Please read over the attached document for details about how to find appropriate images.