As you approach the final stretch of your PhD, it can feel like everything is piling up at once. Between writing your thesis, publishing your work, preparing for your thesis defense, and also taking actionable steps towards your next steps after graduation... It can be an overwhelming process!

The Yale Ciencia Academy is proud to announce the launch of “Career Planning for Early Career Scientists” (CPECS), a FREE online resource developed by Yale University and the nonprofit Ciencia Puerto Rico in collaboration with iBiology and the Science Communication Lab. CPECS focuses on helping early-career scientists develop skills needed for career planning. Through short videos and exercises students learn how to explore career options, leverage a community of mentors, and develop goal-setting skills.

This summer, 16 young science leaders from 15 institutions across the U.S. and Puerto Rico kicked off their year as fellows of the NIH-funded Yale Ciencia Academy (YCA) for Career Development. Led by Yale University’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, in collaboration with the non-profits Ciencia Puerto Rico and Science Communication Labs, YCA equips biomedical and health sciences PhD students from historically marginalized backgrounds with the knowledge, skills, and networks they need to find great postdoctoral positions that will further their academic interests and career goals.