Career Development

LDI trainees are registered in approximately 20 departments at McGill and are members of the McGill Post-Graduate Students’ Society. As such, all have access to McGill’s graduate study facilities and resources, including SKILLSETS, a professional development program, writing groups, and the Career Planning Service (CaPS), among others.

Career skills guidance and workshops

Throughout the year, the LDI Trainee Committee offers career skills guidance to trainees by inviting McGill Career Planning Service (CaPS) speakers to the LDI. These include seminars on how to network, how to interview, how to create academic and non-research CVs, etc. The Committee also invites former students currently working in industry, academia, and regulatory affairs to return and discuss their career paths. Similarly, current academic leaders at the LDI speak to the trainees on how they successfully navigate their science and family life. A seminar on research ethics is mandatory for all trainees.

The Tremplin Program for Career Development

The LDI is one of the members of a multi-centre consortium at McGill participating in the Tremplin Program for Career Development, funded by the Fonds de recherche du Quebec – Santé (FRQS). This consortium includes the LDI, the RI-MUHC, the Douglas Research Centre, and the Centre de recherche en biologie structurale. The LDI organizes career workshops throughout the year to better prepare McGill graduate students and postdocs in health sciences for the job market. The workshops encompass themes varying from career planning during graduate studies to specific sessions about career paths in industry, government or academia. Every workshop is followed by a networking session, allowing trainees to interact with fellow graduate students and invited professionals, including McGill alumni working in different fields. All LDI trainees are invited to these events. LDI trainees are also welcome to register for events and activities offered by the other institutes of the Tremplin consortium.

Tremplin workshops and activities are announced on the LDI Portal (password required).

Postdoctoral fellows

Postdoctoral fellows are required to attend weekly seminars where they present their research. This not only allows them to practice their presentation skills before a diverse audience but fosters networking between them. To help prepare for the grant writing and review process, postdoctoral fellows are participants in the mandated pre-review of grant applications prepared by staff members. The LDI has created a Postdoctoral Fellow Career Path Committee to prepare them for job seminars and interviews, as well as applications for funding. This committee will also help postdoctoral fellows by reviewing their applications, CV presentations, and cover letter writing, and offering job seminars. The LDI Trainee Committee also sponsors 3-minute elevator talk contests with postdoctoral fellows as judges.

The LDI Annual Scientific Retreat

The LDI organizes together with its trainees an annual one-day Scientific Retreat – usually in May – to foster scientific and social interactions as well as networking between trainees, postdoctoral fellows and researchers at the Institute. The LDI Scientific Retreat is part of the research training of all postgraduate students and postdoctoral fellows within the Institute, and prominently displays their accomplishments.