SEEDS Workshop
August 24-28, 2025 at the University of ChicagoAnnouncing the fifth annual mentoring and career-enhancement program, SEEDS Workshop, for early-career neuroscientists.
Deadline: April 18, 2025
Financial Support: All accepted scholars will receive travel and accommodation support from one of the sponsors listed below.
Sponsors: American Psychological Foundation (APF MFP fund), International Brain Research Organization (IBRO), Alzheimer’s Association, Burroughs-Wellcome Fund.
THE WORKSHOP
The program begins with an intensive workshop to be held at the University of Chicago on August 24-28, 2025, to be followed by 6-10 months of individual career-development coaching. Eligible SEEDS participants are early-career M.D., M.D./Ph.D., and Ph.D. scientists in neuroscience-related fields who cannot access opportunities for mentorship and training due to constraints around institutional resources, personal networks, and other factors.
SEEDS is a privately funded program whose goal is to increase the successful transition to and retention of emerging neuroscientists into academic positions. The program will provide neuroscientists with long-term mentoring and professional enrichment, with a particular emphasis on assistance with preparation, submission, and revision of career development and research grant applications to NSF, NIH, and other private foundations.
In the initial workshop, participants will form small grant-coaching groups, facilitated by a senior faculty member. These groups will meet in person during the workshop and then engage in virtual meetings for 6-10 months to revise and hone grant applications prior to submission. Therefore, applicants should be planning to submit a career development (e.g., NIH K or NSF Career Award) or research grant (e.g., NIH R or NSF standard) application within 6-10 months of the workshop.
Other structured activities during the workshop will address issues that impact the persistence of early neuroscientists in academic careers, such as the perception that they do not belong in the scientific community, isolation and solo status, and negotiating institutions and tenure.
ELIGIBILITY
SEEDS encourages applicants from all backgrounds, with respect to age, race, color, religion, creed, nationality, ability, sexual orientation, gender, and geography.
Eligible SEEDS Workshop participants are early-career M.D., M.D./Ph.D., and Ph.D. scientists in neuroscience-related fields.
“Early career” includes senior postdoctoral researchers, assistant professors, assistant research professors, and other pre-tenure level academic positions.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
Application Materials:
- Curriculum vitae/resume
- One-page description of proposed grant application (Specific Aims page for NIH applicants; Project Summary for NSF applicants), including planned submission deadline
- One-page personal statement describing your commitment to an academic career, your research area, availability of scientific advisors, and expectations of the workshop
- Two letters of reference
Applications for the 2025 SEEDS Workshop are currently closed.
Previous Participants
2025
Olamide Adebiyi D.V.M., PhD, University of Saskatchewan
Dario Aspesi, PhD, Georgia State University
Brenda Cabrera-Mendoza, MD, PhD, Yale University
Carlos Cardenas-Iniguez, PhD, University of Southern California
Erynn Christensen, PhD, Northwell Health
Amelia Cuarenta, PhD, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Can Dong, PhD, Stanford University
Tahra Eissa, PhD, University of Colorado
Claudia Espinosa-Garcia, PhD, Yale University
Rodolfo Flores Garcia, PhD, University of Texas at El Paso
Joshua Gill, PhD, New York University
Suelyn Koerich, Pharm.D., MSc, PhD, University of Texas
Sailee Sham Lavekar, PhD, Houston Methodist Research Institute
Rebecca María Parodi-Rullán, PhD, University of Puerto Rico
Deborah Rose, MD, Johns Hopkins University
2024
Alzahraa (Zahra) Amer, PhD, Northwestern University
Kynon Jade Benjamin, PhD, Northwestern University
Karl Y. Bosque-Cordero, PhD, University of Illinois, Chicago
Hector D. Bravo-Rivera, PhD, National Institute of Mental Health
Anthony Q. Briggs, PhD, New York University
Cellas Hayes, PhD, Stanford University
Rachael Heuer, PhD, University of Miami
Jorge Jaramillo, PhD, University of Chicago
Suelyn Koerich, Pharm.D., MSc., PhD, University of Texas
Carine Lampert, PhD, University of Alabama at Birmingham
Richard Lopez, PhD, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Ana Paula Mendes-Silva, PhD, University of Saskatchewan
Bonnie M. Scott, PhD, University of Texas at Austin
2023
Camila de Avila Dal-Bo, PhD, Arizona State University
Elvisha Dhamala, PhD, Northwell Health
Antonia Kaczurkin, PhD, Vanderbilt University
Debra Karhson, PhD, University of New Orleans
Seetha Krishnan, PhD, University of Chicago
Farrah Madison, PhD, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Lisa Maeng, PhD, University of Massachusetts Boston
Naomi Lee, PhD, Northern Arizona University
Mariajose Metcalfe, PhD, University of California, Irvine
Carlene Moore, PhD, Duke University
Jadiel Wasson, PhD, New York University
2022
Nicole Cruse, PhD, Sacred Heart University
Amelia Cuarenta, PhD, Temple University
Stacey Glasgow, PhD, University of California, San Diego
Okunola Jeyifous, PhD, University of Chicago
Kyunghee Kim, PhD, University of California, San Francisco
Rodrigo Lopez Gonzalez, PhD, Case Western Reserve University
Mahmoud Maina, PhD, University of Sussex
Christopher Norris, PhD, University of Pittsburgh
Cristina Roman-Vendrell, PhD, Marine Biological Laboratory
Rammohan Shukla, PhD, University of Toledo
I-Chen Ivorine Yu, PhD, Indiana University
Chao Zheng, PhD, Yale University
2021
Byron J. Aguilar, PhD, Boston University
Robert Carrillo, PhD, University of Chicago
Victor Cazares, PhD, Williams College
Eyemisi Damisah, MD, Yale New Haven Hospital
Bernard Fongang, PhD, Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases
Joyonna Gamble-George, PhD, New York University
Autumn Ivy, MD, PhD, University of California, Irvine
Nelly Joseph-Mathurin, PhD, Washington University in St. Louis
Farr Niere, PhD, Wake Forest University School of Medicine
German Plascencia-Villa, PhD, University of Texas at San Antonio
Shivon Robinson, PhD, Williams College
Carlos Rodriguez, PhD, Mind Research Network (MRN)
Cristina Roman-Vendrell, PhD, Marine Biological Laboratory
Sally B. Seraphin, PhD, Trinity College
“I feel much more confident in my ability to write a successful grant, but more importantly, I feel more prepared to be a good mentor and establish a lab culture that I can be proud of.”
“I am extremely excited about the content provided in the SEEDS workshop. This information I can use as I continue on my career path. I am glad to have made new connections at SEEDS and will continue to use this network in the future.”