Resources
This is a mishmash of resources that I’ve found helpful and interesting over the last several years. The technical topics are typically spanning my own research/interests – centered around wearable robotics, spanning fields such as human physiology, biomechanics, robotics, and artificial intelligence. I’ve also thrown in some resources that I’ve found helpful in academia, communication, mentoring, and searching for jobs/opportunities in related fields.
I’m planning to update these lists occasionally, this was last updated on October 15, 2023
Jobs & Opportunities
JOBS & POSITIONS FOR ALL DEGREE LEVELS
Biomch-L Jobs and Positions – a jobs board on an online forum hosted by the International Society of Biomechanics
Bionics companies – list and map of companies from American Bionics
Directory of Exoskeleton Companies – comprehensive list maintained by the Exoskeleton Report
Look at lab alumni pages – having a hard time finding what types of positions/companies may be fitting for your skill set and people in your field? Check out lab websites with alumni sections! These often list where people went once they concluded their degree and can be a great place to get ideas of possible career paths.
Non-Academic Job Opportunities – I hosted a short panel conversation at ASB 2020 with a great group of people from various industry, government, and clinical jobs
Resumes and cover letters – tips from Harvard’s Undergraduate Resource Series
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
NextProf Pathfinder Workshop – Annual workshop for rising 1st and 2nd year graduate students focused on building a successful academic career in preparation for faculty positions.
NextProf Nexus Workshop – Annual workshop for upper level graduate students and postdocs focused on preparation for faculty positions.
UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES
NSF REUs – Summer research experiences for undergraduates funded by the National Science Foundation, tons of opportunities spanning all areas of STEM
NSF REUs in Biomechanics – A list of NSF REU programs that consistently have opportunities in biomechanics
Amgen Scholars – Funding program for summer undergraduate research in biomedical and biotechnology
Georgia Tech Summer Undergraduate Research in Engineering/Science – Summer undergraduate research fellowship to conduct science/engineering research at Georgia Tech
Georgia Tech Summer Undergraduate Research in Engineering – Robotics – NSF REU fellowship to conduct robotics research at Georgia Tech
Pathways to Science – Great database to find research opportunities
Shirley Ryan AbilityLab Summer Internship in Science & Engineering – Excellent position to work in rehabilitation laboratories in Chicago, I was an intern in 2018 and high recommend the opportunity
Goldwater Scholarship – Scholarship for college sophomores and juniors who show promise as a researcher in science, math, and engineering
American Society of Biomechanics B-SURE Program – summer research internship for underrepresented and underserved students in biomechanics
GRADUATE FELLOWSHIPS & FUNDING
National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP) – three-year graduate fellowship for students in STEM
National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowship – three-year graduate fellowship for STEM students whose research applies to Department of Defense funding opportunities
AAUW’s Dissertation Fellowship – support for living expenses during the final year of a dissertation
Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship – three-year fellowship for students pursuing a doctoral degree in various fields
Hertz Foundation Fellowship – up to five-year fellowship for PhD students in science, engineering, and math
DOE Computational Science Graduate Fellowship – up to four-year graduate fellowship for students in engineering and various sciences
GEM Fellowship – MS and PhD fellowships for underrepresented minority students studying engineering
Soros Fellowship for New Americans – fellowship for immigrants and children of immigrants pursuing graduate school in the U.S.
CSGrad4US Fellowship – For those interested in going back to school and pursuing a PhD in computer science, computer engineering, and information science
POSTDOC FELLOWSHIPS & FUNDING
L’Oréal USA For Women in Science fellowship program – postdoctoral fellowship for women in STEM
Ford Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship – one-year fellowship to support postdoctoral fellows in various fields of study –
Postdoctoral Funding Opportunities – comprehensive list from Johns Hopkins
Humboldt Research Fellowship – supports research in Germany
Miller Research Fellowship – supports basic scientific research at the University of California-Berkeley
Postdoctoral Recruitment Initiative in Sciences and Medicine (PRISM) – program to recruit and connect prospective postdocs with faculty at Stanford University
President’s Postdoctoral Fellowship Program – a postdoctoral fellowship program through the University of California system and a number of partner institutions to recruit women and minority doctoral students to pursue postdoc and faculty careers at host institutions
Schmidt Science Fellows – support for individuals interested in pursuing cross-disciplinary postdoctoral research, students need to originate from program’s partner institutions
Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship – fellowship support for abroad research opportunities
Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP) Postdoctoral Fellowship – support postdoc research in a biological disciplines in a country different from your PhD institution
FINDING GRADUATE PROGRAMS & LABS
Biomch-L Literature Update – I used this weekly update on biomechanics literature to find labs and PIs in research areas that I was interested in.
Programs in Biomechanics – list from the American Society of Biomechanics
Semantic Scholar – look at an author’s the “Influence” tab to find related researchers
Academic Tree – look at an researcher’s advisors, fellow grad students, and advisees to find related researchers
Join Twitter! There is a large presence of academics on Twitter and it is a great way to be exposed to new publications, who is hiring, and generally getting familiar with the community.
Read relevant review papers – review papers typically discuss a plethora of research in a specific area. Take a look at review papers you’re interested in and note researchers that are consistently mentioned as contributing to the topic. Some of my favorites in wearable robotics and biomechanics:
- A review of current state-of-the-art control methods for lower-limb powered prostheses
- The exoskeleton expansion: improving walking and running economy
- State of the Art and Future Directions for Lower Limb Robotic Exoskeletons
- Assessing the stability of human locomotion: a review of current measures
- Myoelectric control of robotic lower limb prostheses: a review of electromyography interfaces, control paradigms, challenges and future directions
- The science and engineering behind sensitized brain-controlled bionic hands
A decade retrospective of medical robotics research from 2010 to 2020
MENTORSHIP
What’s the right way to find a mentor? – article from Harvard Business Review
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Discussion on Entrepreneurship – Twitter thread summarizing topics and takeaways from a great conversation with Dr. Karl Zelik and Dr. Hugh Herr at ASB2021
OPINIONS & PERSONAL INSIGHTS
Research in Industry or Academia? – by Dr. Tanya Jonker
Other essays by Tanya Jonker – covering, research, industry, and leadership
Tips for Computer Science Faculty Applications – from Dr. Yisong Yue
Questions to ask a potential postdoc advisor – from Dr. Frankie Wade
Grad school application process – by Lara Weed