Update from Jackie Lavigne, DCEG Training Director

February 23, 2024, by Jackie A. Lavigne, Ph.D., M.P.H.

There are many exciting changes happening in DCEG and across the fellow community. The latest in the evolution of the training environment at the NIH is the news that intramural fellows have voted to unionize. DCEG welcomes this new structure to support fellows and remains committed to providing a robust training experience for all participants in the DCEG Fellowship Program.  

The DCEG Office of Education has partnered with the DCEG Communications Team to reinvent the way we reach potential trainees and support fellows already in the Division.  

We streamlined and redesigned our Fellowship & Training pages to make applying easier and added a link to research news on studies published by our fellows. Each fellow has a biography page that describes their research focus and links to their publications on ORCID or NCBI.  

Fellows are encouraged to optimize platforms like LinkedIn, where many are building the critical networks that lead to jobs in academia, industry, or other sectors.

In addition, we have expanded the types of communication we are using to connect with potential fellows.

We launched a new LinkedIn Showcase page to help alumni and collaborators keep up with all our news. Be sure to follow us! 

We released the ‘Why Be a Fellow @ DCEG’ series, a four-part collection that features fellows talking about the unique advantages of the DCEG Training Program: our vibrant community, opportunities for collaboration, outstanding mentoring, and comprehensive training focused on preparing for your future. I loved working with the team to talk about our training program and celebrate our amazing fellows.

Watch all four 'Why Be a Fellow @ DCEG' videos on the NCI YouTube Channel.

As our training program continues to grow, we are committed to ensuring a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace paired with an exceptional training experience. To that end, we are collaborating with Erica N. Johnson, Ph.D., M.A.E., Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Resource Specialist, to build relationships with institutions across the U.S. that we haven’t traditionally connected with and demystify the application process for opportunities within DCEG, NCI, and the broader NIH Intramural Research Program.  

While the focus of the DCEG Fellowship Training Program is the future career success of our fellows, we are equally committed to the success of the entire Division; every person must be supported in their career trajectory for the Division to flourish. Working with Anil Chaturvedi, Ph.D., senior investigator, and Senior Advisor for Faculty Development, we developed the concept of a learning community across all positions in DCEG. In January, staff participated in the first Career Development Week, a collection of workshops hosted by the NCI Office of Workforce Strategy and Effectiveness, panel discussions with DCEG staff, and breakout discussions to plan and commit to individual career development goals. 

In the coming months, staff from the Office of Education will be traveling to several meetings. We would love to connect with you! Alumni and potential fellows can find me or Diane Wigfield at the following meetings in 2024:  

• June - Society for Epidemiologic Research (SER) 
• October - Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS)  
• November - Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minoritized Scientists (ABRCMS)  

If you have questions about our training program or would like to learn more about the experience of our fellows, visit the Fellowships & Training pages or send an email. Former fellows, we would love to stay in touch with you! Consider volunteering for a Q&A with Former Fellows, a regular feature in Linkage and on the website.