The Ph.D. Starter Pack
Starter pack memes are the "talk of the town" on social media. However, we want to provide the ultimate Ph.D. "starter pack" to get you resources you need to make grad life easier. Searching for funding? Writing the dissertation? Looking for some encouragement or community? This post will cover blogs, web pages and organizations that Ph.D. scholars should be aware of.
Funding
20 Great PhD Scholarships and Doctoral Grants for Minorities - Great College Deals lists 20 Ph.D. scholars and grants that fund minority scholars who are pursuing their doctorate. Descriptions of the scholarships include the award amount, deadlines and links to the scholarship site. The Institute has partnerships with a few of the organizations on the list.
Career
Minority Postdoc.org - This site includes articles, resources, event information, career advice, job postings and many other services aimed at helping minority scholars to transition to postdoctoral positions. Many services are related to those in the STEM fields, but still check it is still well worth a look for those who are not in those fields.
Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) - The HACU seeks to promote the development of member colleges and universities and improving access to quality post-secondary opportunities for Hispanic students. This organization offers scholarships and internships to Hispanic students. They also hold a three day conference that is designed to build career skills in Hispanic student attendees, and a portal to post your resume for recruiters to view.
The PhD Project - This group's mission is to increase workplace diversity by influencing more minorities to pursue business degrees/careers. They provide support for minorities in business Ph.D. programs and various conferences focusing on different aspects of business. While their focus is on business Ph.Ds., they have an event page that lists many events pertaining to minority Ph.Ds.
American Association of Blacks in Higher Education - This organization pursues the educational and professional needs of Blacks in higher education with a focus on leadership and issues impacting students, faculty and staff. They also have a conference, leadership and mentoring institute and award ceremony for influencers in higher education.
Black Women in Science and Engineering (BWISE) - BWISE's purpose is to empower and develop Black women who have degrees in STEM. Erica Johnson, executive director, hosts career chats, and has integrated a robust LinkedIn group that provides leadership and career development resources.
Blogs/Social Media
@VanguardSTEM - This is a live, monthly web-series that features a rotating panel of women of color in STEM. The conversations are moderated by founder, Dr. Jedidah Isler, astrophysicist and TED Fellow. Topics include wisdom, advice, tips, tricks, resources and other current events related to women of color in STEM. #VanguardSTEM also boasts a strong twitter presence.
Grad|Logic- Founded by Chris Golde, a previous Associate Vice Provost with 25 years of higher education experience, Grad|Logic is a blog that helps doctoral students to "thrive while they are students, and helping them make successful transitions into their professional lives." The blog includes dissertation writing advice, teaching tips, and an informative series entitled "Three Keys" which lists three takeaways from various higher education related issues.
#phdchat - Twitter chat channel created by Nasima Riazat (@NSRiazat on Twitter) who runs a live #phdchat session for UK and European Students at 2:30pm EST usually on the first Wednesday every month. Even though the focus is on UK students, many of the topics discussed relate to US Ph.Ds.
From PhD to Life - Jennifer Polk, Ph.D. and Academic, Career and Life Coach runs a blog and career coaching service that helps scholars explore their passions and widen options to include nonacademic careers.
Written by Chanell Turner, Publications and Programming Assistant of the Southern Regional Education Board Doctoral Scholars Program.