Becoming a sponsor

The Student and Postdoc Special Interest Group (SIG) represents the needs of students and postdoctoral members of the Organization of Human Brain Mapping (OHBM). Our community constitutes the single largest demographic of OHBM members.

Our SIG is fully endorsed and overseen by the OHBM Council. The Student and Postdoc SIG is run on a voluntary basis by a team of students and postdocs who are elected annually. A list of all current and past committee members is available on our website.

Our mission

Provide a community of shared interests for neuroimaging researchers in training (i.e., students and postdocs);
Represent the needs of trainees within OHBM and the wider neuroimaging community;
Provide professional, personal and career development opportunities for OHBM trainees;
Promote the achievements of trainees within the organisation and to the wider neuroimaging community;
Disseminate relevant information to trainees, including job opportunities, funding, scholarship, award and training opportunities.

Initiatives

We have several popular initiatives, some of which occur during the OHBM annual conference while others run year-round. Below we highlight some of our initiatives and plans for 2024.

-Year-round Activities-

Online Mentorship Program

The SP SIG’s online mentorship program has just completed its 7th iteration this year, which benefited over 200 mentees. This program pairs mentees with experienced mentors to facilitate the development of peer support networks for trainees or junior scientists across the world. The year-long mentee-mentor relationships facilitated by our mentorship program allow trainees to build meaningful connections with scientists across the world for career support, advice, and guidance. To date, a total of 1,335 people have enrolled in the programme. More information about the history of the program, the mentor/mentee matching process, and tips on how to launch a successful online mentorship program can be found in our published paper (Bielczyk, N. Z., Veldsman, M. et al., 2019) and blog post.

Fellowship Program

In line with our commitment to better advocate for trainees from underrepresented groups, in 2022-2023 we successfully piloted our Fellowship Program in collaboration with the Diversity and Inclusivity Committee (DIC). As part of this program, we select five fellows from minority backgrounds who are provided in-depth mentoring sessions, opportunities to highlight their profile, achievements, and stories on various SP SIG social-media platforms, conference registration and membership awards, as well as automatic spots in all our activities. We are currently recruiting for our next round of fellows.

Career Development Webinars

Each year, we organise at least one webinar on different aspects of career development. The online format allows us to cater to individuals who may not be able to attend the annual conference in person. Last year, we hosted a webinar about best practices in scientific communication. The webinar was popular, being attended by 400 attendees from all over the world. Read our blog post about the workshop here. This year, we are organizing a webinar about funding opportunities for early career researchers.

-Conference Events-

Annual Mentoring and Career Development Symposium & Roundtable

This symposium and roundtable aim to provide trainees with practical resources and guidance to thrive in their career. In the previous years, topics included alternative academic careers, using research skills in academic and clinical settings, science communication, and becoming a leading investigator in human neuroscience research. The working theme of the next symposium is Increasing International Collaboration Opportunities for Early Career Researchers. The working theme of the next roundtable is Navigating the Mentor-Mentee Relationship.

Lunch with Mentors

During this event, trainees are matched with experienced academic researchers from around the world and are encouraged to engage in an informal Q&A discussion relating to career development and progress in academic training while enjoying a catered lunch. The intimate and informal format of the event is particularly appreciated by the trainees as it allows many different topics to be addressed. Last year, 110 mentees were invited and paired with one of 15 established researchers in groups of 7-8 (mentor bios and other event details can be found on our website). Before the next conference, we will also accommodate those who are unable to attend the conference or were unable to obtain a spot at the in-person lunch by hosting a “Link with Mentors” virtual event.

The Monday Night Social

The Monday Night Social is the flagship Student and Postdoc SIG event which has become a highlight of the OHBM meeting program. Since OHBM 2010 in Barcelona, the Monday Night Social has gathered the OHBM community for a fun and light hearted social that encourages networking in a more informal setting. Last year, we warmly welcomed over 800 attendees representing diverse career stages. One of the standout moments of the evening was a live band performance by "The Synaptic Funktions of Ernst Meyer," a touching tribute to Dr. Ernst Meyer, a professor at the Montreal Neurological Institute who passionately encouraged many new neuroscientists to explore the world of music, but sadly passed away several years ago. To keep our guests entertained, we set up a photo booth and offered outdoor games like giant Jenga and basketball. Indoors, a DJ set provided a lively atmosphere, while we treated our guests to one complimentary drink and delicious ice cream throughout the evening. This was a great event for the OHBM community to network and reconnect and we received overwhelmingly positive feedback. This event has typically been run in association with sponsors; they were the Child Mind Institute and Montreal Neurological Institute in 2023.

Community Outreach

We have a thriving community and a strong social media presence, with over 7,800 followers on our Facebook page, and over 4,600 followers on Twitter (@OHBM_Trainees). Our website (www.ohbmtrainees.com), which is regularly updated with our most recent activities, has received over 8,700 page views in the past year alone. The SP SIG’s blog, which publishes articles related to mentorship and career development, has reached 14,866 views in 2023 alone. These social-media platforms have been used to highlight the success of our trainees, advertise the events organized by the SP SIG and the OHBM community in general, and share resources and job opportunities for PhD students and postdocs. Sponsors can capitalize on our community outreach by promoting jobs and training opportunities (see below).

Sponsorship Opportunities

We are currently seeking sponsorship that will support the continuation of our initiatives now and into the future. See the below infographic for benefits associated with different sponsorship levels. Note that we are accepting donations of any value. Your support is invaluable, and we extend our heartfelt gratitude to sponsors for playing a pivotal role in advancing our mission.

OHBM STUDENT & POSTDOC PARTNER - MIN SUPPORT $5000

Named acknowledgment in the event title
Opportunity to address trainees directly at events to introduce and further acknowledge sponsorship
Opportunity to work with the SIG in the design of events or initiatives
Integration of branding in promotion of SIG annual events and on social media
Named acknowledgement on all event and advertising materials
Name acknowledgement on SIG website and Twitter
Promotion of job and training opportunities to SIG members throughout the year

CAREER DEVELOPMENT SPONSOR – min support $2500

Opportunity to work with the SIG in the design of events or initiatives
Integration of branding in promotion of SIG annual events and on social media
Named acknowledgement on all event and advertising materials
Name acknowledgement on SIG website and Twitter
Promotion of job and training opportunities to SIG members throughout the year

FUTURE SCIENTIST ADVOCATE – min support $1000

Named acknowledgement on all event and advertising materials
Name acknowledgement on SIG website and Twitter
Promotion of job and training opportunities to SIG members throughout the year

OPEN SCIENCE PATRON - MIN SUPPORT $500

Name acknowledgement on SIG website and Twitter
Promotion of job and training opportunities to SIG members throughout the year