Facilitate a Journal Discussion Club

What are journal discussion clubs?

By leading a Journal Discussion Club, graduate students, postdocs, and staff scientists have the opportunity to teach and mentor summer interns by serving as Journal Club Facilitators for the upcoming Summer Internship Program. Postbacs may co-facilitate if they co-lead with a postdoctoral fellow or staff scientist/clinician.

Journal Discussion Clubs are designed to be low-pressure, high engagement learning spaces for summer interns ranging from high school graduates to graduate and professional students. Rather than focusing on exhaustive paper analysis, groups emphasize scientific dialogue, curiosity, and shared inquiry across a broad theme.

What does it mean to be a facilitator?

Facilitators will:

• Lead a 4-6 week discussion group (one hour-long session/week) for up to fifteen interns during typical workday hours
  • Note: group size will depend on the number of interns that register.
• Select accessible readings or materials (e.g., short papers, figures, perspectives, reviews)
• Guide conversations that prioritize:
  • Big-picture thinking
  • Multiple perspectives
  • Intern participation and dialogue
  • A welcoming learning environment to practice scientific thinking

Note: You do not need to be an expert educator or develop extensive lectures. The best sessions will rely on active learning and student-centered learning techniques (e.g. student-led discussions, think-pair-share, live polling, etc.).

Why participate?

Journal Discussion Clubs will help you develop highly transferable skills for academic, industry, and teaching-focused careers. Serving as a facilitator provides experience in:

• Discussion-based teaching and mentorship
• Scientific communication across different experience levels
• Community building and leadership

Support & expectations

OITE will provide:

• A short Q&A on the application process
• An hour-long facilitator orientation
• A streamlined toolkit that includes example formats and a facilitation guide

Toolkit - Summer Journal Discussion Clubs

Important dates & deadlines

• Deadline to apply: April 29, at 12 pm NOON (ET)
  • We will approve all clubs by: May 4
  • Your journal club will be cancelled if fewer than four interns sign-up.
• Facilitator Orientation: May 13, 3-4 pm (ET)
• Earliest Start Date: May 27

Application process

The Journal Club Facilitator application includes:

• Title
• Description
• Session information
  • Dates & times
  • Format
  • Location and/or link
  • Number

The deadline to apply is April 29th at 12 noon (ET).