Dear trainees,

As 2019 draws to a close, we want to thank each and every one of you for your support. This year, you, our trainees, continue to achieve great success through research collaborations and our award programs. Your participation in and contribution to the Trainee Association further strengthen our core mission to provide a vibrant learning environment for the GlycoNet trainee community.

We have been actively planning the professional development workshops and networking activities for our 2020 Canadian Glycomics Symposium and GlycoNet Annual General Meeting, which will take place May 19-22, 2020. We have carefully evaluated your feedback from last year and adjusted the activities accordingly. By doing so, we hope to bring something new to the conference and improve the experience of our attendees in the future.

Appreciation for a great year

We would also like to give a special shout-out to the trainees who represented GlycoNet at the Canadian Science Policy Conference in November 2019. We hope the sessions on science policies, open science, science communications, data privacy, etc., broadened your horizons and prompted you to think about science from a different perspective.

In addition, we want to extend our appreciation to the trainee bloggers who contributed to our CuriOSEity blog this year. Your stories and pieces of advice are instrumental to fellow trainees. We look forward to hearing more stories from all of you in the coming year.

Funding program to support trainees

There are several exciting funding opportunities for trainees in the new year. Our training committee is launching the new “Research & Travel Supplements Program”, aimed at supporting trainees who want to conduct a research exchange program, or who want to advance their knowledge and skills through conferences and workshops. Another opportunity is the “Advanced Training Opportunity Program,” where trainees will be able to lead a junior student through a small project. These awards are excellent opportunities for trainees to develop as research leaders with well-rounded skills as part of their academic career. The deadline for the next application cycle is approaching: Jan 15, 2020. Make sure you don’t miss it!

In 2020, we encourage you to continue to visit our website for ways you can get more involved. If you have any questions about getting involved with the Trainee Association, please contact one of our executive members. We would be happy to chat and help.

Before we conclude the message, we present you an original and festive poem—just in time for the holidays.