Purdue University Office of Professional Development Workshops

Purdue hosts several grant-seeking related workshops and office hours for postdoctoral scholars. The three below are offered on a monthly basis.

How to Find and Prepare Fellowship Applications

Whether you’re just getting started or looking to sharpen your approach, this workshop offers practical strategies and helpful resources to support your fellowship journey. We will cover different types of fellowships available, general strategies to strengthen any application, tips for searching effectively for fellowship opportunities, and highlights of popular fellowships among Purdue students. You’ll also learn about the resources and support offered by the Fellowships Office to help you succeed.

NIH Fellowship Opportunities for PhD Candidates and Postdoctoral Scholars

This workshop covers two NIH fellowship opportunities for late-stage PhD students and postdocs pursuing research careers in field that improve human health: the F32 Postdoctoral Fellowship and K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award. The F32 provides up to three years of postdoctoral training support and is open to U.S. citizens, US nationals, and permanent residents who are either in the final year of their PhD or within the first two years of a postdoc. TheK99/R00 supports up to two years of mentored postdoctoral training followed by up to three years of independent research funding once a tenure-track faculty position is secured. This award is best suited for experienced postdocs with 1-2 years to training time remaining U.S. citizenship or permanent residency is not required. The workshop also introduces the NIH Loan Repayment Program, which repays up to $50,000 annually of qualified educational debt in return for those conducting NIH mission-relevant research. We will provide an overview of each opportunity, strategies for submitting a winning application, and resources available through the Fellowship Office to help you succeed.

Fellowship Coaching Hour

The Fellowship Writing Coaching Hour provides an opportunity to learn about fellowship topics that matter most to you. Our fellowship coach will have a selection of short presentations prepared, and participants will vote on which one(s) to cover during the session. You are also welcome to bring your own questions. Presentation topics include: How to avoid common fellowship application mistakes; How to condense a fellowship draft to meet page requirements; How to plan a research project for a grant or fellowship application; Letters of recommendations for fellowships; Fellowships for non-STEM students; Fellowships for non-US citizens; Computational fellowships; Fellowships for postdoctoral scholars.

NIH F Award Workshop Series

OGSPS partners with the Office of Research and the Purdue Institute for Cancer Research to host a 6-month long workshop to help grads and postdocs submit an NIH F Award application for the April 8 deadline. The series begins in September and ends in February, but you can join along at any time. Please see the Information Sheet for more details.

For more information, email trainee-funding@purdue.edu

Grant Writing Course

The OGSPS Fellowship Office offers a virtual, asynchronous, 1 credit course to start great grant writing habits. Postdocs can audit the course with instructor permission. The next course will be offered spring 2026.

To request to audit, email trainee-funding@purdue.edu  

K99 Writing Circle

Are you interested in writing a K99/R00 application but daunted by the process? Postdoctoral Affairs is coordinating a grant writing circle to help provide mentoring, accountability, and peer support!

If you are interested, complete this online form and we will get back to you with more details ASAP.

Indiana CTSI Office Hours and Trainings

Indiana CTSI (Clinical and Translational Science Institute) hosts a grant writing office hour on the first and third Wednesdays of each month. At each session, a speaker will discuss a relevant topic and answer questions. Topics range from finding collaborators, to designing clinical trials, to effective self-promotion. Use the link to register!

Learn how to be a better grant writer by participating in an NIH-style peer-review experience led by Indiana CTSI! Review applications for the annual CTSI Postdoc Challenge after participating in a reviewer training. Reviewer training is in March followed by the review session in April. Click the link to learn about the current year’s challenge and dates.

Grantseeking 101 for Graduate Students and Postdocs Webinars

Purdue’s Postdoctoral Affairs is part of a BIGTEN+ Postdoctoral Affairs Support Network. This network hosts a quarterly webinars focused on grant writing. As a Purdue Postdoc, you will be notified of upcoming webinars through the Postdoc Listserv and bi-monthly Postdoc Professional Development Newsletter.

NCFDD Free 14-Day Writing Challenge

Writing is one of the most critical aspects of academic success, yet it’s often deprioritized in the face of competing demands. The 14-Day Writing Challenge is a free, structured opportunity for faculty, postdocs, and graduate students to develop consistent writing habits, stay accountable, and make real progress—all in just two weeks.

The Fall Challenge runs September 8 – September 21, 2025.
The Winter Challenge runs November 3 – November 16, 2025.

Stanford Online Writing in the Sciences Course (Free!)

This course teaches scientists to become more effective writers, using practical examples and exercises. Topics include: principles of good writing, tricks for writing faster and with less anxiety, the format of a scientific manuscript, peer review, grant writing, ethical issues in scientific publication, and writing for general audiences.