Resources for Students, Trainees, Post-Docs,
Medical Residents and Fellows 

Are you a trainee or otherwise new to research, global public health or clinical tropical medicine? Are you looking to get more involved? This page is for you, to help you build fundamental skills and perspectives for a successful start to your career.

"If there was ever a professional medical society that has embraced the equity agenda, embraced inclusiveness at scientific meetings, embraced trainees and students – I understand a third of us gathered here are either trainees or students – I can’t think of any other and it is an honor, as ever, to be a member of this Society." –
the late Paul Farmer, MD, PhD Co-Founder and Chief Strategist of Partners In Health, 2017 Annual Meeting Keynote








 

What ASTMH Offers You

(click on a link below to explore the benefits)

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ASTMH  Join Our Global Health Community

 

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ASTMH Career Center

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2024 Pre-Doc/Post-Doc Board Members


Winter Okoth, PhD
Insitute for Glycomics, Griffith University
1 Parklands Drive
Southport QLD 4215
Australia

"I’m passionately engaged in the fight against malaria through research, policy and advocacy besides active involvement in the community through leadership, volunteering, teaching and mentoring platforms."

Hannah Steinberg, PhD, MSPH
University of Illinois Chicago
1200 W Harrison St, Chicago, IL 60607

"ASTMH is full of trainees and professionals such as myself who wish to leverage their skills and interests to work on critical problems in tropical medicine. As fields have become more siloed and more specialized, ASTMH continues to provide a critical venue for the exchange of ideas and interdisciplinary advancement."

In 2018, for the first time in ASTMH’s history, students, trainees, residents and post-docs were elected to the Board of Directors. This was accomplished by the membership, which voted to change the Society’s bylaws and add two voting member seats to the Board filled by pre-docs and/or post-docs. The Society understands the value and importance of having these voices in this high-level leadership role that focuses on strategy and fiduciary responsibilities.
 

 

”Trainees are our future and our hope, and there is no greater role of ASTMH than to cultivate and advance their professional development. This includes formal programs such as symposia and abstract presentations, pre-meeting courses, research and travel support, and through the informal networking and mentoring that comes with being a member and attending our Annual Meeting and other events with the brightest minds in tropical medicine and global health.” – 2022-23 President Daniel G. Bausch, MD, MPH&TM, FASTMH

 

































































 

Join ASTMH

Student Membership – reduced rate $15 
Available to full-time undergraduate and graduate students in the fields of global health, international health, tropical medicine or a related discipline.
*Includes free membership to the ASTMH subgroups 

Post-Doctoral/Resident/Fellow Membership reduced rate $25

Available to full-time post-doctoral students, medical residents and fellows pursuing studies in the fields of global health, international health, tropical medicine or arelated discipline. 
*Includes free membership to the ASTMH subgroups

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“The Society has evolved to understand and respond to the needs and expectations of trainees. We have reduced membership fees for trainees and for people from poor countries; we offer financial support from the Burroughs Wellcome Fund, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and a dozen other awards and fellowships; and we have trainee-specific events at the Annual meeting, including symposia and lunchtime meetings to discuss career development and manuscript preparation, among other topics.” - Steve Higgs, PhD, FRES, FASTMH, 2016 President









 

Subgroups

Why join a subgroup? Read what your colleagues have to say

ASTMH membership reflects a wide range of expertise in tropical medicine. For this reason, Society subgroups provide unique forums for members to engage in core scientific, educational, advocacy and policy issues related to a specific expertise with fellow stakeholders of similar interests. Benefits of becoming a subgroup member include receiving information on networking, pre-meeting course and symposia activities planned for Annual Meetings to enhance career development.
 
American Committee on Arthropod-Borne and Zoonotic Viruses (ACAV)
Promotes the study of arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) through training and travel fellowships, advocacy, and advising the scientific and public health communities in the areas of virus classification, laboratory safety and biocontaiment.

"ACAV has acted as a great home for me in ASTMH as a student involved in arbovirology and enzootic virus research. Since joining my first year of graduate school, I've witnessed the great opportunities ACAV provides for trainees of all levels. Our tight-knit group makes it easy to network with incredible mentors, get first glimpses at cutting-edge arbovirus research and access multiple funding opportunities for conference travel and international work. Our student/trainee leadership group includes undergraduates to post-doctorates transitioning into PI positions, making it a great, well-rounded and supportive group for trainees of all levels. The student group also works closely with ACAV executive council, which fosters great cross-generational relationships. I'm especially proud of the international representation in ACAV, which allows for networking across borders and has introduced me to great lifelong friends I otherwise would have never met. If you are interested in working in the field, expanding your research across international borders or simply love emerging viruses, join ACAV to get in on the fun" 
– Rachel E Lange, University at Albany, ACAV Councilor for Trainees
 
American Committee of Medical Entomology (ACME)

Promotes medical entomology in ASTMH and in organizations whose scopes of activities include the area of human diseases transmitted by arthropods.

"I am excited to join the ACME council to engage and learn from a diverse range of scientists within the medical entomology field. I also really appreciate the level of engagement that ACME offers to its membership, especially through facilitating educational initiatives and advancing discussions and contributing to various guidelines in the entomology field. I thrive in group settings as I am a team player and problem solver who always takes initiative to advance any task given to me. I expect these attributes will be to the advantage of my fellow young professionals within ACME as I undertake the various tasks set out for the 2024 year as an ACME trainee representative." 
– Akilah Stewart, MSc, PhD, Indiana University School of Medicine, ACME Student Representative  
 

American Committee on Clinical Tropical Medicine and Travelers' Health (ACCTMTH)

The clinicians' group within ASTMH, which includes civilian, military and governmental experts in travelers' health, tropical infection and tropical disease.

"Being a part of the ACCTMTH subgroup has been a great experience for me, as I am confident it would be for any trainee interested in tropical and travel medicine. As a global community, the clinicians' group provides a unique platform for connecting with experts and leaders in the field, networking and actively contributing to educational initiatives. Members find many opportunities to meet passionate clinicians and clinician-scientists, which leads to mentorship and collaboration. We promote educational events such as webinars and symposia. Through engaging discussions, members stay informed about the latest clinical research and developments in tropical medicine, travel medicine and migrant health. The ACCTMTH has not only helped me develop professionally in this exciting field but has also allowed me to make meaningful connections while learning from colleagues with shared goals."
– Hendrik Sy, MD, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, ACCTMTH Student Representative 
 

American Committee of Molecular, Cellular and Immunoparasitology (ACMCIP)
Facilitates interactions among scientists who work in the varied disciplines of parasitology, especially in basic laboratory, pre-clinical and translational research, clinician sciences and population-based sciences.






 


"Joining ACMCIP as a trainee has provided me the opportunity to develop as a scientist through presentations and networking with a wide array of researchers investigating all fields of parasitology. The ability to meet, learn from and collaborate with these investigators creates an environment that fosters the development of knowledge and understanding. The value of having these different methods and viewpoints that arise from an environment such as ACMCIP is immeasurable. ACMCIP trainees are encouraged to participate in various events and competitions (e.g., three-minute thesis competition) that have helped me and other trainees hone their science communication skills and gain confidence when investigating the fields of parasitology, tropical disease and human health as a whole."
Claudia Rohr, PhD (Candidate), Medical College of Wisconsin, ACMCIP Councilor for Trainees


"First off, parasites rock. There is so much to be learned from studying parasitology at the molecular level (can you tell I’m a chemist?). This includes the development of new treatments, along with uncovering more about the unique biology that parasites possess. Joining the ACMCIP is a great opportunity because it allows you to connect with many different scientists who are working toward a common goal, but in varied subdisciplines. For instance, though I work on parasitic flukes, at the recent ASTMH Annual Meeting I was able to network with scientists who work across all phyla – roundworms, tapeworms, malaria, trypanosomes, etc. Interacting with individuals who not only have similar interests to you, but who work outside your field, supports the generation of new, outside-the-box ideas, fosters collaborations, and allows you to be introduced to other topics and receive training you hadn’t considered. Consider joining today! You won’t be disappointed!"
Daniel J. Sprague, MD, PhD, Medical College of Wisconsin, ACMCIP Councilor for Trainees


ASTMH Committee on Global Health (ACGH)
Promotes the development of the field of Global Health, which addresses multidisciplinary transnational approaches to health issues that unfavorably affect underserved and under-resourced populations.

"Global Health is a vastly broad field and can be part of so many other fields. Being part of the ACGH not only provides access to individuals within your interests but also allows you to be introduced to other topics or receive training that you hadn’t considered." 
– Camila Tompkins, MPH, M.Ed, Arizona State University, ACGH Councilor for Trainees


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ASTMH Annual Meeting


2024 ASTMH Annual Meeting
October 23-27, 2024 (Wednesday through Sunday)
New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center
New Orleans, Louisiana

2023 Annual Meeting comments:
  • "The breadth of fields and disciplines represented at this conference was extremely helpful and informative."
  • "The clinical sessions were great. Keep it up!"
  • "Great to see climate work interspersed."
 

Opportunities of Interest to Pre- and Post-Docs

First-Time Attendee Orientation

If you are new to the ASTMH Annual Meeting, don’t miss our Point of Entry session. ASTMH staff will orient new attendees to the schedule, session structure and highlights of the Annual Meeting. Meet others attending the meeting for the first time and expand your professional network while learning the ins and outs of the meeting.

The TropStop – Student/Trainee Lounge

This casual setting, designed with students, trainees and residents in mind (coffee, internet), is your place for a break from the fast-pace of the meeting and relax with colleagues and friends. Check out the “Office Hours,” held in the TropStop. This will be your opportunity to meet up-and-coming professionals in the fields of tropical medicine, global health, science and industry who will share their personal career paths and answer your questions about the various bumps and forks in the road.

Young Investigator Award Competition

The Young Investigator Award is presented to outstanding young researchers during the Annual Meeting. This award encourages developing young scientists to pursue careers in various aspects of tropical disease research. 

ACCTMTH Clinical Research Award Competition

This award recognizes excellence in clinically-oriented research presented by students (within six months of completing, undergraduate or master’s level training, including medical undergraduate degrees) or those in graduate medical training, of work submitted and presented (oral or poster) at the ASTMH Annual Meeting. 

Student Reception

The ASTMH Board invites students, postdoctoral fellows and residents to the student reception. This reception is an opportunity to meet fellow trainees, network with colleagues and mentors and engage in conversation with Society leaders.

Meet the Professors

Students and trainees are especially encouraged to attend these interactive sessions, which are open to all meeting attendees. The speakers will present a clinical case of a tropical disease specific to a particular region that they have found a challenge to manage or diagnose. The Professors will discuss how their career has developed as examples for students and trainees.

AM16-Speed-Networking.jpgSpeed-Networking with the Experts

Students and young career scientists have an opportunity to briefly meet experts who represent each of the subgroup fields, including scientists in global health, clinicians, epidemiologists, entomologists and basic research scientists.

Annual Business Meeting

After you’ve heard the science, come hear how the Society operates – the other 51 weeks of the year. Hear about future plans for the Annual Meeting, the Society and its subgroups.

 

ASTMH Webinar on Writing Abstracts

How to Write an Abstract. Keke Fairfax, PhD, a member of the ASTMH Board of Directors and Scientific Program Committee, offeris tips and techniques for writing a high-quality abstract that will help present a topic accurately.

 
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Funding Opportunities

Alan J. Magill Fellowship - $50,000 (Low/Low-Middle Income Countries only)

Created by the ASTMH Council in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to honor the life, example and legacy of Alan J. Magill, MD, FASTMH, a widely recognized and respected leader in the global tropical medicine community. The Magill Fellowship provides funding of $50,000 for a period of up to two years to one recipient to support mentorship, career and/or leadership development projects for ASTMH members in the early-to-middle stage of mid-career in low/low-middle income countries focusing on leadership development in tropical medicine. Magill Fellows will work closely with a mentor (ideally an ASTMH member) who will play a prominent role in the development and execution of the Fellow’s two-year plan of activities.

ASTMH/BMGF Annual Meeting Travel Awards 
To support Annual Meeting travel of selected students and young investigators from the United States and globally, this travel award offers complimentary registration for the ASTMH Annual Meeting, round-trip coach airfare to the meeting location and a small stipend.
Burroughs Wellcome Fund-ASTMH Postdoctoral Fellowship in Tropical Infectious Diseases - $65,000
Provides research support for individuals enrolled in infectious disease fellowship programs who will spend a portion of their time working on research in a tropical or developing area. The Fellowship consists of two years of support at $65,000 per year to cover travel, stipend, fringe benefits, health insurance and capacity development at the overseas site. The Fellowship does not allow for indirect costs.
Benjamin H. Kean Travel Fellowship in Tropical Medicine
This fellowship is designed to support medical students involved in clinical or research electives in tropical areas. Recipients received round-trip coach airfare to their research area plus a $1,000 stipend
Robert E. Shope International Fellowship in Infectious Diseases - $25,000
The Fellowship provides $25,000 in support for international training opportunities in arbovirology and emerging diseases for those with an MD, DVM, PhD or the equivalent.
Centennial Travel Award in Basic Science Tropical Disease Research - $25,000
This award provides $25,000 in support of a short-term research experience in the tropics.
Young Investigator Award
To recognize the work of young investigators and to encourage developing scientists to pursue careers in various aspects of tropical disease research. This award is given for work presented at the Annual Meeting. Winners receive a $900 cash award, First-Tier Mentions receive a $600 cash award and Honorable Mentions receive a $450 cash award. 


Subgroup Funding Opportunities


American Committee on Arthropod-Borneand Zoonotic Viruses (ACAV)
Student/Post-Doc Travel Awards
Eligibility Requirements - Eligibility is limited to graduate students and post-doctoral fellows who are actively conducting arbovirus research. The award recipients will present their research either orally or as a poster during the Annual Meeting. Additionally award recipients will present “lightning talks” about their research as part of the ACAV annual business meeting, which occurs during the ASTMH meeting.

American Committee on Clinical Tropical Medicine and Travelers' Health - Clinical Group (ACCTMTH)
Clinical Research Awards
Eligibility Requirements - Eligibility is limited to students (within six months of completing undergraduate or master's level training, including medical undergraduate degrees) and post-doctoral fellows who are conducting clinically-oriented research with scientific clinical content. The applicants must be available to present their work during the ACCTMTH Clinical Research Award competition during the Annual Meeting.

ACMCIP Exchange Fellowship
Generous funding from our ASTMH parent body, along with your membership contributions, has allowed us to continue this award for 2020. It is aimed at all levels of trainees, including junior independent researchers seeking to gain new or additional research skills by visiting laboratories employing cutting-edge methods. The trainee must be or become an ASTMH and ACMCIP member.

American Committee of Molecular, Cellular and Immunoparasitology (ACMCIP) Award for Advanced Training
This ACMCIP sponsored award is designed to encourage trainees to explore new parasitological systems, obtain advanced knowledge in cutting-edge research topics and technologies and make new collaborative connections. Applicants must be members of ACMCIP and can use the award to attend a post-graduate level training course in any field of molecular, cellular or immunoparasitology research that is at least one day in duration. To avoid conflicts of interest in selection, ASTMH Pre-Meeting Courses are not courses that can be supported by this award. The award will defray up to $750 of travel expenses and the winner will be recognized at the ACMCIP Business Meeting.

ACMCIP Travel Award for Low or Low-Middle Income (L/LMIC) Trainees
Eligibility requirements - Eligibility is limited to a current ACMCIP student or trainee primarily living and working in a Low or Low-Middle Income Country (L/LMIC), not based full-time in a U.S. or European research institute. The applicant must be a member of ACMCIP, and submit an abstract to the ASTMH Annual Meeting in the fields of molecular, cellular or immunoparasitology research. 
(To see ACMCIP non Annual Meeting related awards click here)

American Committee of Medical Entomology (ACME)
ACME Young Investigator Travel Awards

Applicants at the Masters, Doctoral and Post-doctoral level are encouraged to apply. Three recipients are chosen according to a rigorous review process by the ACME Young Investigator Travel Awards committee, including any decisions related to eligibility of applicants for award type. Three awards will be given according to: 1) the top graduate level (Masters and Doctoral); 2) the top post-doctoral level; and 3) the top international investigator.

ACME Young Investigator Travel Award - Graduate 
Eligibility Requirements - Eligibility is limited to any graduate student who is currently conducting research that directly or indirectly involves arthropods of medical importance. The award recipient will present his/her research either orally or as a poster during the Annual Meeting.

ACME Young Investigator Travel Award - Post-Doctoral
Eligibility requirements - Eligibility is limited to any post-doc who is currently conducting research that directly or indirectly involves arthropods of medical importance. The award recipient will present his/her research either orally or as a poster during the Annual Meeting.

ACME Young Investigator Travel Award - International (Country of primary institution must be non-U.S.)
Eligibility requirements - Eligibility is limited to any international student who is currently conducting research that directly or indirectly involves arthropods of medical importance. The award recipient will present his/her research either orally or as a poster during the Annual Meeting.

ASTMH Committee on Global Health (ACGH)
Student/Post-Doc Travel Awards

Eligibility requirements - Eligibility is limited to graduate students, medical students, residents and post-doctoral fellows who are conducting global health research and actively participating in advocacy, program implementation or networking efforts for global health. The award recipients will present their research either orally or as a poster during the Annual Meeting.

ACGH Award for Research Support 
Eligibility requirements - Designed to support research expenses for trainees who have approved research projects that are currently active or will start during 2020. Trainees can use the award to support travel to field sites, purchase equipment, software, reagents or supplies, or cover other expenses that will enhance the project.

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Advocacy


Make Your Voice Heard in Washington, DC
ASTMH advocates for strong U.S. funding for and adoption of evidence-based
policies that promote tropical medicine/global health.

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Additional Resources


Creepy Dreadful Wonderful Parasites
A Parasitologist's View of the World
Diagnose the Parasite Case of the Week, hosted by Bobbi Pritt, MD, MSc, of Mayo Clinic, a member of the ASTMH Clinical Group (ACCTMTH) subgroup.

MESA Track
A living database that captures research projects and institutions’ portfolios in malaria elimination and eradication.

This Week in Parasitism
Podcast about eukaryotic parasites hosted by Vincent Racaniello, PhD, and ASTMH members Dickson Despommier, PhD, and Daniel Griffin, MD, PhD, of Columbia University Medical Center.

This Week in Virology
Podcast about viruses - the kind that may or may not make you sick. Hosted by Vincent Racaniello, PhD, and member Dickson Despommier, PhD, of Columbia University Medical Center, with science writer Alan Dove, poxvirologist Rich Condit and adenovirologist Kathy Spindler.

Wellcome Trust International Master’s Fellowships
(formerly Master’s Fellowships in Public Health and Tropical Medicine)
Offers nationals of low- and middle-income countries the opportunity to receive training at a Master’s degree level.

Wellcome Trust International Training Fellowships
(formerly Training Fellowships in Public Health and Tropical Medicine)
Offers nationals of low- and middle-income countries the opportunity to receive training at postgraduate or postdoctoral level.

Wellcome Trust International Intermediate Fellowships 
(formerly Intermediate Fellowships in Public Health and Tropical Medicine)
Offers nationals of low- and middle-income countries the opportunity to lead their own research programs. 

Have a suggestion for another resource? Contact Doug Dusik [email protected].

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ASTMH Values and Promotes Diversity

  The Society takes great pride in its diverse membership. Through its elected and appointed leaders, committee structure, awardees, Annual Meeting presenters, etc., ASTMH strongly encourages diversity with regard to gender, race/ethnicity, country, and organization (including academia, governmental and non-governmental institutions, and for-profit companies).

 


 
 
 
 
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