The less structured sessions will include small writing groups and dedicated individual writing time. For the small group sessions, participants will be preassigned to groups of 3-4 people for the purpose of soliciting peer feedback on their writing. For the individual writing sessions, coaches will be on hand to work with participants one-on-one.
If you are accepted into the retreat, you will need to submit two pieces of writing ahead of time for the small group work: 1) an abstract, and 2) a longer piece designed to be understandable by a general scientific audience such as the introduction to a manuscript, background section of a grant proposal, or research plan/personal statement for a job/fellowship application. The two writing samples do not need to be unpublished, nor do they need to be from the same project. As with all CSHL meetings and courses, participants will be required to respect the confidentiality of any unpublished research they may read during the retreat.
Target audience:
The CSHL Scientific Writing Retreat is designed for postdoctoral fellows and early-career faculty in all areas of biology who are actively working on professional pieces of writing such as manuscripts, grant proposals, job applications, or research/teaching/personal statements. Applications from staff scientists and more senior independent investigators are also welcome. English proficiency will be assumed; this retreat is not appropriate for scientists who are in the initial stages of learning to read, write, or speak English.
This retreat is supported with funds provided by:
Financial aid is available to help offset tuition costs. To indicate financial need, please submit a short financial aid request as part of your application materials. Financial aid requests do not affect selection decisions made by the instructors.
Cost: $1875
No fees are due until you have completed the full application process and are accepted into the course. Students should plan on arriving in Cold Spring Harbor by late afternoon on November 15th and departing after lunch on November 20th.
Before applying, ensure you have:
- Personal statement/essay;
- One letter of recommendation;
- Curriculum vitae/resume;
- Financial aid request (optional).
More details.
Your personal statement/essay should describe your current research and position, the writing project(s) you plan to work on at the retreat, and what you hope to gain by participating in the retreat.
If you are not ready to fully apply but wish to express interest in applying, receive a reminder two weeks prior to the deadline, and tell us about your financial aid requirements, click below:
For more on this retreat, read what former trainees have said about their experience. Also, be sure to check out our growing online CSHL course alumni presence.