Workshops
The Center for Writing & Oral Communication offers workshops to help you build your communication skills across a range of academic and professional situations. All workshops are open to enrolled University of Maryland graduate students and postdoctoral scholars free of charge. A comprehensive calendar of all our workshops is available on our home page.
Have an idea for a workshop you’d be interested in attending? Interested in a workshop tailored to your disciplinary writing situation? We welcome suggestions for workshops and will design programs for specific disciplinary needs. Please contact Dr. Linda Macri with questions or suggestions.
Academic Job Documents Retreat
Beginning in late August, the Graduate School will provide a range of workshops and support for those preparing for the academic job market during this application cycle. Find the full details here. Deadline to apply is September 3.
Beyond the Prof's Virtual Academic Job Market Bootcamp: Aug. 19-23, 12-12:45 pm ET, daily – sessions on cover letters, research statements, teaching statements, and diversity statements. Create an account to watch the webinars or the recordings.
Virtual Document Review Sessions:
Friday, Sep. 6, 2-4pm: Research Statements & CVs
Friday, Sep. 13, 2-4pm: Diversity Statements & Teaching Statements
In-Person Retreat, Friday, 10am - 3pm, Sep. 20 (ESJ 0201)
We will focus on cover letter feedback and preparing for first interviews with the search committee. You will have time to write, reflect, ask questions, and engage in mock interviews.
Preparing for Job Talks: Friday, 2-3:30 pm, Oct. 18 (virtual)
We will discuss the purpose, structure, and preparation of job talks in the context of on-campus interviews.
Literature Review Series
In conjunction with Research Education at University Libraries, the CWOC will offer this series on understanding and developing the literature review. A literature review documents the disciplinary conversation you are joining as you embark on answering your own research questions and is generally a first step in any research endeavor. All sessions in this series will be held virtually.
Understanding the Literature Review -- Sept. 24, 12-1pm Register here
New to research writing at the graduate level, or getting ready to write your first literature review? Not sure how to start the process of a literature review? Join us for this workshop to understand the fundamentals of a literature review.
Searching for Sources -- Sept. 26, 12-1pm Register here
How do you run an efficient and effective search when looking for sources and citations for a literature review or other research project? Join us to learn about how to frame and conduct your search on databases and search engines, and get a brief introduction to citation managers.
Citation Managers: Introduction to Zotero -- October 8, 1-2pm Register here
Zotero is a free, open-source citation management software useful for keeping track of bibliographic information and generating citations and bibliographies. This workshop is designed for new users of Zotero and will cover creating bibliographies. Other topics will include adding items to the library, in-text citation generation, changing citation styles, organizing citations.
Reading and Note-Taking -- Oct. 15, 12-1pm Register here
You’ve collected your articles—now you have to read them! Join us to learn more about reading for writing, effective note taking, and writing brief summaries for the literature review process.
Equitable Citation Practice – Oct. 29 at 12pm registration coming soon
Citation practice has broad implications for who gets a voice in academia. Yet even while improving equity practices in education and grant-funded research is increasingly mandatory, research still suggests that scholars with marginalized identities are under-cited, across disciplines. In this workshop, you’ll learn why diversity in citation is crucial and how to build a more equitable citation practice in your writing and research.
Using Generative AI Ethically and Effectively in Your Writing and Searching -- details coming soon
ChatGPT and other AI resources can be valuable tools in searching for and summarizing the literature and in other writing, but their use also comes with a range of ethical concerns. What is the value of an AI generated summary of research? Will AI resources help me find and understand all the sources I need? Is it ethical to use AI to generate text when it can’t be listed as an author? What are the expectations of journals and publishers around the use of AI in scholarly writing? How can you use AI both effectively and ethically as you continue to develop as an academic writer?
Fellowship Application Workshops
Applying for the President's Postdoctoral Fellowship Series
The President's Postdoctoral Fellowship Program is open to students across disciplines and is offered by many universities across the country, each with slightly different application procedures. While the content of these workshops will focus on the President’s Postdoctoral Fellowships, that material will be relevant to most postdoctoral program applications.
Applying for a President’s Postdoctoral Fellowship – Tuesday, August 20, 12-1pm (via zoom) registration
The President's Postdoctoral Fellowship Program is open to students across disciplines and is offered by many universities across the country, each with slightly different application procedures. In this session, we'll introduce the fellowship program and discuss how to begin your application, including how to find a mentor.
Writing the Research Proposal for Postdoctoral Applications -- Thursday, Sept. 12, 12-1pm (via zoom) Register here
A research statement is a standard element of a postdoctoral application. In this workshop, we'll discuss how to write a research proposal, with a particular focus on the President's Postdoctoral Fellowship Program, though the ideas will apply to most applications.
Writing the Educational Background Statement for the President's Postdoctoral Fellowship Program -- Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2-3pm (via zoom) Register here
The President's Postdoctoral Fellowship Program requires a statement of educational background, a unique document that asks applicants to combine a personal statement with a diversity statement. In this workshop, we'll look at some examples of successful statements and discuss writing an effective statement for your own PPF application. Registrants are invited to bring a draft of their statements to the workshop for development.
Applying for External Funding
September 25, 11am-12pm (virtual) and September 26, 12:30pm-1:30pm (2124 Lee) Register here
Applying for fellowships and grants is an essential skill for 21st century academics. Many–but not all– fellowships available for graduate students are related to dissertation completion (and many have late October/early November deadlines). Join us for this workshop to find ways to search for available fellowships and grants and to understand how to craft an application. The workshop is repeated twice, once virtually and once in person.
Applying for Graduate School Fellowships
December 4, 2-3:30pm, December 5, 2-3:30pm, December 11, 10-11:30am (virtual) registration coming
The Graduate School offers two popular fellowships for doctoral students: the Semester Dissertation Fellowship and the Summer Research Fellowship. Applications for both are due early in the spring semester. Join us for this workshop to learn more about the fellowships and how to write an effective application.