3.1.1.2 Interdisciplinary Research Seminar (HRS-960)
Interdisciplinary Research Seminar (“Seminar”) is a one-credit weekly seminar held throughout the duration of the program. The seminar is designed to evolve with student progression in the program, addressing their developmental needs as they work toward achieving program goals. It supplements foundational and advanced skill development in grant writing, scientific thinking, and dissemination, while also building essential professional skills such as communication, giving and receiving feedback, and navigating the academic work environment.
Seminar sessions include faculty-led instruction, student-led discussions, peer feedback opportunities, structured workshops, and research presentations. Seminar aims include: 1) exposing students to diverse, current research topics and designs in rehabilitation sciences; 2) offering opportunities for students to share and receive feedback on their work; 3) fostering scientific communication and scholarly discussion skills; and 4) providing ongoing professional development in a collaborative environment.
Students are expected to attend all seminar meetings and participate actively in all seminar activities and discussions. They are required to present at seminar, submit documents and other materials for review, provide written and verbal feedback to peers, and contribute substantively to seminar dialogue. Presentations may include literature reviews, proposed research or grant ideas, research updates, or study results. The course is graded on a pass/fail basis. During the first two years of the program (for SLP Track – see curriculum plan), students are required to register for HRS- 960, attend in person, and actively participate.
Following the completion of 6 credits of HRS-960, students are strongly encouraged to regularly participate in Seminar as part of their ongoing training, and as part of RS-997 and RS-998 Continuing Student courses. The expectation is that each student will present in Seminar at least once per year before they defend their dissertation and that they all will continue to enrich our scholarly community by sharing their knowledge and experiences, contributing to discussions, and leading professional development initiatives during Seminar. Seminar is a key forum for building knowledge and skills central to the role of a researcher: thinking critically about interdisciplinary rehabilitation science, asking informed questions, engaging in professional scholarly dialog, recognizing and applying effective presentation skills, embracing opportunities for collaboration, and applying learned skills to advance scholarly work. All students are required to present at the program’s Spring Research Presentation Day, which is organized through the Seminar course.