NHGRI is dedicated to fostering a strong and diverse genomics workforce. This is most directly pursued through the institute's suite of vigorous training programs, many of which convene each year for the NHGRI Research Training and Career Development Annual Meeting. This year, the meeting — which was organized by Susanne Haga, Ph.D., and her team at Duke University working in close collaboration with NHGRI — was held April 7–9 in Seattle, Washington. The meeting welcomed about 400 extramural trainees, training program directors and coordinators, and several additional guests.

The meeting is often the first scientific conference that many of the attending trainees experience. All of the trainees are encouraged to present their research in the poster sessions, providing an opportunity to share their work in a supportive environment and to gain valuable presentation skills. The attendees are invited to attend additional scientific programming, including those providing information about career development resources, in many cases tailored to the diverse career stages and paths of extramural trainees.

This year, this programming included a plenary panel discussion, moderated by NHGRI Director Eric Green, M.D., Ph.D., in which five distinguished Seattle-based genomics researchers talked about their career journeys and their thoughts about historic advances in genomics, such as the Human Genome Project. Two evening workshops were offered to introduce trainees to the Genomic Analysis, Visualization, and Informatics Lab-space (AnVIL) and ClinGen resources, and several panel discussions were dedicated to examining important ethical, legal, and social issues in contemporary genomics. These included sessions on equity in genomics research with indigenous peoples and the ethics and governance of gene editing.

For career development, undergraduates and postbaccalaureate trainees were invited to sessions on exploring career paths in genomics. There were also presentations about working in a scientific team that were aimed at graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows were offered a session on the skills necessary to move into the job market. The meeting also featured a mentorship lunch, where trainees had the opportunity to meet and speak with various senior scientists and NHGRI staff about their career paths.

The NHGRI Research Training and Career Development Annual Meeting has been an annual event since 2016. Since a career in research can at times seem daunting for those just embarking on this path, this event provides a venue to foster support and a sense of community for NHGRI-funded trainees, equipping them with tools for success and more clarity about career possibilities. The next annual meeting is planned for April 6–8, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.