Megan Tarte is a fourth-year Ph.D. student at the University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine.
In the following blog post, Tarte describes her experience attending a conference in Barcelona, Spain, and reflects on how a connection she had made two years earlier unexpectedly became a pivotal part of her journey toward an F31 award. From a chance professional connection to a successful fellowship application, Tarte explores how relationships built through conferences can have a lasting impact on a researcher’s career trajectory.
Megan Tarte in the Jassen-Heininger lab at the Larner College of Medicine.(Photo Andy Duback) 
Megan Tarte in front of her poster at the scientific conference in Spain. (Courtesy Photo) 
Group photo of many of the students at the conference (Courtesy Photo) 
Megan Tarte (left) and Yvonne Janssen-Heininger, Ph.D, M.S, (right), university distinguised professor of pathology and laboratory medicine, vice chair for research at the Larner College of Medicine, and co-leader of the Cancer Cell Research Program at the UVM Cancer Center. (Photo: Andy Duback) 
Dr. Janssen-Heininger (left) and Megan Tarte (right, in Spain. (Courtesy Photo).
“Two days before Christmas, I was sitting at my desk in the lab when my score was posted. I had to refresh the page twice because I was certain I had misread it. I called my PI immediately, who was enjoying time with family. Her excitement and pride carried through the phone.” — Megan Tarte
From Small Talk to Big Opportunity
Two years ago, I stepped off a plane in Barcelona feeling equally excited and terrified. I was a first-year Ph.D. student attending my first scientific conference, feeling like everyone there was far more knowledgeable and experienced than I was. What I didn’t realize was that one conversation during that trip would help shape my entire research training, strengthen my NIH F31 fellowship application, and bring me back to the same conference as an invited Discussion Leader two years later.
The first year of my Ph.D. program was deeply rewarding yet undeniably challenging. I felt a sense of nostalgia – back in the same classrooms, and even seats, that many years prior had shaped my decision to pursue a career in research. I knew I wanted to pursue a Ph.D., but I don’t think I fully understood what that decision would entail. I remember sitting in my first lecture thinking, ‘I got this. I was able to handle an intense course load and extracurriculars in undergrad – How different could this be?’ The difference became quickly apparent. Between taking courses, teaching, spending long hours in the lab, and adjusting to the expectations of graduate-level research, there was a significant learning curve. By the end of my first year, I was ready for a break, until an unexpected opportunity arose.
I was approached by my PI, Dr. Yvonne Janssen-Heininger, about the opportunity to attend a biochemistry conference outside of Barcelona, Spain, shortly following the completion of my qualifying exam. I was excited by the opportunity, though admittedly a little intimidated. I had yet to go to a conference as a Ph.D. student, let alone an international one. The moment I landed in Spain, my nerves gave way to excitement about the week ahead. I quickly immersed myself in the environment of trainees and established PIs. Conference days were long – filled with presentations, scientific discussions, and opportunities to network with researchers from around the world. Evenings offered a change in pace where we shared meals and glasses of wine while continuing conversations in a setting that felt less like a conference and more like a community.
Here, I met another first-year graduate student named Taylor in the lab of Dr. Edward Chouchani of Harvard Medical School. We discussed our shared anxieties about attending an international conference for the first time, the highs and lows of graduate school, and importantly, our research interests. I shared these conversations with my PI, who recognized an opportunity for collaboration and helped turn that initial connection into a relationship that would eventually become a pivotal part of my Ph.D. training.
When Conversation Turns into Collaboration
My undergraduate experience at UVM provided me with a clear image of the career I wanted to build, one that combines research, mentorship, and teaching. This ultimately led me to pursue a Ph.D. with the long-term goal of becoming a professor. With my career goals solidified in my mind, I knew I wanted to pursue an F31 fellowship as an important step in becoming a PI. An F31, formally referred to as the NIH Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Predoctoral Fellowship, is a competitive fellowship that supports doctoral students pursuing research training in health-related fields. Beyond a funding mechanism, the F31 is an early-career milestone that helps doctoral students establish independence, strengthen their research trajectory, and position themselves competitively for the next stage of a career path in academia.
My PI was the first to approach me about writing an F31. Having successfully navigated the grant writing process herself, she understood how valuable the experience could be for my career development and encouraged me to pursue it. Her support helped me turn an idea into something tangible. The process of writing the F31 was nothing short of a challenge. If I’m being honest, imposter syndrome was a constant companion. I frequently questioned whether I was qualified for an opportunity like this and whether my work measured up. Coupled with some significant personal challenges happening behind the scenes, there were times when the finish line felt much farther away than I expected, and I wasn’t sure that I could make it there.
After the application was submitted, the waiting game (which was complicated by government shutdowns and funding uncertainty) began. Two days before Christmas, I was sitting at my desk in the lab when my score was posted. I had to refresh the page twice because I was certain I had misread it. My proposal scored in the top 13 percent of applicants. I called my PI immediately, who was enjoying time with family. Her excitement and pride carried through the phone. I had to hold back tears as we both basked in the moment of pure relief after months of revisions, doubt, and waiting. As I hung up the phone, I reflected on how many people had contributed to that outcome. Looking back, the F31 would not have come together without the connection with Dr. Chouchani. What began as a brief exchange about our overlapping research interests became a working relationship. Dr. Chouchani quickly became invested in my development as an independent scientist and enthusiastically wrote me a letter of support for my application. His additional support strengthened my training plan and the innovative potential of the proposal. Taking that first step was the hardest, but with the support of people who believed in me, I discovered what I was truly capable of.
My Full Circle Moment
At the beginning of this year, I was contacted by Taylor about the opportunity to attend the same conference again, but this time to serve as a Discussion Leader. Returning to the Gordon Research Conference two years later, not as a first-time attendee but as an invited Discussion Leader, was a shift I could hardly have imagined when timidly walking into the conference auditorium just two years prior. The difference from my first visit was impossible to miss. This time, I could feel the support of the scientific community around me. I walked into that same auditorium with a new sense of confidence. Familiar faces greeted me alongside new colleagues, and for the first time, I claimed a seat in the front row for the entire conference, something I never would have had the confidence to do during my first visit. Being welcomed back so warmly reinforced something I had only begun to believe in my first visit: that I truly belonged there.
Again, days were filled with meaningful discussions among trainees and established researchers in our field. These conversations carried into the nighttime, though often paired with dessert and a shot of espresso. I was also honored to receive three awards during the meeting: a GRC Travel Award, Best Poster, and Best Poster Pitch. As I walked up to receive my Best Poster Pitch certificate, a renowned investigator in the field, and organizer of the conference, stopped me along the way to whisper, ‘This was well deserved – you rocked it!’ I was humbled by the recognition, but these honors would not have been possible without my immediate and extended community. I left feeling grateful, and more committed than ever, to pay that generosity forward.
Why Showing Up Matters
Looking back, none of the opportunities that followed – the F31, the collaborations, returning as a Discussion Leader, or receiving conference awards – started with the grant application. They all started with a simple conversation. That’s why I encourage any early-career scientists to say ‘yes’ to opportunities that push them outside their comfort zone, even when their schedule is full and their imposter voice is loud. You never know which conversation, connection, or experience will shape your future. Sometimes the most important part of a conference isn’t in the science you present, but the people you meet along the way.
