Please note: The workshop application is closed. However, the FAQs below may provide a sense of the workshop activities and participants.

What kind of participants are you looking for?

We welcome anyone who self-identifies as an emerging leader in synthetic biology, is passionate about shaping the field in the public interest, and is looking for time, tools and partners to develop their ideas. We expect many participants to be in their early careers (senior graduate students through new PIs and career equivalents). However, we welcome participants across all career stages.

What kind of speakers will be at the workshop?

Special guests, mentors, and instructors will represent diverse backgrounds and sectors involved in biotechnology development (e.g., policymakers, leaders in synthetic biology, social sciences, etc.). They will be active participants in the workshop sessions in addition to sharing their expert perspectives.

Are you seeking only U.S. participants?

We welcome international participants. For practical reasons we expect that most participants in this inaugural LeAP workshop will be US based.

Do I need a team to participate?

You absolutely do not need a team to apply. You will be working in groups during the week, but you will meet those group members at LeAP.

When does the program start and end?

Participants are expected to arrive in the early evening of September 30th before the main program begins on Monday October 1st. The program will end after dinner on October 5th. We strongly encourage, but do not require, participants to stay over on the evening of October 5th.

Are you seeking people involved directly in synthetic biology projects (e.g. developing synthetic biology tools and/or applications), or people involved in projects about synthetic biology (e.g., collaborative platforms for tools and applications development, policies for (bio)technology development), or both?

We are excited about both types of activities, and others still. For example, these two areas are strongly intertwined, and we welcome applications that describe needs/opportunities at varying scales. We will select participants with complementary perspectives and expertise.

How can I and/or my organization support LeAP?

There are many ways to get involved, including providing resources to support participants and their projects, and sharing your experiences leading innovation in - and beyond - synthetic biology during the workshop. Please contact the organizers at info@synbioleap.org to learn more.

 

What deliverables will participants be working on during LeAP?

Workshop participants work on projects that address the challenges they themselves bring to the workshop. Teams of like-minded participants can form to develop ‘strategic action plans’ for addressing a challenge in advancing synthetic biology in the public interest. The challenges - and the scope and scale of solutions - are defined by the interests and ideas of LeAP participants and guests. LeAP provides a framework for building and refining your plan, and interactions with people who can improve your ideas - and capacities to see them realized. Plans are presented at the end of the week to sponsoring organizations poised to support and scale work beyond LeAP.

 

Is LeAP structured around tackling a challenge, or is it more informational?

Both. Information sessions are alternated with working sessions. The information sessions are interactive and intended to provide practical help in tackling specific challenges in advancing synthetic biology. It is not a purely informational ‘survey’ course, but there will be a lot of information!