What Has Been Achieved:

Forced to move to an online format, GlycoMIP’s inaugural summer school was held via Zoom from June 7-11, 2021. Originally intended as an in-person, laboratory focused event for 20 participants, the event instead drew registrations from nearly 300 participants across 25 countries. Actual participation included 199 individuals. The virtual format also allowed for 15 instructors, far more than would have been included in an in-person event. Because so many registered, GlycoMIP was able to establish a contacts database of 300 individuals.

Importance of the Achievement:

GlycoMIP takes its goal of broadening participation seriously, and the success of the online Summer School helped reach a wide audience, introducing students and scientists to the science and services offered by the MIP. Participants from five HBCUs registered in advance. We could not have achieved such a broad reach through an in-person event.

Unique Feature(s) of the MIP that Enabled this Achievement:

GlycoMIP has a large and renown group of faculty investigators. The virtual format of the program allowed us to engage many of GlycoMIP’s faculty as well as an expert in chiroptical spectroscopy from Vanderbilt University, an automated synthesis expert from Germany, and a highly respected rheometry scientist from the private sector. GlycoMIP’s diverse faculty group and their individual networks enabled us to build an exceptional program.