FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

ABOUT OUR EVENTS

The Student Biotechnology Network (SBN) brings together students from a diverse range of departments and professional schools relating to biotechnology including the life sciences, engineering, commerce and law. It provides an autonomous forum for students to discuss and explore interests and research opportunities in academia and in the corporate world of biotechnology and pharmaceuticals.

Yes. To see which events are free of cost, visit the Event page

If there is no registration link posted the Current Event Registrations page, it means that registration is not yet open to the public. All SBN members have priority registration.  Please check back on the site at  a later date.

Please check the individual event page listed here for parking options.

Space is often limited at each of our events. If you have not registered for a SBN event we cannot guarantee entrance.

In order to recruit and obtain high quality speakers and to host our events in upscale venues we require charging all attendees.   SBN is a completely non-for-profit organization run by volunteers. 100% of proceeds from each event goes directly into the operations of SBN.

Registration closes only if there is no more space available in that event. Please contact info@thesbn.ca to be placed on a waiting list.

ABOUT MEMBERSHIP

SBN members receive a 50% discount on all event fees, as well as early registration dates which will ensure available spaces for members to all SBN events. To view the list of events to be hosted in the 2010-2011 term, click here. Members will also have access to exclusive online content on the SBN website.

By attending Building Biotech: Powering the BioEconomy, Critical Skills For Success Workshop, Biotech Expo & Conference, and Annual Networking Soiree, members would save money in event fees by paying for the membership. In addition, members will get priority when registering for the events.

Anyone can become a member with no restrictions on location or background. Membership is categorized as voting vs. non-voting. Voting members include any person who is registered as a full-time or part-time undergraduate or graduate student in any program, or appointed as a post-doctoral fellow. Additionally, any person who is currently employed as a full-time or part-time faculty, technician, lab manager, research assistant/associate at UBC to any department at the UBC. Non-voting members include individuals not associated with UBC as described before, or corporations, partnerships, joint stock company, trust, proprietorship, joint venture, or other business entity.

As of September 2010

SBN Membership costs $25 for one year. To view the perks of being a member, please visit the Membership page.

A year-long membership with the SBN costs $25. To become a member click here

In order to provide our members with the best possible service and opportunities, SBN created a new Membership Program which launched September 1st 2010.

All those who have opted into this new SBN Membership Program (since September 2010) are considered SBN Members.

A SBN Member is anyone who has purchased a membership since September 1st 2010.

ABOUT SPONSORSHIP

To learn more about how to become a sponsor and learn more about benefits and value of becoming an SBN sponsor, visit the Sponsor page of this website or contact Erika Diaz, Corporate Relations at ediaz@thesbn.ca

ABOUT MENTORSHIP

SBN’s mentorship program facilitates interactions between students and representatives from industry, government and academia.

WAYS TO MENTOR:

1. One-on-one interactions facilitated through round-table mentorship.

Students are seated with mentors in a field related to their interests.  Students are encouraged to ask questions about their interests and career goals in the hopes that the mentors seated at the same table as them can provide advice.  If the students seated at the table are unable to start a conversation, we ask mentors to chat with students about their career goals, extra-curricular activities and where they see themselves in 10 years.

2. Networking Receptions

Mentors and Students are brought together in a networking reception.

3. Career Connect

The 2010-2011 SBN season will mark our third year organizing our Career Connect, where students are brought into a local life sciences company for a half day session to observe the inner workings of a biotech company and make connections with key individuals.  If your company would be interested in hosting a Career Connect event, please contact Natalia Subrt at natalia@thesbn.ca

Yes! We are always excited to have new mentors come to our events. If you are interested in becoming a SBN mentor, please fill out the Mentorship Registration Form and we will contact you shortly after

We recognize that our mentors are busy people whose privacy and time are very important. We do not release any of your information, and we treat your mentorship with utmost professionalism. Your contact information is used for our own internal records and is safe with us.

Our mentors range from professors to CEOs to lawyers. The biotechnology industry is an amalgamation of many different disciplines, and we seek mentors in all fields related to the industry.

SBN members, like our mentors, have diverse backgrounds at all levels of education from undergraduate through post-docs. Moreover, our students have widely-ranging interests from law to business, research to medicine.

ABOUT MANAGEMENT AND VOLUNTEERS

Each spring, SBN releases all open Executive position available for the upcoming year. Both students and recent graduates are welcome to apply, however priority is given to students.

Involvement with the SBN can be at many different levels including Sponsors, Volunteers, Mentors, and Members.

For more information on how to become a volunteer please email volunteer[at]thesbn.ca

For the 2010-2011 SBN season there are 20 current students and recent university graduates on the SBN Executive Team and 6 individuals from the local life sciences industry on SBN’s Board of Directors

  • Platinum

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  • Friends of SBN