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Dear Postdoctoral Community,
This month we kick off the Vanderbilt Sesquicentennial with events throughout 2023. I hope you will take the opportunity to participate in this unique celebration at some point this year.
Later this semester, I hope you will join us in celebrating our outstanding postdoctoral fellows and faculty at our Spring Postdoc Awards Ceremony on Tuesday, May 23.
We have several opportunities to get involved as we finish this semester. The OPA has partnered with the Center for Teaching for a Diversity Statement workshop in April. The Vanderbilt Postdoc Association will host Speak Easy events in March and May and a social event in April. Details will be announced soon.
Finally, we have new ways to connect with our office through Twitter and Instagram. I hope that this will bring more up-to-date information on programming or resources straight to you. Those links can be found below.
As always, do not hesitate to reach out if I can be of assistance.
Best,
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C. André Christie-Mizell Vice Provost for Graduate Education Director, Office of Postdoctoral Affairs Dean of the Graduate School Centennial Professor of Sociology
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Office of Postdoctoral AffairsNow on Socials!
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VPA Speak Easy - March 16 at 5:00 p.m.
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The Graduate School and Office of Postdoctoral Affairs have partnered with Dr. Emily Roberts, personal finance educator and founder of Personal Finance for PhDs, to offer three tax return workshops for tax year 2022.
The workshop, How to Complete Your Grad Student or Postdoc Tax Return (and Understand It, Too!) is available in three versions, each containing special features for the following populations:
- Graduate students who are United States citizens/residents
- Postdoc non-employees (postdoctoral scholar, trainee, or research fellow trainee) who are United States citizens/residents
- Graduate students and postdocs who are non-residents in the United States
Upon registering, you will receive login information via email. After logging in, you will be able to access the workshop materials, including module videos, transcripts, worksheets, and spreadsheets. There are also opportunities to join live via Q&A calls throughout tax season.
Please visit the following landing page to register by Friday, March 10 at 5:00 p.m. CT:
As a disclaimer, please note the following:
- These are educational workshops for informational purposes only
- These workshops should not be regarded as individual tax or legal advice
- Each person should consult their tax advisor or seek guidance for their particular situation
- Vanderbilt University has not reviewed or approved the information and does not endorse the presenter or her company
Any questions may be directed to Graduate School Deputy Director of Operations Annie Hornung.
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Scientist in the Classroom - Applications Now Open
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Applications are now open for established postdocs to apply to the Scientist in the Classroom Partnership program. This program is a wonderful opportunity for scientists, engineers, and other STEM professionals that are interested in engaging local middle school teachers and students in weekly hands-on experiments. Selected fellows are partnered with a MNPS teacher to co-teach science lessons and conduct experiments one day each week during the school year. It’s a great way to gain teaching experience and build connection with the next generation of citizens and future scientists. A monthly stipend for the fellow’s time is awarded.
More information and the digital application can be found on the CSEO website.
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Diversity Statement Workshop with Center for Teaching
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NIH Request for Information on Postdoctoral Research Training and Career Progression
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) seeks information from extramural research community members regarding the current state of postdoctoral research training and career progression within the biomedical research enterprise. NIH is particularly interested in understanding the perspective and experience of recent and current postdoctoral trainees, postdoctoral office leaders, as well as graduate students considering becoming postdoctoral trainees within the academic sector. To learn more about this opportunity and to submit information, please visit their website here.
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English Language Center Postdoc Workshop Series
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These three sessions are intended to provide the resources and space for international postdocs to discuss, practice, and ask questions about the postdoc experience in the US. Attendees will have opportunities to meet and interact virtually with other international postdocs, submit materials for individualized feedback, and receive supplementary materials online.
Click Here for more information and the workshop schedule.
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Inclusive Leadership: A 3-Part Leadership Skills Workshop Series
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How can leaders create a culture where everyone feels they are valued, fostering an environment where everyone can and will meaningfully contribute? Students will explore these themes during this three-part Inclusive Leadership Series hosted in partnership with the Graduate and Postdoc Academic Success (GPAS) Program. Participants will have the opportunity to take the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI), which will include an individual debrief session with our certified IDI administrators at the Student Center for Social Justice and Identity. Although students can register for individual sessions, we strongly encourage participants to attend all sessions in the series for the full benefit.
Session III: Tools for Inclusive Leadership Tuesday, March 21 | 12:15 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. | Alumni Hall 206
These workshops are open to all graduate school students (PhD, MA, MFS, MLAS & MS) and postdocs. Spaces are limited and registration is required.
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BRET Office of Career Development ASPIRE Program
The BRET Office Career Development ASPIRE Program provides career and professional development services and enrichment activities for PhD students and postdoctoral fellows in the biomedical sciences at VU and VUMC.
Upcoming Events Hosted by the BRET Office of Career Development:
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Graduate and Postdoc Academic SuccessThe Graduate & Postdoc Academic Success (GPAS) are here to support graduate students and postdocs with anything that keeps them from doing their best academic work. They provide strategies to address concerns around progress and productivity, as well as, navigating academic relationships. They address your needs through 1-on-1 consultations and success planning sessions. Additionally, both of their staff members are Gallup-Certified Strength Coaches and able to give you access to the CliftonStrengths Assessment to help you accomplish your best work utilizing an authentic approach to who you are and how you show up. If you are interested in meeting with one of the staff members, you can schedule an appointment here. If you ever feel like you are “stuck” in your writing and/or research, we hope that you will reach out and connect with them.
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This workshop series is designed to promote expert performance by exploring common issues impacting graduate and professional students and postdocs. During each session, we will briefly cover theory and research on the topic and provide a space for attendees to discuss their related experiences and to gain support and consultation.
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| The Margaret Cuninggim Women's Center is an on-campus office and resource to help celebrate and empower women in both their professional and personal aspirations, helping to boast their overall lives as they navigate through their time at Vanderbilt University. You can read more about the Women's Center on their website and by attending some of their upcoming events below! Please note RSVP's are required.
March is women's history month! Special programming led by the Women's Center throughout the month can be found here.
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Scientist Mentoring & Diversity Program - Applications Open
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The one-year career mentoring program pairs ethnically diverse students and early career researchers with industry mentors who work at companies in the medical technology, biotechnology and consumer healthcare industries. With their mentors, Scholars attend a 5-day training session to learn about career opportunities in industry and receive career development coaching. They also attend a major industry conference.
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Postdoc Spotlight: Jeanne Ishimwe, Ph.D.
Jeanne Ishimwe is a postdoc in Dr. Annet Kirabo’s lab at VUMC working on the interaction between excess dietary salt and the gut microbiome in the genesis of hypertension. Read about her work and how she immigrated from Rwanda at age 17 in pursuit of her college education in our March postdoc feature here.
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Save the Date! 2023 Postdoc Symposium
The 2023 Postdoc Symposium will take place on Friday, November 17 in the Student Life Center. Look out for more information as we get closer to the event.
For more information on past symposia, please visit the VPA website.
Get involved by joining the Symposium Planning Committee.
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The Career Center is proud to present their free, self-service photo booth. Just step inside, pose, and share!
Located in the Student Life Center, this resource is free and available to the entire Vanderbilt community. The photo booth is available for use anytime the Student Life Center is open. Check out this flyer for more details!
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Call for Applications! DAAD Networking Tour
The DAAD AInet Fellowship is awarded bi-annually to a group of international early career researchers in the field of artificial intelligence. Awardees will be invited to join the Postdoctoral Networking Tour in Artificial Intelligence (Postdoc-NeT-AI), a two-step networking program are are included in the DAAD AInet Fellows & Alumni Network, which offers long-term access to German AI research, and brings together researchers from all around the world. For information and to apply, please visit their website here.
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Libraries' Digital Scholarship and Communications Office (DiSC)
The Libraries’ Digital Scholarship and Communications (DiSC) Office will present a variety of workshops and lesson series this spring to help you build your technical skills. For more detailed information and registration links, visit their website here.
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Employee Affinity Groups
Employee Affinity Groups (EAGs) are open to all Vanderbilt employees, regardless of identity. Staff, faculty, and postdoctoral scholars who identify as part of or have a close affinity to these groups are encouraged to attend. You can learn more about which group you identify most with from our options below:
Association of Vanderbilt Black Faculty and Staff (AVBFS)
Women & Working Moms
To learn more about Employee Affinity Groups or to join, visit the EAG website.
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National Postdoc Association
NPA SmartSkills: Take Charge of your Immigration Education
Come learn how to use your professional development activities to create an immigration portfolio by prioritizing activities that satisfy the immigration criteria for substantial merit or the National Interest Waiver while increasing competitiveness for diverse careers. Register here for the March 28 virtual course.
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Nature Masterclass
Nature Masterclasses are developed by Nature Research and provide professional development training for researchers by drawing on the expertise of Nature Research journal editors and experts. Faculty, staff, postdocs, and students of Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt University Medical Center are free to sign up at https://masterclasses.nature.com/.
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