Dear Postdoctoral Community, 

I hope you are having a great start to the summer. Thank you for your continued hard work and contributions to the Vanderbilt community. I encourage you to take time to rest and recharge when you can. 

As we move into the next phase of the Vanderbilt Postdoctoral Association (VPA) election cycle, I encourage you to take a moment to cast your vote for the upcoming 2026-2027 Executive Board. Your participation is an important opportunity to help shape the future of postdoctoral programming, advocacy, and community-building efforts. Your voice matters. 

As always, please don’t hesitate to contact me if I can support in any way. 

Best, 

C. André Christie-Mizell
Vice Provost for Graduate Education
Director, Office of Postdoctoral Affairs
Dean of the Graduate School
Centennial Professor of Sociology

Voting is now open for the 2026-27 Vanderbilt Postdoctoral Association (VPA) Executive Board. Please take a moment to review the candidates and cast your vote to help shape postdoc programming, advocacy, and community in the year ahead. Your voice matters

As a reminder, the available positions to vote for are: 

More information on the VPA can be found on their website. Information on the purpose and function of the VPA and each elected position can be found in the VPA Bylaws. 

Elections are open through Friday, June 19. Elected members will attend the July VPA Executive board and take over thereafter. 

The VPA is looking for current Vanderbilt Postdocs to serve as mentors for the Postdoc Buddy Program!

The goal of this program is to systematically match new, incoming postdocs with current Vandy postdocs based on multiple factors that the buddies deem fruitful for a match to help build a supportive, welcoming community! Interested? Complete this quick survey. 

The VPA team will notify you when you have been matched with an incoming postdoc!

Please note that the Lounge in Alumni Hall (100) will be closed for June and July while renovations are completed. Students who are seeking space to work or socialize are encouraged to use the Collaboration Space at The Broadview at Vanderbilt. 

Any current graduate student can access the Collaboration space 24/7 with their Commodore ID!

Vahid is a postdoctoral scholar in Biomedical Engineering, where he develops advanced optical imaging technologies for biomedical and clinical applications. His work focuses on optical coherence tomography for cancer detection and low-cost screening tools. He is also actively involved in community building through the Vanderbilt Postdoctoral Association.

This month's workshop is focused on how navigating career choices as a postdoc can feel overwhelming, but a thoughtful, structured approach can make the process more manageable and empowering. This interactive workshop will guide participants through self-exploration activities to identify skills, values, and interests. From there, the NPA will introduce resources and strategies for career exploration, as well as practical approaches to the job search process. They will emphasize how to align your personal values and address skill gaps. Towards the end of the workshop, participants will begin building a strategic professional development plan designed to prepare them for their career(s) of choice within a realistic time frame. Attendees will leave with greater clarity, practical tools, and concrete next steps to move confidently toward their next professional step. Register here for the June 23 virtual course.

The GPAS staff will offer weekly 'co-working' sessions throughout the summer on Tuesdays from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. in Alumni Hall Local Java Seating Area for anyone to come by and work alongside them. This time can be used for writing, planning or other academic projects. Stacey or Nick will be there to discuss any goals setting or accountability questions you may have. If you are looking for a quiet space to work on projects in the company of colleagues, this is the place to stop in. They will also provide free coffee (and sometimes snacks)! See you there!

No registration required.

Ready to take your mentoring and supervision skills to the next level?

Don’t miss the Effective Mentoring Strategies for Postdocs workshop — your essential guide to mentoring now and into your academic future!

This interactive session will help you build foundational skills in:

📅 Friday, July 17, 2026

Gain tools to mentor and supervise with confidence and clarity—now and in the future. Presented by the Graduate & Postdoc Academic Success Office and the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs.

Let’s build a stronger future—together.  Note:  this is a repeated program offered in Spring and Summer.  If you have already participated, this will not include new material.

The English Language Center (ELC) is offering expanded resources to support postdoctoral scholars in strengthening their academic communication skills. Postdocs can enroll in the self-paced Academic Communication for Post-Docs course at any time through the ELC website.

Graduate and Postdoctoral Career Success (GPCS) supports academic and non-academic career and professional development of postdoctoral fellows in non-biomedical STEM, Humanities, and Social Sciences disciplines. 

GPCS has weekly virtual drop-in hours on Mondays from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. and on Thursdays from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. beginning on June 1 through July 31. More details can be found on Handshake (see link above). 

Postdocs can request a 1:1 appointment with Dr. Keeton via Handshake.

The BRET Office of Career Development ASPIRE program supports biomedical postdoctoral fellows in the School of Medicine and VUMC. 

CV/Resume Drop-In Clinic
EVERY Tuesday | 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. | Light Hall 707

The Vanderbilt Collaborative for STEM Education and Outreach (CSEO) is seeking science and education graduate students and postdoctoral fellows interested in joining our STEM Educator Learning Community as a part of the Scientist in the Classroom Partnership (SCP) program for the 2026-2027 academic year.

This is a training program for graduate students and postdocs to learn and implement STEM education practices in collaboration and service with classroom teachers and their students. Intended benefits to the scientist include – exposure to STEM education, experience translating real world science to the classroom, education skill and workforce development, mentorship, outreach & community involvement.

Upon completion of the year-long program and all required training components, participants will earn a “Certification of program completion in Innovative K-12 STEM Education” and a service-free stipend.

Take a NEW STEP forward with us and join our Vanderbilt Scientist-Teacher-Educator Partnership (VSTEP).

More information and the digital application can be found on our website (https://vu.edu/scp).

The UC San Diego Rady School of Management is now accepting applications for its Summer 2026 MicroMBA, an eight-week virtual program designed for graduate students and professionals, particularly those with STEM backgrounds interested in building foundational business skills.

Running July 8–August 26, the program features 12 live online sessions, networking opportunities, and interactive discussions held Mondays and Wednesdays from 4:00–6:30 PM. Participants will explore key topics including finance, marketing, business analytics and AI, leadership, and innovation.

The program is open to individuals who have completed an undergraduate degree. The application deadline is June 19, 2026, and the cost is $525 for graduate students and postdoctoral scholars.

Apply here or visit the MicroMBA website for more information.

Registration is now open for the Summer 2026 Skills for Health & Research Professionals (SHARP) program, featuring 30+ hands-on boot camps for health and research professionals at all career stages. Trainings cover a wide range of topics from data science and grant writing to emerging areas like metallomics and computational toxicology, and are offered in in-person, virtual, and hybrid formats. Scholarships are available for many courses. Explore the full lineup and apply here.

The NIH Summer Course in Clinical and Translational Research for basic science researchers will be offered virtually this year at no cost. This intensive, introductory program is designed to explore the role of PhD scientists in clinical and translational research, highlighting how basic science discoveries and clinical observations intersect to drive innovation in human health.

Through lectures, discussions, and small group activities, participants will gain foundational knowledge in key areas such as study design, protocol development, scientific and ethical review, and medical product development. The course also offers valuable opportunities to engage with NIH researchers and program administrators, learn about unique NIH resources, and explore potential career pathways within the NIH.

Eligibility:
Open to doctoral students and early-career PhD investigators in the basic sciences who are currently affiliated with a U.S. institution and have limited clinical research experience. Advisor or supervisor approval is required.

Application Details:
Applicants must submit a cover letter, NIH-format biosketch, and a letter of recommendation from their advisor/supervisor. Letters of recommendation are due July 1, 2026, and applicants will be notified of decisions by July 10, 2026. Enrollment is limited.

Learn more and apply through the NIH Summer Course application process here.

Join the VandyPostdocs Slack channel, where they offer dedicated channels for all general announcements, calendar events for all postdoc-related activities, job postings, social events (both formal and informal), and discussion about anything and everything!

Are you a postdoc that has been awarded a new fellowship or accepted a faculty position? Have you published a high-impact journal article or had your book accepted for publication? Let OPA know so we can celebrate through our newsletter, website, and social media.

The 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. 

Career Center Photo Booth - 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.

Holy Days Calendar - The Vanderbilt Holy Days Calendar provides a broad list of major holy days throughout the year and includes recommended accommodations for community members observing each holy day. For more information, please read the communication here.

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/.