| This quarterly communication is intended for faculty and staff who support and engage with postdoctoral fellows at Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
We sincerely appreciation your continued dedication to fostering the success and development of our postdoctoral community.
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Vanderbilt Postdoc Association (VPA) Upcoming Elections
The Vanderbilt Postdoc Association will hold elections during the month of May and June. If your postdoc is looking for leadership opportunities, we encourage them to run for an elected position.
Elected positions are for 12 months and resonsibilities vary.
Positions include:
- President
- Vice President
- Advocacy Chair
- Career Development Chair
- Community Building Chair
- Scholarly Advancement Chair
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Effective Mentoring Strategies for Postdocs
Help your postdocs sharpen their supervision and leadership skills by encouraging them to attend the Effective Mentoring Strategies for Postdocs workshop this summer!
This interactive session, led by the Graduate & Postdoc Academic Success Office, will equip postdocs with practical tools to mentor with clarity and confidence—skills that are essential both now and for their academic futures.
Participants will strengthen their abilities in:
✅ Following Up & Following Through
📝 Creating Compacts & IDPs
👂 Listening with Intent
🎯 Aligning Expectations
They can choose the session that fits their schedule:
📅 Tuesday, June 24th | 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
📅 Wednesday, July 16th | 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM
🔗 Register Here
Please pass this along to your postdocs—and encourage them to invest in their development as thoughtful, effective mentors.
Let’s build a stronger research community, together.
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VU Export Compliance Changes
OPA, in collaboration with Vanderbilt Export Compliance and the Office of the Vice Provost for Research and Innovation, has been working to streamline approvals for international postdocs during the initial appointment period. Effective immediately, if the department indicates that a postdoc is not authorized to work in the U.S. or will require sponsorship now or in the future, the department will be prompted to upload a copy of the Visa Deemed Export Questionnaire (VDEQ).
We do not anticipate any delays as this is not an additional step, rather just moving up a process that would be required later in the hiring procedure. If you have any questions, please reach out to Faith Bishop, Associate Director of the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs, at faith.t.bishop@vanderbilt.edu.
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Recognizing Postdoc SuccessThe Office of Postdoctoral Affairs wants to recognize your postdoc's success. If they have been awarded a new fellowship, had their book accepted for publication, or accepted a faculty job offer, we want to know! Complete our Postdoc Recognition and Success form so we can celebrate their success and tell their story.
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Spring Postdoc Awards
Each spring the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs (OPA) partners with the Vanderbilt Postdoctoral Association (VPA) to recognize postdocs who demonstrate excellence in research, service, mentorship, and a commitment to the postdoc community, as well as their mentors who demonstrate a willingness to share expertise and advice, service to the community at large, along with other mentoring activities. We invite you to celebrate the accomplishments of our postdocs at this year's ceremony on Wednesday, May 21 at 3:00 p.m. in Memorial Hall, Alumni Hall 202, with a reception to follow. RSVP here.
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Reporting Postdoc Classification Changes
If your postdoc is moving onto a training grant or individual fellowship or coming off one of those funding sources, they may undergo a classification change. This change affects their benefits. It is very important that this funding change be reported to the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs as soon as possible, but no more than 30 days following the change. This can have benefit implications to the postdoc.
If you have any questions about postdoc classifications, please do not hesitate to reach out to OPA@vanderbilt.edu.
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Ongoing Events
Second Wednesday at 9:00 a.m.: VU New Postdoc Orientation (virtual)
Third Wednesday at 9:00 a.m.: VUMC New Postdoc Orientation (virtual)
Fourth Thursday at 9:00 a.m.: Postdoc Coffee Break (Alumni Hall 100)
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| Vanderbilt Postdoc Handbook
The Vanderbilt Postdoc Handbook is a resource for incoming and current postdocs as well as faculty and staff that work with the postdoc population. The handbook lists information regarding moving to Nashville, onboarding, campus resources, and institutional policies. All incoming postdocs receive the link to the handbook upon signing their appointment letters.
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Postdoc Recruiting Resources
The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs provides information for prospective and incoming postdocs on our website. If faculty have postdocs visiting campus for interviews or lab visits, the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs is happy to meet with them for 30 minutes to discuss benefits and resources provided to postdocs. Alternatively, the OPA can set up a Teams or Zoom call with any prospective or incoming postdocs not on campus.
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