March 2026

Happy March!

It's hard to believe Spring Break is only a few weeks away. We hope you find time to do something fun!

Are you a new postdoctoral fellow? The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs is here to support you with key resources and connect you to the wider postdoctoral community.

To learn more about our office and to see a complete events calendar, please visit our website. We also invite you to join our listserv to get timely communications about upcoming events.

Feel free to email us at postdoctoralaffairs@utexas.edu with exciting updates of your accomplishments or with any questions.

Lydia and Del

Upcoming Opportunities
- Viva Travel Grant
News
Upcoming Events
Professional Development

Viva Travel Grant

Are you traveling to Mexico for research in 2026? You may be eligible for the Viva Travel Grant, in partnership with Texas Global.

The program offers up to 100 complimentary round-trip tickets to Mexico to eligible UT Austin faculty, postdoctoral scholars and students conducting research.

Additional information on eligibilty and the application process is available on the Texas Global website.

Learn More

News

Pitch Your Research, Win Cash Prizes!

Registration is now open for Empower Your Research Pitch, UT Austin's largest research communication competition. Communicate your research in just three minutes and compete for the chance to win up to $1,000.

Join a practice studio to get started and register by March 5.

Learn more

UT Postdoc Association Presents "Walk at Zilker Park"

Join the UT Postdoctoral Association (UTPDA) outside of Chuy's, Zilker at 11am on Saturday, March 7 for a walk at Zilker Park. We will also stop for lunch (buy your own) at The Picnic, Food Truck Park at 12pm. Family and pets are welcome! You can join us for lunch even if you can't make it to the walk.

Register here

UT Email Survey

Help us understand your email usage. Please respond to our 1-2 minute Postdoctoral Scholars Email-use Survey. This survey seeks to understand how continued access to your UT email currently supports your research, collaborations and career continuity at UT Austin.

Take the Survey

Upcoming Events

Join us for our spring 2026 monthly professional development workshops! Lunch will be served at all in-person workshops.

Texas Symposium on Machine Learning, Responsible AI & Robotics

Tuesday, March 3, 8:45 a.m.-4 p.m., Etter-Harbin Alumni Center and Wednesday, March 4, 8:45 a.m.-4 p.m., Etter-Harbin Alumni Center.

Join Texas Robotics, the Machine Learning Lab and Good Systems as you discover boundary-breaking research insights and connect with leaders across disciplines. Highlights include keynotes by Gregory D. Hager (Johns Hopkins University), Kilian Weinberger (Cornell University) and Alice Xiang (Sony AI).

Register

More Than Your Research: Translating Skills into Impact

Thursday, March 26, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Texas Union Quadrangle Room.

Reframe your research story to resonate with audiences outside of academia, such as industry employers, policy makers or the general public. Facilitated by the Office of Career and Life Design.

Register

How to Mentor Scientific Communication

Tuesday, April 7 and Thursday, April 9, noon-3:00 p.m., Virtual.

In this workshop, learn the best practices and strategies for developing your scientific speaking and writing skills, which have been shown to increase success in research careers.

Register

Professional Development: Leadership

Developing Leadership as a Career Skill

by Sreelakshmi Jayaraman, Ph.D. and Geraldine Vitry, Ph.D.

Leadership is a critical asset in research, driving scientific productivity, collaboration, career progression and personal growth. Read about finding your leadership style, recognizing the leadership you already practice and intentionally building your leadership skills.

How to Overcome Change Fatigue & Lead Workplace Change

Change is continuous, and it comes at a cost. Learn how it affects employees and how to help teams embrace change, instead of experiencing change fatigue.

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