January 7, 2026

Dear Postdoctoral Community,  

Happy New Year! 

I hope you enjoyed a restful winter break and are feeling recharged as we begin 2026. I look forward to all that we will accomplish in the months to come. 

I am excited to announce the launch of our annual postdoctoral award nominations. This year, we are introducing an expanded and redesigned award structure to elevate postdoc recognition. Award recipients will be honored during the Graduate Education Honors banquet which will be held at the Student Life Center on Thursday, March 19. The nomination deadline is 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, January 28. For more information on the revised award format, new award categories, and nomination links, visit the OPA website. 

As a reminder, the 'Speak Easy' Talk Series returns on Thursday, January 15, and RSVPs are required. I hope you will join us for the first event of the year.  

As always, please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or need support. 

Best, 

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

Due to the changes to the Vanderbilt Postdoctoral Association bylaws in summer 2025, we have two new VPA Executive Board additions. These new leaders will serve from January 2026 - December 2026. 

Thank you to the postdoc community for submitting nominations and making your voice heard with your votes. If you would like to get involved with other VPA initiatives, please email postdoc@vanderbilt.edu.

Congratulations to our new VPA Executive Board members!

Scholarly Advancement Co-Chair: Abayomi Opadele, Ph.D.

Community Building Co-Chair: Vahid Pourreza Ghoushchi, Ph.D.

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!

CALL FOR POSTERS! Now is the time to submit abstracts for the poster sessions at the upcoming EFS Translational Science Forum, Wednesday, February 18, 2026, at the Student Life Center on the Vanderbilt campus. Edge for Scholars are accepting abstracts from all Vanderbilt (VU and VUMC) and Meharry students and investigators at any level from undergraduate to faculty and staff.

View the full guidelines here or on the submission form. Abstracts are due at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, January 23, 2026.

The Women in Science and Medicine Advisory Committee (WISMAC) invites postdocs and trainees to submit abstracts for the 2026 Celebration of Women in Science & Medicine Poster Session, taking place April 2, 2026. Abstracts are welcome across basic science, clinical/translational, and public health or education research.

Abstracts are due January 31, 2026, and only one abstract may be submitted per presenting author. Presenters must be able to attend and present their poster in person. Judges will select recipients of six WISMAC travel awards during the session.

Submit abstracts via REDCap and view full guidelines on the WISMAC website.

Chitrang is a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Biology at Vanderbilt University whose research explores the evolution of circadian rhythms. Building on work begun during his Ph.D. in Bengaluru, his research in the Johnson lab revealed that self-sustained circadian clocks may have evolved in response to seasonal changes in day length, offering new insight into chronobiology. He has also been active in service through the Vanderbilt International Researchers Alliance (VIRAL) and is now transitioning to a senior postdoctoral role at Texas A&M University.

Are you a post-doctoral researcher interested in polishing your “lay” scientific communication skills by giving a short 10-minute presentation to your peers and others in the Vanderbilt community in a fun and casual setting? If so, we invite you to join our Talk Series Speak Easy. Presenting is not mandatory! Join your fellow postdocs and hear about the different research being performed across VU and VUMC over drinks and appetizers.

This session will discuss how mentorship plays a vital role in academic and professional success. Whether you are seeking guidance, supporting others, or both, this webinar will offer strategies to build strong mentoring relationships, communicate effectively, and exchange feedback with confidence. Register here for the January 27 virtual course.

The Brock Family Center will be hosting a lecture to celebrate Dr. Michael Golinko, one of their 2025 Innovators of the Year. This lecture will take place on Wednesday, January 7, 2026 from 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. This is a free event that will take place both in-person in 202 Light Hall and online via Teams for those who need to attend virtually.

Ready to take your mentoring and supervision 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:

     • Following Up & Following Through ✅

     • Creating Compacts & IDPs 📝

     • Listening with Intent 👂

     • Aligning Expectations 🎯

Friday, February 27 | 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. | Eskind Biomedical Library, 010 Training Room (Basement)

The GPAS staff will offer weekly 'co-working' sessions throughout the spring semester on Thursdays from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. in Alumni Hall Graduate Student & Postdoc Lounge (Room 100) 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.

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 10 am - 11 am beginning on January 12, along with in-person drop-ins in Alumni Hall lounge beginning January 21. More details can be found on Handshake (see links 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. 

ASPIRE Up: Delivering an Impactful Biopharma Industry Job Talk
Featuring alumnus Larry Thompson, PhD (Pfizer)
Friday, January 16 | 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. | Light Hall 202

PhD Career Stories: Strategy & Operations
Featuring Dr. Seema Sinha, PhD, Director of Diagnostics Strategy at LabCorp
Wednesday, January 7 | 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. | Virtual

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

Parenting Group: Kids & Summer Break
Thursday, January 15 | 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. | Online via Zoom

Work-Life Workshops: Meditation Practices for Joyful Living
Tuesday, January 20 | 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. | Online via Zoom

Inclusive Book Group Discussion of Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler
Wednesday, January 21 | 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. | RPW Center for the Humanities

WITA: Finding Your People - Building Community in Grad School
Tuesday, January 27 | 12:00 p.m. - 1:15 p.m. | Divinity 127

People, Culture, and Belonging welcomes all postdocs to take part in PCB events. 

The Misophonia Research Fund (MRF) is excited to announce the opening of its 2026 Cycle 8 Request for Proposals (RFP), providing research funding in the field of misophonia, a disorder in which everyday sounds can trigger intense emotional and physiological reactions.

The current RFPs solicit research proposals seeking to better understand misophonia, characterize symptomatology and associated impairments, develop and validate diagnostics, and assess interventional strategies to treat those with the disorder.

The MRF invites proposals from clinical and preclinical researchers across neuroscience, psychology, audiology, neurobiology, genetics, engineering, computational and data science, and related disciplines. 

For more information and how to apply, visit the OPA website.

Applications Open!

The Alzheimer’s Association Interdisciplinary Summer Research Institute (AA-ISRI) is a fully funded, immersive training opportunity for early-career researchers focused on care interventions and population health. This year’s institute will be held in Chicago, August 3-7, 2026, and will feature group sessions and individualized mentoring from leading experts in dementia science.

Applications are due March 9, 2026, and 24 researchers will be selected for this exclusive experience. Postdocs and early-career investigators who completed their doctoral degree within the past 10 years are eligible, and individuals from diverse backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply.

Please share this opportunity with colleagues and trainees who may be interested, and submit your application today!

NIH Policy Reminders and Updates  

NIH is adopting the Common Forms for biosketches and other support – Use of the Common Forms for Biographical Sketch, Current and Pending (Other) Support and NIH Biographical Sketch Supplement will be required for application due dates and all JIT, RPPR, and Prior Approval submissions on or after January 25, 2026. NOT-OD-26-018 provides information on how to complete the Common Forms.  

Please note that this notice also includes a new ‘Malign Foreign Talent Recruitment Program Prohibition’. If you have any concerns about this policy as it pertains to your research team, please reach out. 

Research Security Training Requirements for NIH - Effective for applications submitted for due dates on or after May 25, 2026, each senior/key personnel listed on an NIH grant application must certify that they have completed Research Security Training (RST) within 12 months of the date of application submission. While applicants and recipients may utilize any training that addresses cybersecurity, international collaboration, foreign interference, and rules for proper use of funds, disclosure, conflict of commitment, and conflict of interest, the NSF SECURE Center offers a condensed RST module which NIH recognizes as compliant with the respective RST requirements. 

Administrative Burden Reduction – Letters of Intent and Large Grant Waivers – NIH will no longer request or accept Letters of Intent in the application process. Additionally, NIH will no longer require applicants requesting $500,000 or more in direct costs in any one budget period to contact the funding Institute or Center before application. Both updated policies are effective as of Dec 3, 2025. Please note NICHD’s guidance regarding the large grant policy: “Large budgets exceeding $500,000 direct costs will be provided only in highly compelling cases to ensure that the NICHD funds a broad group of investigators and provides funding across its mission areas.”  

Highlighted Topics – A reminder that NIH has begun using Highlighted Topics to promote areas of high priority and encourage investigator-initiated applications from the community. There are several topics posted, five of which NICHD has signed on to – indicating our interest in those topics. Please keep an eye on this page as it is updated regularly and reach out to the Institute contact listed. 

Emergency modification to peer review – The peer review process was one of the hardest hit by the federal government shutdown. To address the backlog of applications scheduled for peer review, emergency modifications to NIH review processes and policies will be made. See here for details about these modifications. If you are invited to participate in an NIH review panel, please consider saying “yes.”   

New application structure for foreign subcomponents – We are still awaiting publication of the new funding opportunity for projects involving foreign subawards. The latest information about this change is summarized here. 

Reminder to ensure completeness and compliance at time of submission – NIH recently issued a notice to remind applicants that the NIH will consistently apply standards of completeness and compliance with submission requirements and NIH policies (including all recent NIH Guide Notices) to all applications and may withdraw any application identified prior to peer review as being incomplete or noncompliant. 

Items of Interest from the Community 

Training opportunity on data management and sharing – Summer Short Course on Data Management and Data Sharing for Primary Investigators in Children's Learning and Development. Taking place June 8-12, 2026 at Vanderbilt University, this course is designed to provide targeted training that addresses the specific data management and data sharing needs and concerns of researchers using quantitative methods to study child learning and development. Applications are now open and close on January 5.  For more information and to apply, or visit vu.edu/dmds.    

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. 

The Graduate and Postdoctoral Career Success (GPCS) program provides essential support to departments/programs, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows to allow  scholars to  build skills, cultivate confidence, and design successful careers. 

The GPCS supports the academic and non-academic career and professional development of postdoctoral fellows in non-biomedical STEM, Humanities, and Social Sciences disciplines. 

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.

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The K.C. Potter Center is a welcoming space and resource hub for students, postdocs, faculty, and staff. The center provides community, support, and programming aimed at fostering inclusion across campus. Check out their upcoming events on their website.

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The Office of Research Weekly Update delivers the latest news, events, and funding opportunities from across the School of Medicine. All postdocs are invited to subscribe here! 

The Writing Studio offers weekly writing groups for graduate students and postdocs during the Fall and Spring semesters on Tuesday afternoons from 2-5pm and Friday mornings from 9am-12pm. Students are welcome to attend one or both days and are encouraged to commit to attending each week. Each group meeting begins with a brief 10-minute check-in during which participants are invited to share their writing goals for the session. Participants then check in again at the end of the session to share their progress. A Writing Studio facilitator is available throughout to provide an additional sense of community and accountability. To participate, please complete this registration form.

More information can be found here: Writing Groups | The Writing Studio

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/.