Rutgers OPA
Weekly Newsletter | November 9, 2017
Things you should know...
Dear Rutgers Postdoc community,
This newsletter includes upcoming events and general announcements. Scroll down for more information.
Check also our website for a collection of previous OPA weekly newsletter.
Fellowship Advising Sessions for Postdocs
Do you want additional feedback or guidance on your grant or fellowship proposal? Do you want to learn about grants and fellowships to support your postdoctoral training at Rutgers?
Schedule an appointment with Ben Arenger, Senior Fellowship Adviser, for an individual fellowship advising session.
Ben is available every Tuesday at our office by appointment only.
Rutgers OPA Workshops
Teaching Portfolio Workshop
The Teaching Portfolio is best thought of as a documented statement of a faculty member's teaching responsibilities, philosophy, goals and accomplishments as a teacher. It is a flexible document, and can be used in a number of ways, depending upon the needs and interests of the faculty member. It can be an extensive collection of information, or something much more compact and limited. The essential structure and elements to be included will be presented.
Date: Monday, November 13, 2017
Time: 2 p.m.–3:30 p.m.
Location: Busch Student Center Room 116ABC
Sponsor: Office of Postdoctoral Affairs, INSPIRE Postdoctoral Program at RWJMS, and the Office of the Dean at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Dean Sherine Gabriel.
Workshop presented by: Monica A. Devanas, Director of Faculty Development & Assessment Programs from Center for Teaching Advancement & Assessment Research (CTAAR)
Light refreshments will be provided. Please register.
Monday, Nov 13, 2017, 02:00 PM
Busch Campus Center, Bartholomew Road, Piscataway Township, NJ, United States
Rutgers Postdoctoral Association Events
Rutgers PDA Monthly Luncheon | Peer-review your Grant Proposal
Our next PDA luncheon will be on the topic of grant writing skills. Dr. Ben Arenger, Senior Fellowship Adviser at GradFund and the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs, will facilitate the workshop "Peer-review your Grant Proposal."
Getting feedback from multiple sources is a key aspect of applying to external funding opportunities. For this workshop, you will bring a draft of your grant or fellowship application that you plan to submit in the future for peer critique.
You will be paired with a postdoc from a different discipline, and will be led through a series of exercises designed to illuminate the strengths and weakness of your draft. Participation in this event will help you finish a draft of your application and give you some thoughts on how to improve it going forward!
Bring two printed copies of your proposal, as well as the printed guidelines for your award.
We hope to see you.
Dr. Csanad Gurdon | Rutgers PDA President
Dr. Itzamarie Chevere-Torres | Rutgers PDA Adviser
*Note: Due to the interactive nature of this workshop, registration will be limited to 14 people. Please RSVP here.
Location:
Nelson Biology Laboratories Building
Conference Room D-302
Right across the OPA Suite D-350.
Light lunch will be served.
Sponsor by: Rutgers Postdoctoral Association
Tuesday, Nov 21, 2017, 12:00 PM
604 Allison Road, Piscataway Township, NJ, United States
Rutgers iJOBS Events
iJOBS Site Visit: Colgate-Palmolive | Only Eight Remaining Spots!
Colgate-Palmolive provides consumer products globally and employs PhD level scientists in many roles. Come meet those employees and learn how they have applied the various research skills learned in graduate school to the consumer industry and tour the facility and labs.
Location:
Colgate
909 River Road
Piscataway, NJ
iJOBS offers transportation. Limited spaces are available. Registration is required.
For registration, visit iJOBS calendar events page.
Rutgers iJOBS Site Visit Overview
What should I expect from a site visit?
You can expect to learn more about the organization, recruitment process and any internship, volunteer and full time opportunities. Also, you will experience the company culture and network with HR personnel, staff members, and/or alumni working at the organization.
To make the most of your visit, we encourage you to:
- Research the company (website, recent news) and industry trends. Also search for any recent news about the organization and know about its products and services. Prepare a list of questions and bring a pen and paper to take notes, which will help with any follow up.
- Identify possible career opportunities through their website and through career services
- Prepare questions (culture of the organization, product and services, etc.)
- Act professionally; Although a site visit is not an interview, your contribution on the day can lead to an ongoing relationship with the organization. Also, as a representative of Rutgers University, you make a positive impression by showing an interest in the day’s activities and asking well-researched questions.
What is the dress code for visit?
Unless indicated by the particular visit, we encourage you to dress in business casual
(Men: Khakis or slacks, collared shirts, ties may be optional, casual shoes but not sneakers or sandals; Women: Skirts, dresses or khakis/slacks with blouses or sweaters, high heels or flats but no sneakers or sandals)
What is the site visit cancellation policy?
We ask for 72 HOURS ADVANCED NOTICE if you need to cancel. Names of students on the RSVP list are provided to employers in advance for security and capacity reasons. If you do not show up to the site visit you will be contacted to come in and speak with a member of the iJOBS Program to explain your absence. As an ambassador of Rutgers University, you negatively impact not only your own reputation but also the University’s relationship with an employer. You also take the space of a student on the wait list. We appreciate your support in the success of site visits by adhering to our policy.
Monday, Dec 4, 2017, 08:30 AM
909 River Road, Piscataway, NJ, United States
iJOBS Workshop: Genomics Data Management | Two-day event| Only 13 Remaining Spots!
Data Carpentry workshops are for any researcher who has data they want to analyze, and no prior computational experience is required. This hands-on workshop teaches basic concepts, skills and tools for working more effectively with data. The focuses of this workshop will be working with genomics data, and data management & analysis for genomics research. They will cover metadata organization in spreadsheets, data organization, connecting to and using cloud computing, the command line for sequence quality control and bioinformatics workflows, and R for data analysis and visualization.
This is a two-day event, however, you only need to register once.
12/5 9:00am - 5:00pm
12/6 9:00am - 5:00pm
Location:
Rutgers University Medical Science Building
185 South Orange Avenue
Rosemary Gellene Room B516
Newark, NJ 07103
iJOBS offers transportation. Limited spaces are available. Registration is required.
For registration, visit iJOBS calendar events page.
Tuesday, Dec 5, 2017, 09:00 AM
185 South Orange Avenue, South Orange, NJ, United States
Other Events
U-MARC: Understanding Motivations for Academic Research Careers
*On Behalf of Dr. Janet Alder & Dr. Marcus Lambert:
We are conducting a study to better understand the factors that influence interest in academic research careers. You are being asked to participate in this research study because you are conducting a biomedical or biological postdoctoral fellowship at an academic institution.
By taking time to complete this survey, you will help increase knowledge and improve training for future postdocs. To thank you for participating in the survey, we will be awarding three $100 Amazon e-gift cards via a random drawing from all respondents who complete the post-survey contact information form.
You can participate by clicking here.
You may also paste this link in your browser: http://j.mp/2hCSwER
Sincerely,
W. Marcus Lambert, Ph.D.
Assistant Dean of Diversity and Student Life
Weill Cornell Medicine
Linnie M. Golightly, M.D.
Associate Dean, Faculty Diversity
Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine, Microbiology & Immunology
Weill Cornell Medicine
WCMC IRB Approved
IRB Protocol Number: 1612017849
Approved: 7/13/2017
Expires: 7/12/2018
Westchester Biotech Project Presents: Young Investigators Webinar Series | November 14 & 15 | Register for Free!
The Westchester Biotech Project brings together researchers, engineers, and data scientists from across therapeutics, diagnostics, and devices. Based in the Westchester County, NY region, this is a borderless initiative with opportunities for local, national, and international collaboration.
Effective Peer to-Peer Communication
in Biomedical Research
November 14, 2017, 11 am-Noon EST
A collaboration with Rutgers Medical School &
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.
Presenter: Dr. Laura Green
Moderator: Dr. Doreen Badheka
==========================================
Bench to Bedside: Taking Research to the Market
November 15, 2017, Noon-1 pm EST
Presenter: Vinit Nijhawan, Managing Director
University Patent Monetization program at UnitedLex
Contact: info@westchesterbiotechproject.org or call 914-719-2226
Rutgers Global Grants Fifth Anniversary Symposium | November 16
Rutgers Global Grants (formerly known as "GAIA Grants") are celebrating our fifth anniversary! If you are a faculty member or a representative of a department or school, join us on November 16, 2017, to hear from past grantees about their experiences, learn about the types of projects we tend to fund, and get some tips for preparing your proposal.
Please register at bit.ly/RU-Global-Symposium.
Sessions
- International Collaborative Research (Tenure-Track Faculty)
- Interdisciplinary Working Groups
- International Collaborative Research (Tenured Faculty)
- Internationalizing the Curriculum
Agenda
12:00–12:30 p.m. Lunch
12:30–12:45 p.m. Welcome Remarks | Rick H. Lee (Rutgers Global)
12:45–1:30 p.m. Panel I: International Collaborative Research Grants (Tenure-Track Faculty)
- Edward Alessi (School of Social Work, Rutgers University–New Brunswick) Stress, Mental Health, and Resilience among LGBT Forced Migrants in the US and Canada
- Shishir Chundawat (Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering, Rutgers University–New Brunswick) Enabling the Creation of a Sustainable and Economically Viable Cellulosic Biofuels Industry in Brazil
- Qingyu Meng (Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences) Air Pollution Campaign in Uganda
1:30–2:15 p.m. Panel II: Interdisciplinary Working Group Grants
- Susan Caplan (Division of Nursing Science, School of Nursing, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences) Chronic, Severe Mental Disorders in Rural Areas of the Dominican Republic: Teambuilding and Pilot Work
- Mohammad Herzallah (Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers University–Newark)Collaborative Research on the Cognitive Correlates of Major Depressive Disorders
- Mara Sidney and Jamie Lew (Global Urban Studies Doctoral Program, Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Rutgers University–Newark) Building Global Urban Studies at Rutgers–Newark: Learning from the Global Grassroots
2:15 p.m. Break
2:30–3:15 p.m. Panel III: International Collaborative Research Grants (Tenured Faculty)
- Teddy Asefa (Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, School of Arts and Sciences, Rutgers University–New Brunswick) Rational Design and Synthesis of Highly-Crystalline Mesoporous Metal Oxide Thin Films with Bimodal Pores for Efficient Electron Transport, Charge Storage, Electro-Catalysis, and Visible-Light Activation
- Karen D’Alonzo (Division of Nursing Science, School of Nursing, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences) The Contribution of Acculturation Stress to Excess Risk of Obesity among Low-Income Immigrant Latinas in the US: A Bio-Behavioral Study of Allostatic Load (AL) and Coping Styles among Oaxacan Immigrants
- Sean Mitchell (Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Rutgers University–Newark) Imaginaries of Violence: Literary and Anthropological Approaches to the Transformations of Rio de Janeiro
3:15–4:00 p.m. Panel IV: Internationalizing the Curriculum Grants
- DuWayne Battle and Rebecca Davis (School of Social Work, Rutgers University–New Brunswick) Going Global! A Comprehensive Program to Internationalize the Rutgers Baccalaureate Social Work Curriculum
- Ellen Lieberman (Douglass Residential College, Rutgers University–New Brunswick)Douglass Global Fellows
- Michelle Ruidiaz-Santiago (Center for Global Public Health, School of Public Health, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences) Internationalization of the Master of Public Health Degree, Global Public Health Concentration
4:00 p.m. Closing Remarks |Stephanie Perez (Rutgers Global)
2018 NPA Annual Conference | Registration Opens: November 20
The NPA Annual Conference is the largest national conference and networking event dedicated to the postdoctoral community. Conference attendees - postdoctoral scholars, administrators, faculty, and representatives from disciplinary societies, industry, and corporations - are provided with the opportunity to gather and enhance their professional development and leadership skills.
Lydia Villa-Komaroff, Ph.D., has been confirmed as keynote speaker at the conference. Villa-Komaroff, a molecular biologist, executive, and diversity advocate, is a consultant and speaker, and founder of Intersections, SBD. She is a founding member of the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/ Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS), having served as a board member and vice president in the past, and currently serving as a member of the Committee of Senior Advisors. See her full bio here.
Alison Gammie, Ph.D., and Rafael Luna, Ph.D., have been confirmed as plenary speakers.Alison Gammie, Ph.D., is the director of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) Division of Training, Workforce Development, and Diversity (TWD).
As the executive director of the National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN) and the principal investigator (PI) of the Administrative Core of NRMN located at Boston College, Rafael E. Luna, Ph.D., utilizes data analytics to strategically grow NRMN and effectively reach all 50 states, including Hawaii, Alaska, and Puerto Rico.
The 2018 NPA Annual Conference will take place April 6 - 8, 2018, at the Renaissance Cleveland Hotel in Cleveland, OH. Case Western Reserve University will serve as host. Early bird registration for the conference will open Monday, November 20 and end on Friday, January 5, 2018. Register early to take advantage of the discounted rate.
Save the Date: NIH Train the Trainers Conference
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Intramural Training & Education (OITE) is hosting a Train–the–Trainers conference on July 16-17, 2018, for advisors, staff and faculty who work with graduate students and postdoctoral researchers in the biomedical sciences. This will be the second time that NIH is holding this event that will include comprehensive training sessions to provide expertise in training in the areas of career planning and personal development.
There is no fee to attend this training; however advanced registration is required and participants are responsible for their own travel and food. Registration will open in Spring 2018. To receive notification when registration opens, please sign up here.
Regular OPA Events
Welcome & Information Session
The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs offers Welcome and Information Sessions to help orient new and current postdocs. If you are a postdoc who is new to Rutgers, or just curious about the resources that are available to you, we strongly encourage you to register for an upcoming one-hour session.
Next session will be on November 29th. Please register as space is limited.
Time: 9–10 a.m. or 11 a.m.–noon
Where: Office of Postdoctoral Affairs with Dr. Itzamarie Chevere-Torres located at Busch Campus, Nelson Biology Laboratories, Room D354. Registration is required.
For more information about sessions at Newark, contact Dr. Doreen Badheka badhekdk@gsbs.rutgers.edu on Newark Campus: Medical Science Building, Room H645.
Wednesday, Nov 29, 2017, 09:00 AM
604 Allison Road, Piscataway Township, NJ, United States
Drop-in Coffee Hour
If you are a postdoc interested in learning more about how to make the most of your time at Rutgers, prepare for life after Rutgers, or just want to share some coffee or tea in a safe space, come by and visit.
Location:
Office of Postdoctoral Affairs, Nelson Biology Laboratories, Room D354.
Registration is not required.
Friday, Dec 1, 2017, 02:00 PM
604 Allison Road, Piscataway Township, NJ, United States
Individual Career Advising Sessions
If you're a postdoc looking for perspective on how to navigate your career path or career transition, contact Itzamarie Chevere-Torres to schedule an appointment.
For Newark postdocs, contact Doreen Badheka to schedule an appointment. Individual career counseling sessions for Newark postdocs will be at the Medical Science Building, Room H645.
Would you like to be our featured postdoc of the month?
Rutgers is proud to be home to a vibrant and growing community of over 600 postdocs! Would you like to highlight your research or your career goals on our website?
Contact us opa@oq.rutgers.edu
Is your faculty mentor exceptional?
Do you have a faculty mentor who has made a real difference in your life? We'd love to hear from you. Contact us opa@oq.rutgers.edu
GEM-ASEE Doctoral Engineering Research Showcase | Application Deadline November 17
GEM-ASEE Doctoral Engineering Research Showcase
January 22-23, 2018
Exhibitor, Presenter and Participant
Deadline for Presenter and Participants application is Nov 17, 2017
*Applications/registrations are now open.*
Mayflower Hotel
Washington, DC
The National GEM Consortium (GEM) and the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) are pleased to announce the first-of-its-kind GEM-ASEE Doctoral Engineering Research Showcase.
We invite doctoral students, postdoctoral fellows, and new faculty to display their leading-edge technical research and connect with potential agency sponsors and academic employers. They will present their research – which may be either interdisciplinary or a single engineering and computing discipline – in poster format. This event will be held in conjunction with an Agency/University Fair that will feature representatives from government research agencies and universities seeking faculty hires.
The showcase will also feature interactive breakout sessions on:
- advancing a research program and managing the research enterprise
- innovations in teaching and the promotion of learning
- professional service opportunities
- maintaining work-life balance.
For more information, visit the website.
Parkinson's Foundation | Postdoctoral Fellowships | Letter of Intent Due November 27
The Parkinson's Foundation offers several different grants to encourage young scientists, clinicians and students to devote their talents to the study of Parkinson's disease (PD). Apply now.
Postdoctoral Fellowships for Basic Scientists Program Overview
The Postdoctoral Fellowships for Basic Scientists are two-year fellowships for young scientists, fresh from their Ph.D. training, to study at major research institutions.
This program grants $100,000 over two years. This consists of $45,000 annually (to be used as salary) as well as a $5,000 annual research allowance to be used at the Fellow's discretion, with sponsor/mentor approval, to pay for items such as books, training courses, travel costs (up to $2,000) or a computer. There is no provision for the deduction of postdoctoral taxes, institutional overhead or fees. We may approve $3,000 of the research allowance to defray the health insurance costs paid by the Fellow if the Fellow sends a written request.
Eligibility & Restrictions:
The applicant must be within five years of receiving his or her Ph.D. at the time the award starts, and must name an individual who will serve as his or her research mentor and supervisor. This program is open to both national and international applicants. If awarded, a Postdoctoral Fellow must commit 90 percent of his or her effort to the Parkinson's Foundation-funded project.
Postdoctoral Fellowships for Clinical Neurologists Program Overview
For young clinicians who have completed their neurology residency and are seeking clinical research experience, the Parkinson's Foundation offers the Postdoctoral Fellowships for Clinical Neurologists, two-year awards in the amount of $120,000. This award includes salary support of $55,000 per year.
Similar to the Fellowship for Basic Scientists, the Fellow, with approval of the mentor, may use an additional research allowance of $5,000 per year to pay for such items as books, training courses, travel costs (up to $2,000) or a computer. There is no provision for the deduction of postdoctoral taxes, institutional overhead or fees. However, if the Fellow sends a written request, we may approve up to $3,000 of the research allowance to defray the cost of health insurance paid by the Fellow.
Eligibility & Restrictions:
Applicants seeking a Postdoctoral Fellowship for Neurologists must possess an M.D. or equivalent and be within three years of having completed a residency in neurology at the time the award starts. Applicants may not have their own lab and must name an individual who will serve as his or her mentor and supervisor of their research. This program is open to national and international applicants. If awarded, we require a Clinical Fellow to commit 80 percent of his or her effort to the Parkinson's Foundation-funded project.
Deadlines:
Postdoctoral Fellowships for Basic Scientists/Postdoctoral Fellowships for Neurologists
- Opens: Thursday, October 12, 2017
- Letter of Intent Due: Monday, November 27, 2017
- Notification: late December 2017
- Full Application Due: Monday, February 12, 2018
- Award Notification: late April 2018
- Fellowship begins: June 1, 2018
The 2018 Competition for the iBiology Young Scientist Seminars (YSS) | Application Due December 10
*On behalf of iBiology and iJOBS:
Are you a graduate student or postdoc in any field of biology with a compelling research story that you want to share with the world? Do you want to learn how to give one of the best science talks of your career?
Overview
The Young Scientist Seminars (YSS) is a video series produced by iBiology that features young scientists giving talks about their research and discoveries. As with all iBiology videos, the YSS videos are freely available online and widely viewed by an international audience of students, scientists, educators, and the public. Speakers in the YSS series must apply by December 10, 2017 (11:59pm PT) to be selected.
Benefits
- Winners will receive an all-expenses paid trip to the University of California, San Francisco (late Spring 2018, exact date TBD), where they will attend a multi-day science communication workshop led by the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science, in collaboration with iBiology. During the workshop, they will make improvements to their 30-minute research talks.
- At the end of the workshop week, winners will record their improved 30-minute research talks in iBiology's green screen studio. Studio-recorded talks will be posted on the iBiology website as part of a the Young Scientist Seminars.
- Receive a $500 honorarium.
For young scientists, this is a unique opportunity to develop their communication skills and showcase their work!
For more application details, visit the website.
QUESTIONS? Send us an email: yss@ibiology.org.
The Young Scientist Seminars are funded by the Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation, which accelerates support for medical research through recognition of scientific excellence, public education, and advocacy. The Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science leads the training for the four winners in collaboration with iBiology.
Reading Material
Sunshine outside the ivory tower
*Article published on Working Life | Science Magazine
Over the past few years, all three of us have left academia. It was the right decision for each of us, but we still struggled with uncertainty and a feeling of failure, and we could find little community support. Read more.