Rutgers OPA
Weekly Newsletter | August 23, 2018
Busch Campus: Chemistry and Chemical Biology
Things you should know...
Dear Rutgers Postdoc community,
This newsletter includes reading material, upcoming events, and general announcements. Scroll down for more information.
Also, check out our website for a collection of previous OPA weekly newsletter.
Reading Material
Secondary Mentors Boost the Postdoctoral Experience
"Secondary mentors improve the postdoc experience by facilitating collaborative, multidisciplinary research."
*Article published on the NPA: The POSTDOCket
"Establishment of secondary mentors is an excellent way to positively impact the postdoctoral system and ensure the protection and progression of postdoctoral scholars. Postdocs are uniquely vulnerable due to their reliance on a single faculty mentor for their training, funding, and visa sponsorship for international scholars." Read more.
Rutgers iJOBS Events
iJOBS Workshop: Careers in Publishing Job Simulation | September 6
Come hear from PhDs who have decided to enter the world of scientific publishing whether as editor, commentor, or publisher. Learn how they transitioned to this exciting role that requires them to use the skills they learned during grad school and to be continually intellectually challenged. We will do a job simulation of a task they perform on a regular basis in publishing such as deciding if a paper should get accepting and writing and news blurbs so you can get a sense of what the career entails.
Location:
Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
675 Hoes Lane West
Research Tower, Deans Conference Room 123
Piscataway, NJ 08540
iJOBS offers transportation. Limited spaces are available. Registration is required.
Have questions about this iJOBS event? Contact Rutgers iJOBS Program Directors:
Janet Alder; janet.alder@rutgers.edu
Susan Engelhardt; engels@soe.rutgers.edu
Doreen Badheka; badhekdk@gsbs.rutgers.edu
Thursday, Sep 6, 2018, 04:30 PM
675 Hoes Lane West, Piscataway Township, NJ, USA
OPA Events
Welcome & Information Session | Friday, August 31 | Registration Required
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, August 31. Please register today as space is limited. Registration closes Thursday, August 30 at 3 p.m.
Time: 9–10 a.m. or 11 a.m.–12 p.m.
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 in Newark, contact Dr. Doreen Badheka badhekdk@gsbs.rutgers.edu on Newark Campus: Medical Science Building, Room H645.
Friday, Aug 31, 2018, 09:00 AM
604 Allison Road, Piscataway Township, NJ, United States
Mentoring Up | Workshop for Postdocs | Register by August 30
Have you ever wondered how can you make the most of your mentoring relationships?
In this 1.5 hour workshop, we will use case studies and small group discussions to explore the dynamics of the mentor-mentee relationship and to build skills and reflect on how to be a more responsive mentor as well as a more proactive mentee as a postdoc. This workshop is based on evidence-based resources developed by the National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN), through a grant to the Big Ten Academic Alliance (NRMN-CAN).
The following areas of mentorship practices and interests will be addressed during this workshop:
• Maintaining Effective Communication
• Aligning Expectations
Presented by: Dr. Xenia Morin
When: Friday, September 7, 2018
Time: 3:00 - 5:00 PM
Where: Rutgers-New Brunswick - Nelson Biology Laboratories, Room D-406
Sponsored by: Office of Postdoctoral Affairs
Interested in improving your mentoring skills and increasing your productivity?
All interested postdocs, universitywide, are invited to participate. Enrollment for this workshop is limited to 25 participants. Register by August, 30th.
Dr. Xenia Morin
Xenia K. Morin, Ph.D. is the Senior Associate Dean for Learning at SEBS, Rutgers-New Brunswick, and an Associate Teaching Professor in the Department of Plant Biology. She is part of the NRMN-CAN leadership team, the Big10 affiliate of NRMN, and offers workshops to post-docs, graduate students and undergraduates to build skills and to enhance their educational opportunities. Dr. Morin has a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Cornell University as was active in the early days of the National Postdoc Association.
Mentoring Up
"Mentoring up is the mentee’s proactive engagement in the mentor-mentee relationship, so that both parties mutually benefit from the relationship and move forward towards an agreed-upon purpose or vision. Mentoring up is a process in which the mentee continually learns about the relationship and develops skills to engage in it as the relationship evolves. Ultimately, learning the skills needed to proactively manage an evolving mentoring relationship will contribute significantly to the mentee’s ability to effectively navigate and manage a career."
(“Mentoring Up”: Learning to Manage Your Mentoring Relationships. Steven Paul Lee, Richard McGee, Christine Pfund, and Janet Branchaw)
Dr. Evelyn Erenrich
Evelyn S. Erenrich, Ph.D. is Associate Dean at the Rutgers University School of Graduate Studies; Director of Graduate Recruitment, Retention and Diversity (GR2aD); and a Visiting Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry & Chemical Biology. Her current efforts focus on developing and implementing strategies to promote inclusive excellence in graduate education. Initiatives span all transition points from undergraduate through junior faculty. She is a member of the Executive Committee of the Big Ten Academic Alliance National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN-CAN). Dr. Erenrich earned her Ph.D. in Chemistry at Cornell University.
Register by September 11 !
Rutgers University to Celebrate the Contributions of Postdoctoral Scholars During National Postdoc Appreciation Week
The National Postdoctoral Association (NPA) is holding the ninth annual National Postdoctoral Appreciation Week, September 17 – 21, 2018. Rutgers University is joining the celebration by organizing and hosting a series of events and workshops on Busch and Cook campus.
The universitywide Office of Postdoctoral Affairs will host:
Welcome Orientation: The Postdoc Landscape at Rutgers
This event aims to orient new and current postdocs, curious to learn about postdoc demographics at Rutgers, learn the different types of postdoctoral appointments and their benefits, and how to make the most of their postdoctoral training at Rutgers.
When: Monday, September 17, 2018
Time: 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM
Where: Busch Campus, Nelson Biology Lab D-406
Grant Writing Skills Workshop: Tackling the Personal Statement in Grant Applications
The personal statement is often a critical component of a grant or fellowship application. If you are planning to apply for funding in the near future, and your application requires a personal statement, then this workshop is for you.
Through a series of interactive writing exercises, you will lay the foundation of an effective personal statement that conveys your motivation and preparation to conduct independent research. The workshop will feature short bursts of writing and peer sharing activities designed to help you write the best document possible. Bring a laptop and a ready-to-write spirit!
Time: 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Where: Cook Campus, Rutgers Institute for Food, Nutrition, and Health, Room 205
Bio:
Ben Arenger is a Project Manager at School of Graduate Studies. He earned his Ph.D. in Spanish literature at Rutgers in 2016, and currently assists on School of Graduate Studies projects related to professional development, business administration, and degree certification. For six years, Ben served as a fellowship advisor, helping graduate students win prestigious awards from the National Science Foundation, the Ford Foundation, and the Fulbright.
The Rutgers Postdoctoral Association will host:
Postdoc Appreciation Lunch
This event will introduce and welcome new postdocs to the community at Rutgers, as well as help connect new and existing postdocs to the various resources that are available during their time here at Rutgers. Come and meet the new postdoc members of the Rutgers Community and the staff of the universitywide Office of Postdoctoral Affairs.
There will be several representatives from various Rutgers organizations and programs hosting tables, and providing information about opportunities available to postdocs within our community.
When: Friday, September 21, 2018
Time: 12:30 PM to 4:00 PM
Where: Busch Campus, Busch Student Center’s International Lounge
Lunch will be provided.
Rutgers PDA Events
Postdoc Appreciation Lunch
Register by September 14
The Rutgers Postdoctoral Association will host the annual Postdoc Appreciation Lunch as part of the celebration of the National Postdoc Appreciation Week.
This event will introduce and welcome new postdocs to the community at Rutgers as well as help connect new and existing postdocs to the various resources they have available during their time here at Rutgers. Come and meet the new postdoc members of the Rutgers Community and the staff of the universitywide Office of Postdoctoral Affairs.
There will be several representatives from various Rutgers organizations and programs hosting tables, and providing information about opportunities available to postdocs within our community.
When: Friday, September 21, 2018
Time: 12:30 PM to 4:00 PM
Where: Busch Campus, Busch Student Center’s International Lounge
Lunch will be provided.
Scroll down to see flyer.
Seminar, August 24 |Publishing Your Work: A Cell Editor’s Perspective
*Thanks to Dr. Paul Copeland and Dr. Martha Soto for sharing this information with us:
Dr. April Pawluk, a scientific editor at the journal Cell, will be presenting a seminar titled: "Publishing Your Work: A Cell Editor’s Perspective.” this Friday, August 24th at noon in the Waksman Auditorium.
Students and post-docs are strongly encouraged to attend.
Scroll down to see flyer.
Grant application for a postdoc position with BioViva and Elvesys Microfluidic Center | Deadline: September 12
*On behalf of Dr. Paul Copeland:
"My name is Julia Sepulveda, I am head of research projects at Elvesys Microfluidic Innovation Center, a biotechnology company specializing in innovative research that is part of the French NBIC Valley.
Elvesys, the world's largest microfluidic research center situated in Paris, and the enterprises BioViva and RNAx, at the origin of the first gene therapy against human ageing, are today joining forces for developing the next generation of anti-ageing therapies.
In this context, I was wondering if somebody in your group might be interested in submitting with us an application for an Individual Fellowship under the prestigious Marie Curie grant program (deadline on the 12th of September, beginning of the position in 2019). This is a EU-funded fellowship aimed to non-French, experienced researchers (Postdocs) willing to perform research in an European structure. This funding will result in a two year post doctoral appointment (~ 53k€/year gross salary depending on the candidate's family situation) in our headquarters in Paris, where the selected candidate will conduct cutting-edge research and receive training in entrepreneurship.
As an innovative company, we are always looking for new challenges in science. Among them, there certainly is the fight against human aging and age-related conditions. Hence, we propose to applicants one of our research topics below:
- Microfluidic production of enveloped viral-like particles (eVLP).
- Microfluidic production and Rat model of Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria syndrome Rat for in-vivo whole body age reprogramming.
In order to see if you would fit the requirements for this opportunity, please be sure to fulfill the following conditions:
- Holding a PhD or at least 4 years of full time research
- Meeting the mobility criteria (not having lived in France more than 36 months in the last 5 years)
- Having at least 5 publications as a first author.
- Having an overlapping expertise in at least one of the fields that we aim to develop.
If you think you are, or you know a viable candidate for this opportunity, please feel free to answer directly or forward this email to them."
Sincerely yours,
Julia Sepulveda, PhD
Head of Research Projects
ELVESYS - NBIC Valley
83-85 Avenue Philippe Auguste,
75011 Paris
Applications for Rutgers I-Corps Program | Cohort 3 |Due September 14
Rutgers University is an NSF funded I-Corp site with support for about 30 teams of faculty, students and staff to transition their innovations to the market.
Does your idea have commercial potential? Are you interested in learning key business concepts? Do you dream of starting a company?
If you answered “yes,” then the Rutgers I-Corps™ Site program may be for you! Students, faculty, and staff from all Rutgers campuses are eligible to apply. The community, especially Rutgers Alumni, are encouraged to participate as team mentors.
Rutgers I-Corps Program Cohort 3 will begin in mid-October at Rutgers-New Brunswick, Cook Campus.
Team Roles:
The Entrepreneurial Lead (EL) could be a postdoctoral scholar, graduate or other student, staff member, researcher, or other personnel with relevant knowledge of the technology and a deep commitment to investigate the commercial landscape surrounding the innovation. The EL could also be the proposal's PI or TL (only with prior permission from the site). The Entrepreneurial Lead should have a passion and commitment for entrepreneurship and the commercialization of the project's technology.
The Industry Mentor (IM) will be responsible for advising the team on its progress through I-Corps and will usually have contacts in the industry area(s) being explored. Ideally, they will be an experienced entrepreneur with experience in transitioning technology out of Academic labs. If necessary the Site will help your team identify one.
The Technical Lead (TL) will typically be a faculty member, senior research scientist or postdoctoral scholar with deep and direct technical expertise in the actual core technology about which the I-Corps team is exploring commercial potential. Typically the Technical Lead will also serve as a proposal Principal Investigator (PI) on proposals submitted to Government agencies such as NIH or NSF.
Scroll down to see flyer.
MD Anderson Cancer Center's CPRIT TRIUMPH Translational Postdoctoral Fellowship | Deadline: September 30
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center is currently accepting applications for the CPRIT TRIUMPH Postdoctoral Fellowship in Translational Cancer Research. This three-year fellowship provides basic, translational, and clinical training and aims to further develop talented PhD or MD/PhDs into successful clinical/translational research scientists.
We are recruiting eight new postdoctoral fellows to our program. Our third cycle deadline this year is approaching on September 30, 2018. Applications are relatively short and require minimal time for completion and are reviewed quarterly with remaining 2018 due dates of September 30 and December 31. Outstanding first or second year postdocs and graduate students who are within 12 months of defending their PhD are highly encouraged to apply.
Additional information regarding eligibility, application process, and current trainees and program alumni profiles are found at www.mdanderson.org/CPRITTRIUMPH. Please contact Dr. Kari Brewer Savannah, Program Manager, with any questions at ksavannah@mdanderson.org.
I am happy to address any questions you may have.
Kari Brewer Savannah, Ph.D.
CPRIT Research Training Program
MD Anderson Cancer Center
713-745-5887
Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowships | Closing Date for Applications: November 20
*On behalf of Dr. Paul Copeland:
The Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE) offers Postdoctoral Research Fellowships to encourage independence early in the Fellow's career through supporting his or her research and training goals. The research and training plan of each Fellowship must address important scientific questions within the scope of the SBE Directorate and the specific guidelines in the solicitation.
The SPRF program offers two tracks: (I) Fundamental Research in the SBE Sciences (SPRF-FR) and (II) Broadening Participation in the SBE Sciences (SPRF-BP). See the full text of the solicitation for a detailed description of these tracks.
For more details, click here.
Regular OPA Events
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
Rutgers Universitywide, Office of Postdoctoral Affairs (OPA)
Reporting to the University-wide Office of the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, and committed to advancing the University’s mission to conduct cutting-edge research and advanced training, the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs supports postdoctoral researchers and their faculty mentors by providing a central hub for professional development, knowledge sharing, and community building opportunities.
Location:
Nelson Biology Laboratories
Suite D350
604 Allison Road
Piscataway, NJ 08854
Email: opa@oq.rutgers.edu
Website: https://postdocs.rutgers.edu/
Location: 604 Allison Road, Piscataway Township, NJ, USA
Phone: 848-445-1800