Rutgers OPA
Weekly Newsletter | December 21, 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.
Dear Rutgers' Postdoc Community,
The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs will be closed during the winter holiday break, starting December 25 through January 1, 2018.
We will be back providing our services and resources on January 2, 2018.
Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!
The OPA Team
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 January 26th. Registration will open in January, 2018. 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.
Friday, Jan 26, 2018, 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, Jan 12, 2018, 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.
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.
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
Non-Traditional Careers for Science Majors | Dr. Dwight Randle | TEDxMountainViewCollege
The power of introverts | Susan Cain | TED Talk
Innovation and Entrepreneurship Student Organization here at Rutgers
*On behalf of Dr. Janet Alder:
Dear graduate students and postdocs,
If you are interested in starting your own business either now or in the future, you could definitely benefit from feedback and support from your peers and advisors.
Tyreek Houston, a Masters Student in the School of Communications and Informatics has created a survey to gauge the interest in forming an Innovation and Entrepreneurship student organization here at Rutgers.
Tyreek has the support of Assistant Dean Dr. Stroeger from the Business School and Associate Director Lori Dars from the Office of Research and Economic Development who will act as advisors to the group.
Please take a moment to fill out the short survey included in the link below so that Tyreek can gather support and learn the needs of those interested in entrepreurship.
The survey should only take a minute to complete.
The Postdocket | National Postdoctoral Association Newsletter
Welcome to the latest issue of The POSTDOCket, the monthly newsletter of the NPA.
Update from the Chair: Reflecting on Responsibilities and Opportunities
Kate Sleeth
““It has been an honor and a privilege to serve on the Board, a journey that began eight years ago. While I hope that I have made a difference to the postdoctoral experience, I know that my service on the Board has certainly made a difference to me. I have had the opportunity to learn from great Board members with whom I served. I am fortunate to call many of these individuals friends with whom I will continue to be in contact with once my tenure is over.” Mobile version
Meet the New and Returning Members of the NPA Board of Directors
Aarushi Sharma, Irina Tiper, and Elaine Wells-Gray
“The NPA is a member-driven organization, committed to changing the culture of individuals and institutions in the U.S. research enterprise to improve the postdoctoral experience. Central to achieving this mission, the Board of Directors is the governing body of the NPA. The Board provides oversight of NPA work, defines and evaluates its strategic plan and objectives, and setting policies that guide the work of NPA staff and committees… In 2018, the NPA welcomes three new and two returning members of the Board.” Mobile version
Scientific Wonders in Five Minutes
Lining Zhu
“When I was asked to present in the City of Hope Postdoctoral Research Forum, my first thought was, ‘What? Present my research in just five minutes with a single PowerPoint slide? That is a Mission: Impossible!’ I had given oral presentations of various lengths on different occasions but never a five-minute talk.” Zhu highlights the value and craft of short presentations. Mobile version
Christopher Smith
“Many universities face challenges supporting postdoctoral scholars across disciplines and schools, and Vanderbilt University (VU) is no exception. In May 2015, the Graduate Education Study Group, appointed by VU’s Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, recommended that postdoctoral scholars be brought under one umbrella and under the leadership of the Graduate School at VU.” Smith shares how the Vanderbilt Postdoc Association is reaching and engaging postdocs in a broader range of disciplines with the support of the newly established Office for Postdoctoral Affairs. Mobile version
NPA News and Committee Updates
The Committees of the Membership, along with the International and Diversity Officers, are the core of the NPA. They work to develop events and resources that support the postdoctoral community, and their work would not be possible without volunteers. Volunteering with an NPA committee is a great way to gain professional experience at the national level, while giving back to the postdoctoral community. Learn more about recent activities, leadership transitions, and ways to get involved. Mobile version
Effecting Change as a Leader in the NPA: Q&A with Kate Sleeth
Kate Sleeth, PhD, has been a member of the NPA Board of Directors for the past six years, serving as chair of the Board in 2017. The NPA is grateful for her leadership. As she concludes her term, we asked her about her work and support for the Association. Mobile version
Be sure to share The POSTDOCket with your network!
The POSTDOCket welcomes submissions from our community of postdocs, administrators, and other contributors. Please contact The POSTDOCket editor in chief to share your story ideas.
NPA Opposes Proposed Elimination of Tuition Waivers
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (HR 1) would eliminate tuition waivers from taxable income for graduate students who serve as teaching or research assistants. The impact of the provision has the potential to create serious repercussions throughout the research community and significantly increase the tax liability for graduate students.
The NPA Career Center is a new resource for connecting talent with opportunity. Visit the website to find more opportunities or to learn how to share your job posting with the community.
Post Doc Fellow Structural Biology and Drug Discovery
Moffitt Cancer Center
Tampa, FL
Postdoctoral Research Fellow: Pancreatic Cancer Metastasis
Moffitt Cancer Center
Tampa, FL
Postdoctoral Fellow Molecular Oncology and Mouse Modeling
Moffitt Cancer Center
Tampa, FL
Postdoctoral Fellow in Transplantation Immunology
Moffitt Cancer Center
Tampa, FL
Upcoming Funding Opportunities in the Neuroscience Field
Ruth K. Broad Foundation - Extramural Alzheimer's Grant (2/1/18 | $250K/2yrs)
The Foundation will be awarding a two-year grant, effective July 1, 2018, for $125,000 each year. Applications will be evaluated on their potential for advancing understanding of neurodegenerative disorders, with particular interest in the potential relationship to Alzheimer’s disease. The research proposed should be an innovative direction of study for the applicant’s lab with the potential for high impact on the field.
Nat'l MS Society - Research Grants (2/7/18 | $200K)
We welcome applications for studies related to multiple sclerosis that may serve to advance our mission of stopping MS progression, restoring function and improving quality of life, and preventing MS. The Society supports fundamental as well as applied studies, non-clinical or clinical in nature, including projects in patient management, care and rehabilitation.
Health & Aging Policy - Fellows Proggram (4/15/18 | $100K)
The U.S. population is aging rapidly. By 2030, 71 million Americans (about 20% of the U.S. population) will be 65 and older. Our nation’s decision makers are currently confronting an enormous range of specific challenges in health care for the aging. We need your help.
Klingenstein-Simons - NeuroSci. Fellows (2/15/18 | $225K/3yrs)
The Klingenstein-Simons Fellowship Awards in the Neurosciences supports, in the early stages of their careers, young investigators engaged in basic or clinical research that may lead to a better understanding of neurological and psychiatric disorders.
Reading Material
A Job Doesn't Have to Be for Life
*Article published on Inside HigerEd
"Career decision making isn’t about choosing the right path versus the wrong path, either -- it is a little more complex than that. After all, even if you were to find a “perfect” job, it might be that the specific clients and colleagues that you are working with make it a less than ideal work environment." Read more.