Applications for the VCU Accelerate Fundare due Feb. 1
The PFF program offers a series of short courses and professional development opportunities for students interested in pursuing careers in higher education. PFF courses introduce students to the roles and responsibilities of higher education, address teaching and learning issues in the college classroom and provide supervised internship opportunities. Postdoctoral scholars at VCU are eligible to take these courses with permission of the PFF program. Postdoctoral scholars taking these courses may be eligible for tuition assistance.
Mentoring is recognized as an important component to career success in the academic environment. The following links provide several resources related to mentoring and being mentored.
The NSF is now requiring mentoring plans in all proposals that include postdoctoral scholars.
VCU Libraries, the Wright Center, and the VCU Postdoctoral Association sponsor a yearly series of talks given by postdocs to the VCU health sciences community. These are not research seminar talks, but an opportunity for postdocs to hone their science communication skills by informing the public about how to do something related to their research, teaching, or career development. Successful speakers have engaged audiences with a wide variety of topics ranging from how to perform immunohistochemistry to how to use social media to promote your personal scientific brand. Postdoctoral scholars receive individualized training from series runners, to support their efforts in this new type of speaking engagement, and have the opportunity to attend How-to Talk Sponsored Sessions, which feature leaders in education and science communication from the VCU community. Postdocs are eligible to compete for the VCU Science Communication Award when they are accepted to speak in this series.
Stay up to date with PDA via the listserv. Please email vcupostdocs1@gmail.com to enroll.
The PDA at VCU offers need-based travel awards in the amount of $700 dollars to select individuals to help defray meeting travel expenses. Four awards are offered in the spring and fall semesters, and three awards are offered in the summer.
Want the PDA to tweet out about your newly published paper? Did you just receive a F32 or K99? How about a pat on the back for that presentation at that awesome conference? PDA would like to highlight the accomplishments of postdoctoral fellows at VCU. Please send an email to vcupostdocs1@gmail.com with a few sentences about your accomplishment (or a postdoc that you think needs recognition), and PDA will contact you so that we can recognize amazing postdoctoral fellows over social media.
npa logo [View Image]Virginia Commonwealth University has purchased a sustaining membership from the National Postdoctoral Association. This entitles everyone who is affiliated with VCU to obtain a free affiliate membership in NPA. Anyone who has an email address with the domain @vcu.edu can join NPA for free. All you need to do is complete an online or paper enrollment form using your VCU email address. Affiliate members receive a modified package of benefits, including subscriptions to NPA publications, access to members-only web content and eligibility for NPA committee service. Please note that affiliate members are not eligible to vote or serve on the NPA board of directors. Affiliate members who wish to vote or serve on the board should join NPA as full individual voting members (dues is $35).
Postdoctoral Services, in collaboration with the VCU Postdoctoral Association, has established a grant program to provide VCU postdocs an opportunity to pursue independent lines of scientific inquiry. The goal is to assist postdocs in establishing themselves as independent researchers.
Applications are due Aug. 1. Awardees will be announced during National Postdoc Appreciation Week in mid-September. Two to four grants of $5,000 each will be awarded each year.
To be eligible for this research grant program you must meet the following three requirements:
Contact us
Andrekia Branch
Coordinator
Postdoctoral Services
(804) 827-6036
aebranch@vcu.edu