Calendar & Events

UMN PDA Calendar

As of 1/13/23, we have updated our PDA calendar and are now using a new calendar link (for the calendar titled "PDA Events"). If you were subscribed to the "UMN Postdoctoral Association" calendar, please subscribe to "PDA Events" instead. Thank you!

From the Office of Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Initiatives:

Leading Across Sectors and Professions for Collective Impact

Thursday, March 23, 2023

10 AM  - 12 PM via Zoom

Register

Many of the complex challenges facing our society today can only be addressed through collaborative leadership across multiple sectors and fields. Yet, few professionals know how to successfully cross organizational boundaries to promote the common good. This workshop introduces graduate students and postdocs to the concept of integrative leadership as a strategy for addressing large-scale societal challenges. Participants will learn how to build successful cross-sector teams and practice the skills and mindsets necessary to lead in these collaborative settings. Participants can earn a Maroon Badge from the Graduate School to document their participation. View Badge metadata. This session will be co-facilitated by Kathy Quick and Samantha Silker from the Center for Integrative Leadership. Just FYI that there are other workshops coming up in the spring.

Monthly Steering Committee Meetings

Fourth Monday of each month, 3-4:30 PM

(Spring 2023 Dates: 1/23, 2/27, 3/27, 4/24, 5/22, 6/26)

These are currently held over Zoom. Please check the PDA calendar for more information. All are welcomed to join and we request you send any agenda items to discuss to pda@umn.edu at least one week prior to the meeting.

Monthly Coffee Hours

First, second, and third Thursdays of each month, 10 -11:00 AM

Hosted by the Medical School's Office of Professional Development and Office of Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Initiatives

Join the OPD to say hi and grab a snack or coffee! Locations change weekly, all from 10-11AM:

1st Tues of the month: Nils Hasselmo Hall 4-101

2nd Tues of the month: Cancer & Cardiovascular Research Building Lobby

3rd Tues of the month: Gortner Lab in front of room 140

The coffee hours are posted on the PDA calendar - please subscribe! All postdocs are welcomed to attend.

Happy Hours

Every-other Thursday

Dates for Spring: (Check the PDA Calendar - times and locations vary)

March 9th, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM at The Market at Malcolm Yards (501 30th Ave SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414)

March 23rd from 6:30 PM until 8:30 PM at Graze | Provisions + Libations (520 N 4th St, Minneapolis, MN 55401)

We are currently meeting at Malcolm Yards, but please check the PDA calendar for the most updated information. Please note that while it's warm enough, we will find seating outside on the front patio. Once we move inside, we will sit in the open seating area towards the back of the venue. Look for a sign with the PDA logo to find us!

Weekly Writing Group

Friday mornings from 10:30 - 11:30 AM

The Friday Morning Virtual Writing Group is held from 10:30-11:30am every week via zoom. Writing groups are a great way to increase productivity and make progress on grants, manuscripts, job applications, or other projects. Schedule some weekly writing time with your fellow postdocs! Check out the PDA Calendar for the Zoom link.

UMN PDA Newsletters: Latest Events and Opportunities

March 14, 2023

Stay connected with the PDA and its resources:

Website | Listserv | Slack channel | Calendar | Twitter | LinkedIn | Grants & Funding


In this newsletter…


1) Skills for Health and Research Professionals Program

June-August, 2023 | Information and application here 

The annual registration opening announcement for the summer Skills for Health and Research Professionals (SHARP) Program is here! Geared towards early-career postdocs, these 1-4-day trainings in omics, data science, climate, and professional development provide immediate take away skills for investigators from any institution and are offered in a variety of in-person, virtual, and hybrid formats.

This year, SHARP is offering exciting additional topics (PI’s Business of Research, Statistical Analysis with Missing Data, Indigenous Environmental Health Research, Code Rigor and Reproducibility in R, Exposure Modeling, Bayesian Modeling, Creating Compelling Research Narrative, etc.) for a total of 29 summer trainings.


2) National Postdoctoral Association Statement on Increasing Visa Fees

Read the full statement here

The NPA filed formal comments with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) opposing an overnight increase of H-1B and O-1 visa fees. With the USCIS proposing to increase these visa fees by 65 to 130 percent, the NPA strongly encouraged more consideration of the impact on international postdocs training and working in the United States, who strengthen our nation through cutting-edge innovation, leadership and community outreach across all disciplines. Rather than a one-time, massive increase, the NPA suggested the self-funded USCIS phase in any increases over time. The NPA also argued to keep the current $10 fee for electronic registrations rather than the large jump to $215 proposed by USCIS. The NPA will continue to monitor this situation and weigh in on behalf of our members when opportunities arise.


3) 2023 NIA Start-Up Challenge and Accelerator Pre-Submission Webinar

March 16, 2023 1:30 pm | Register here 

For the second year, the National Institute on Aging (NIA) Office of Strategic Extramural Programs (OSEP) and Office of Special Populations (OSP) has launched an exciting challenge prize competition, the 2023 NIA Start-Up Challenge and Accelerator, and strongly encourages submissions from individuals who are from groups underrepresented in the U.S. health sciences. Submissions are due April 20, 2023.

You are invited to join the NIA OSEP team for a pre-submission webinar on Thursday, March 16, 2023, at 1:30 p.m. ET, which will offer information on the program and guidance on the submission process, as well as a Q&A with NIA program staff.

Out of the pool of submitters, up to 20 finalists will be selected to participate in a five-month

accelerator program. Finalists are expected to commit four to six hours per week from approximately July to December 2023. To provide maximum flexibility for participants, the five-month accelerator program will be mostly virtual except for one or two in-person networking events (travel costs will be paid by NIH for at least one finalist per team).

The program will offer strategic resources to help accelerate the diverse entrepreneurs and their technologies. These resources include:

At the conclusion of the program, up to six finalists will be selected as winners to each receive a $60,000 cash prize. This prize is not a loan and does not need to be repaid. The cash prize and resources accessed through the accelerator program may be vital to launch or grow the participant’s start-up and execute activities that may improve a future NIA SBIR or STTR research proposal; for example, testing the premise of the research idea, generating preliminary data, developing or improving a prototype, or building an experienced team.


4) Medical Tech Commercialization Bootcamp & Happy Hour

March 16 1:00-4:30 pm | Info and Registration

Meet and mingle with researchers and industry professionals on the front lines of med tech innovation commercialization. Topics for the event include:


5) Medical School Engagement Session with Associate Dean of Grad Ed & Dean

March 17 12:30-1:30 pm | Health Sciences Education Center Room (HSEC) 2-110 | RSVP

Associate Dean of Graduate Education Michael Lipscomb along with Dean Jakob Tolar will continue the dialogue for providing best practices and services for Medical School learners. If you would like to provide feedback or hear updates, please attend! Not able to join, but have questions or concerns to share? Please fill out this form before the session on Friday. Need updates on the professional development and postdoc services that are changing in the Medical School? Updates to questions and concerns are posted here.


6) National Postdoctoral Association SmartSkills: Take Charge of your Immigration Education

March 28, 2023 3pm| Register

Your career success as an international postdoc in the United States depends not only on your skills, credentials, and experience but also on your ability to obtain a work visa or permanent residency as fast as possible. To secure the proper immigration status, you need to assemble an immigration portfolio, similar to a job application package. An immigration portfolio helps you stand out and includes evidence of your credentials, work experience, international recognition, and the importance of your work. Unlike job packages, immigration portfolios are more robust and less understood. Preparing an immigration portfolio is like building a network--it takes time, effort, and knowledge. Come learn how to use your professional development activities to create an immigration portfolio by prioritizing activities that satisfy the immigration criteria for substantial merit or the National Interest Waiver while increasing competitiveness for diverse careers.


7) GPN Postdocs: Mock NRSA Proposal Review

April 8, 2023  

If you are a GPN-associated postdoc planning to submit an NRSA proposal for the April submission deadline, and you would like feedback on your proposal prior to submission, please contact Lucy Vulchanova


8) National Postdoctoral Association Annual Conference

April 21-22, 2023 (in person); May 11-12 (virtual) | Information and registration here 

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.


9) NTU Presidential Postdoctoral Fellowship in Singapore

Application deadline: April 30, 2023 | Information and application here 

Young and research-intensive, Nanyang Technological University (NTU Singapore) is ranked 19th globally and placed among the world’s best young universities. NTU has a vibrant research ecosystem with a high proportion of early career researchers. It has a healthy environment for interdisciplinary research collaboration and the research is well-funded.

NTU invites outstanding early-career researchers to apply for appointment as a NTU Presidential Postdoctoral Fellow. The PPF aims to provide the opportunity for outstanding early career researchers from Singapore and around the world, to conduct independent investigations in any discipline at NTU. This Fellowship provides research funding over two years. There are personal development opportunities coupled with mentorship in an established research group. These conditions will empower the Fellows to strive for research excellence and impact and enable them to meet their ambitions as global research leaders.

The following supporting documents have to be attached to the online application form:

Please contact ntuppf@ntu.edu.sg with any questions.


10) PDA Writing Hour

Fridays from 10:30-11:30 | Zoom Link

Join other postdocs for an hour of weekly writing time. This is held virtually over zoom. Please join using this Zoom ID: https://umn.zoom.us/j/5106000453.

Newsletters 2023