The Doc Report - August 2017

To better identify, provide services for, and track outcomes of the postdoctoral population on campus, a new job code, Postdoctoral Associate (1312) has been created. This change will also allow for a more defined job description and career path for non-postdoctoral research personnel.

Over the course of the fall semester, current postdocs falling under the Research Associate job code will be reclassified as Postdoctoral Associates. If you are affected by this job code change, your salary and benefits will remain intact; this change will only impact the job title and code of affected individuals. This change will not affect the visa status of any international Postdoctoral or Research Associate.

A Q&A session about this change is scheduled from 3—4 PM on Monday, August 28^th in SEEC C120.

Learn More

September 18^th – 22^nd marks the eighth annual National Postdoc Appreciation Week (NPAW)! NPAW was launched by the National Postdoctoral Association (NPA) and officially recognized by the U.S. House of Representatives in 2010. Institutions across the nation have used NPAW to raise awareness and acknowledge the hard work and substantial contributions that postdocs make to the national (and international) research and teaching enterprise. 

The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs (OPA) and Postdoc Association of Colorado (PAC) are planning a number of initiatives to recognize the substantial contributions postdocs make to the CU Boulder community. Stay tuned to learn more about:

• Outstanding Postdoc and Mentor Awards
• Articles highlighting exciting research and scholarship by CU Boulder postdocs
• Postdoc Appreciation Day Events on September 21^st at the Koenig Alumni Center from 2—6 PM
  • Flash Talk Competition
  • Networking opportunities
  • Games for postdocs and their families
  • Taco dinner

You can learn more about a few of these initiatives below!

With the support from the Research & Innovation Office (RIO), the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs (OPA) will be awarding two Outstanding Postdoc and one Outstanding Mentor awards during National Postdoctoral Appreciation Week (NPAW), September 18^th-22^nd, 2017.

The Outstanding Postdoc Awards recognize Postdoctoral Scholars currently coded as Postdoctoral Associates, Research Associates or Post-Doctoral Fellows who demonstrate exemplary research contributions, leadership and communication for their career stage, independent of years of postdoctoral experience. Awardees will receive a $250 visa gift card. Applications are due by Monday, September 4^th.

Apply Here

The Outstanding Mentor Award recognizes a faculty member who provides exemplary leadership and training to postdoctoral scholars at CU Boulder. Mentors must be nominated by a CU Boulder postdoc. Nominations are due by Monday, September 4^th.

Nominate Your Mentor

Outstanding Postdoc and Mentor awards will be presented during Postdoc Appreciation Day, September 21^st, at 3:30 PM at the Koenig Alumni Center.

The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs and Postdoctoral Association of Colorado are co-sponsoring a 2-minute Flash Talk competition during Postdoc Appreciation Day onSeptember 21^st, beginning at 2:15 PM in the Koenig Alumni Center main room.

We are seeking postdocs who would like to present their research, scholarship or creative works in a 2-minute Flash Talk to a group of peers, colleagues and community members. The top two talks will be selected by secret ballot of those present, and competition winners will each recieve a $50 Visa gift card!

Sign Up

No materials or digital media may be used during Flash Talks.

Speaking slots are limited and given on a first-come, first-served basis.

By Kristin Moore | Postdoctoral Association of Colorado

The Postdoctoral Association of Colorado (PAC) recently hosted the first seminar in the Off-Campus Postdoc Seminar Series at the Rayback Collective. This seminar series strives to give postdocs a chance to share their research with a broad audience of other postdocs as well as the general public.

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By Victoria Reyes | Inside Higher Ed

Landing a postdoc, particularly for the social sciences and humanities, is increasingly difficult as Keisha N. Blain recently noted in Inside Higher Ed. Many postdocs are as competitive as tenure-track jobs. But if you are one of the lucky few to receive a postdoc, what’s next?

I’m finishing my one-year National Center for Institutional Diversity postdoc at the University of Michigan. I’m fortunate enough to have a postdoc that requires no teaching or service, and provides a generous research budget. I’m also a sociologist, so my perspective reflects that of a scholar in the social sciences and humanities. Still, no matter if your postdoc is for one year or three, or whether you are teaching, in a lab or on your own, I’ve developed some tips that I think can help you make the most of your postdoc.

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