The Doc Report - May 2026
Upcoming Events
Discover career opportunities at Boulder Startup Week—a free event packed with talks, workshops, and networking to help explore entrepreneurship, innovation, and career paths beyond academia.
May 4-8
Downtown Boulder, CO
Register Here
NPA Events for May
From the National Postdoctoral Association (NPA), these sessions will examine the impact of AI on scholarly communication and publication workflows, as well as strategies that can increase your success securing a position in any job market. To sign up for NPA offerings, use this invitation link and follow the registration process.
Academic Publishing
Monday, May 4
1 p.m.
Connecting to Career Opportunities Through Strategic Networking
Tuesday, May 26
1 p.m.
Join us for Seattle DROP, a virtual biomedical postdoc recruitment event. Learn about research opportunities and hear from outstanding mentors, recruiting faculty, and current postdocs.
Tuesday, May 5
9 a.m.
Register Here
PAC Boulder Coffee Hour
Come meet and mingle with other postdocs at a coffee hour hosted by the Postdoctoral Association of Colorado Boulder (PAC Boulder).
Wednesday, May 6
10 a.m.
Main Campus, Norlin Library
Join Career Services’ five-part seminar series designed for postdocs, and gain the tools, strategies, and insight you need to launch a successful academic job search.
Overall Job Search Strategy and CVs
Thursday, May 7
Noon - 1pm
Cover Letters
Thursday, May 14
Noon - 1pm
Research Statements
Thursday, May 21
Noon - 1pm
Looking for funding to support your work? Join RIO for a fast-paced, 30-minute introduction to Pivot, internal funding opportunities, and other free tools available with your CU Login. Bring your team—faculty, staff, and students are all welcome!
Wednesday, May 13
Noon
Register Here
Newsletter Block TitleLatest News
Join the PAC Board! (Nominations Due May 4)
Gain valuable leadership and service experience by joining the 2026–2027 Postdoctoral Association of Colorado (PAC) Boulder Board. Nominations are open until May 4.
Rockets are not good metaphors for research success
How we describe research groups can shape how we lead them. It’s time we abandon images that normalize exploitation, says Anders Bach-Mortensen.
Meet the researchers who are making bonds outside of the lab
There are many benefits to participating in extracurricular activities with colleagues.
How to Build a Strategic Digital Presence: Advice for Early-Career Researchers
Select platforms and engagement styles that work for your goals while requiring realistic time investments.
Newsletter Block TitleFunding Opportunities
Creative Futures Fellowship (Apply by May 11)
CU Boulder's Creative Futures Fellowship offers grants up to $25,000 for arts, humanities and social science projects.
Gerda Henkel Lost Cities (Apply by May 27)
Postdocs in the humanities and social sciences may propose interdisciplinary projects examining abandoned cities across historical, social, cultural, archaeological, economic, environmental, or theoretical dimensions, with an emphasis on innovative, cross-disciplinary approaches.
NIH Pathway to Independence Award (Parent K99/R00) (Apply by June 12)
This program supports postdocs transition from mentored postdoctoral positions to independent, tenure-track (or equivalent) faculty roles. It provides phased NIH funding to help postdocs establish competitive, independent research programs.
The Science & SciLifeLab Prize for Young Scientists (Apply by July 15)
SciLifeLab and Science magazine/AAAS have joined forces in creating a global prize awarding the best PhD thesis work in life science. Applicants must have received their Ph.D. between January 2023 - December 2024.
NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in Biology (Apply by September 29)
The Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO) will make awards for Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in Biology (PRFB) to recent doctoral degree recipients, for proposals with a research and training focus at the Intersection of Artificial Intelligence and Biological Sciences to Strengthen and Safeguard Biotechnology Innovations.