Dear Postdoctoral Fellow Community,

At the conclusion of a successful spring semester, Vanderbilt University recently updated its COVID-19 protocols, including masking, gathering size, off-campus activities and campus visits. Of particular note, postdoctoral fellows will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 for the 2021–2022 academic year; below please find information on where to get vaccinated and instructions for submitting your vaccination record by the July 31 deadline. Thank you for your continued attention to updates surrounding campus and VUMC Health and Safety Protocols.

Please take note of two fantastic upcoming workshops: Internal Grant Opportunities for Biomedical Postdocs at Vanderbilt (June 22) and Building Resilience for Postdocs (July 12). We also hope you will join your fellow postdocs at the VPA Town Hall on Friday, June 11.

Finally, we congratulate our 2021 Postdoc Award Winners: Lindsey Seldin, Inga Saknite, ReAnna Roby and Borden Lacy. Thank you to all who participated. It was great to see so many of you at the Ceremony in May.

As always, please reach out if you have any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

C. André Christie-Mizell, Ph.D.
Vice Provost for Graduate Education
Director, Office of Postdoctoral Affairs
Dean of the Graduate School
Centennial Professor of Sociology

University updates COVID-19 protocols

Following revised CDC recommendations indicating that fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear masks or physically distance, Vanderbilt University announced it is modifying many COVID-19 protocols surrounding masking, gathering size, off-campus activities and campus visits.

Additionally, all Vanderbilt University-employed faculty, staff and postdoctoral fellows are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 for the 2021–22 academic school year. The deadline for faculty, staff and postdocs to submit their full vaccination record is July 31.

Occupational Health will host no-cost walk-up COVID-19 vaccine clinics starting in early June for university-employed faculty, staff and postdoctoral fellows.

VUMC has also updated its COVID-19 protocols. Medical Center Postdocs no longer need to wear masks or physically distance in non-clinical areas once they are fully vaccinated. Masking remains required for anyone that is not fully vaccinated in all indoor areas.

Once fully vaccinated, VU and VUMC postdocs working in Medical Center facilities can receive an ID badge sticker, representing that they no longer need to wear masks in non-clinical areas. To find times and locations to pick up your sticker, and guidance on what to bring, please visit the VUMC COVID-19 Information website.

June 2021 VPA Town Hall

The Vanderbilt Postdoctoral Association Town Hall is scheduled for June 11th at 4PM. The Town Hall will begin with a brief presentation on the VPA, the OPA, upcoming elections, and proposed bylaws changes before discussion and Q&A. Register here.

Internal Grant Opportunities for Biomedical Postdocs at Vanderbilt

Rebecca Helton, Senior Program Manager for Edge for Scholars, and Lesa Black, Research Services Consultant for Vanderbilt Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (VICTR), will discuss internal funding opportunities available to Biomedical postdocs during their position at Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Submit questions before the presentation using this Google Form. This event is sponsored by the Vanderbilt Postdoctoral Association and is open to the Vanderbilt community. The seminar will take place on June 22, 2021 at 11AM. Register here.

Building Resilience Workshop for Postdocs

To meet life’s challenges, developing resilience coping skills provides strategies to respond to the pressures we face in our personal and professional lives. Equipped with a positive attitude, enhanced skillset, and a healthy lifestyle, resilience allows us to turn challenges into success, increasing personal happiness and overall productivity. Join Jim Kendall, LCSW, Manager of Work/Life Connections-EAP, on July 12, 2021 from noon-1pm. Register here.

The Leadership Alliance Virtual Career Development Workshop

The Leadership Alliance Executive Office, in partnership with AbbVie and Vanderbilt University, invites you to participate in a two-day virtual career development workshop focused on increasing readiness and competitiveness of underrepresented scholars as they train for and enter careers in academia and the broader biomedical research workforce. The Virtual Career Development Workshop is an opportunity for graduate students and postdocs to learn more about potential career paths, build their professional network, and apply practical advice to the next phase of their careers. The workshop takes place July 28-29, 2021. Click here for registration and conference information.

VPA Executive Committee Elections

The Vanderbilt Postdoctoral Association is accepting nominations for next year’s VPA Executive Committee. You may self-nominate or be nominated by submitting a short statement (up to 300 words) to postdoc@vanderbilt.edu. The deadline for nominations is June 30, 2021 and elections will occur July.

Resources

• Office of Postdoctoral Affairs
• Center for Teaching
• Faculty Affairs
• Inclusive Excellence
• Research Return to Campus
• Graduate School
• BRET: Biomedical Research Education and Training
• Robert Penn Warren Center for the Humanities
• Margaret Cuninggim Women’s Center
• Postdoc Funding and Job Opportunities
• Archived Newsletters and Past Communications