Dear Postdoctoral Fellow Community,

I hope you are enjoying the beginning of fall and cooler days ahead.

We recently announced our collaboration with The Vanderbilt University Career Center as they are expanding their services to support postdoctoral fellows and provide guidance for non-academic career options. We are thrilled to partner with the Career Center and hope you will take advantage of their resources.

Below you will find links to upcoming events and opportunities, including our 15th Annual VPA Symposium on November 1. We hope to see you there!

Please note, open enrollment for both VU- and VUMC-employed postdocs is taking place in October. Read more below and mark your calendars for these important dates.

Lastly, we enjoyed celebrating National Postdoc Appreciation Week and meeting many of you at our Coffee Hour and Annual Picnic.

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

Career Center expands services to support postdoctoral fellows

The Vanderbilt University Career Center is expanding its services to support postdoctoral fellows in addition to undergraduate, graduate and recently graduated students. The Career Center provides ongoing opportunities for postdocs to learn about and explore professional opportunities, including career coaching, online resources, workshops and programs, panel discussions, career fairs and more. Career coaches Kayla Broom and Christina Keeton will serve postdocs, with Broom working with fellows in the humanities and social sciences and Keeton serving non-biomedical STEM postdocs. Both will work closely with university partners to meet the professional needs of postdocs in these areas. In addition, biomedical postdocs will continue to be served by the BRET Career Development ASPIRE program. Postdocs may contact their career coach to set up an appointment, or they may contact the Career Center at careercenter@vanderbilt.edu for more information.

Vanderbilt’s 2021 STEM Policy & Advocacy Virtual Seminars

These virtual events will provide those in attendance with an opportunity to learn more about science policy career paths. Participants will get an inside look into different careers that are focused on science policy and hear from current and former American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science and Technology Policy (STP) fellows. For STEM students and postdocs considering careers in public policy, this behind the scenes look will provide insights to potential career opportunities. The seminars will be held November 1 and November 8. Learn more and register here.

Register for the 15th Annual VPA Symposium on November 1

The VPA, in collaboration with OPA, will be hosting the 15th Annual VPA Symposium on Monday, November 1! This interdisciplinary one-day symposium, scheduled to be held in-person at the Student Life Center, will highlight postdoctoral research across different fields from Vanderbilt University, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and neighboring universities. Register here.

VUEDGE: Using Your Scholarship as a Voice to Promote Social Justice

OPA is thrilled to co-sponsor the VUEDGE seminar on October 8, 2021 from 3-4:30PM. Our panel of African American, Native American, Latino/a American, and Asian American/Pacific Islander scholars will share their experiences, and address how graduate students and postdocs can use their academic discipline to promote social justice and change. Learn more and register here.

Upcoming Professional Development and Wellness Workshops for Postdocs

Assertiveness & Boundary Setting Workshop for Postdocs: October 6, 2021 at 12PM
Assertiveness training may help a person set and maintain boundaries, resist unwanted advances, and actively intervene to prevent or disrupt sexual misconduct occurring around them. The Director of Project Safe, Cara Tuttle Bell, will be facilitating. Please RSVP to the event to receive the Zoom link.

Managing Up Workshop for Postdocs: October 12, 2021 at 12PM
This workshop will provide tips on how to identify ways to effectively engage with supervisors on critical matters with clarity and goal alignment while maintaining a positive work relationship. Register here.

What to Expect when Applying for Non-Academic Jobs: October 14, 2021 at 4PM
Preparing for the job market? Learn the process, timeline, and professional documents necessary to be a confident and knowledgeable applicant. Register here.

Women in the Academy: Negotiating Your First Academic Job: October 19, 2021 at 12PM
A presentation by Maureen Gannon, Professor and Associate Dean for Faculty Development, School of Medicine. Register here.

Creating Effective Scientific Talks and Delivering Them with Confidence: October 21, 2021 at 2PM
Led by Kathy Gould, PhD, this workshop will provide basic instruction in strategies of engaging your audiences with maximally effective slide preparation and speaking techniques. Practice opportunities will also be made available after the workshop, with critical but supportive feedback. Register here.

Career Connections: Alumni Perspective on Navigating the Job Search (Humanities and Social Sciences): November 5, 2021 at 12PM
What’s next? Hear PhDs and postdocs share how they negotiated the twists and turns of their job search to enter the workforce successfully. Register here.

Holiday Stress: November 8, 2021 at 12PM
Holidays are meant to be times of joy but often they are times of unfulfilled expectations. Learn to give compassion to ourselves and others during these unusual, divisive, and stressful times. Presenter: Stephanie Dean, Assistant Manager of Work/Life Connections-EAP. Register here.

Career Connections: Alumni Perspective on Navigating the Job Search (STEM): November 12, 2021 at 12PM
What’s next? Hear PhDs and postdocs share how they negotiated the twists and turns of their job search to enter the workforce successfully. Register here.

Women in the Academy: A Conversation About Mentoring: November 17, 2021 at 12PM
A panel discussion with Carcia Carson, Ph.D. student, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Maya Krause, Ph.D. student, Department of Anthropology, Dina Stroud, Executive Director, Fisk-Vanderbilt Master’s-to-Ph.D. Bridge Program, Tiffiny Tung, Professor, Department of Anthropology. Register here.

Chasing the Elusive Work/Life Balance: January 24, 2022 at 12PM
Trying to create a healthy balance between your professional and personal life is complex. It changes depending upon your priorities, stage of life, and responsibilities. The trick is to consider a Life Allotment Plan that can help you budget your time so you fit in things that are important. Presenter: Jim Kendall, LCSW CEAP Register here.

VU-employed Postdocs: Open Enrollment October 18-29

All fully benefits-eligible faculty, staff and postdocs will be required to make an active plan selection during October’s Open Enrollment for 2022 coverage. Employees will not automatically default into their current plan if no action is taken. Continue to watch for communications from VU Human Resources between now and the Open Enrollment period, which runs Oct. 18–29. Read more. Please note: This is for benefits-eligible Postdoctoral Scholar, Researchers.

VUMC-employed Postdocs: Open Enrollment October 13-29

The benefits you choose will take effect on Jan. 1, 2022 and last until Dec. 31, 2022. Now is a good time to review your current benefit plans to make sure they still meet your family’s needs. Remember, even if you don’t want to change your benefits plan, you still need to go through Open Enrollment to receive the $20 tobacco-free credit, to contribute to a flexible spending account, and/or to pay the $100 spousal fee if your spouse has access to health coverage through their employer but prefers the VUMC plan. Continue to watch for communications from VUMC Human Resources between now and the Open Enrollment period. Read more. Please note: This is for benefits-eligible Research Fellows. 

Latest Vanderbilt COVID-19 protocols and vaccine requirements

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. As a part of Vanderbilt’s COVID-19 response and in light of increasing case numbers in Nashville and the surrounding community, the university is implementing random asymptomatic testing—or “sentinel” testing—to detect and forecast possible infection trends and provide early warning signs of outbreak. Refer to the latest guidance and protocols, including mask mandates here.

All VUMC employees are required to be fully vaccinated or have an approved exemption from this requirement as a condition of employment. Additionally, VUMC has updated their masking requirements for all VUMC employees.

Resources

• Office of Postdoctoral Affairs
• Center for Teaching
• Faculty Affairs
• Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
• Research@Vanderbilt
• VUMC Office of Research
• 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