Events for Postdocs
The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs sponsors many events on campus, including grant writing workshops, tips for applying for faculty positions, and other career development activities.
View events that may be of interest to postdocs on the University Calendar.
For recordings and/or powerpoint of past presentations, click here.
Ongoing Activities and Event Series
Are you a post-doctoral researcher interested in polishing your “lay” scientific communication skills by giving a short 10-minute presentation to your peers and others in the Vanderbilt community in a fun and casual setting? If so, we invite you to join our Talk Series “Speak Easy”.
Topics change on a semester-by-semester basis.
Visit the Career Center website for more information.
The ASPIRE Postdoc Cafe will feature specific career development or professionalism topics, such as converting your CV into a powerful résumé, networking strategies, writing a winning cover letter, informational interviewing, finding funding for your research, Leveraging LinkedIN, Preparing for a teaching demo, and grant resources at Vanderbilt. This will be an informal session where conversation and questions are encouraged. Since this topic will change each meeting, feel free to attend as often as you wish.
Visit the BRET Office of Career Development website for more information.
PhD Career Stories is a monthly seminar series about career options for PhD scientists. Speakers from a diverse range of exciting scientific careers present their career path and share insights from their professional experiences. Come hear about the career journey from Vanderbilt Alumni and professionals working in the field, and see if this is a career path that could suit you.
The series is sponsored by the BRET Office of Career Development. For a full schedule visiting the Ph.D. Career Stories website
Explore topics specific to the job search process.
These will be an informal session where conversation and questions are encouraged. Since the topics will change each meeting, feel free to attend as often as you wish.
The series is sponsored by the BRET Office of Career Development. For a full schedule visiting the Job Search Series website.
The Parenting Group is a lunchtime program for the Vanderbilt community that addresses a range of topics, such as school choice, screen time, and gender socialization. Most meetings feature a guest who leads a discussion about a topic of interest to group members.
Sponsored by the Margaret Cuninggim Women’s Center
Women in the Academy offers PhD and postdocs a chance to reflect on the ways that gender affects their experience as they begin their professional journey in the academy.
Sponsored by the Margaret Cuninggim Women’s Center
Work-Life Workshops is a lecture-based lunchtime program for faculty, staff, graduate students and postdocs that covers a blend of self-care and professional development topics such as navigating organizational politics, salary negotiation strategies, stress management, mindfulness and more.
Sponsored by the Margaret Cuninggim Women’s Center
The purpose of the Certificate in College Teaching, co-sponsored by the Center for Teaching and the Graduate School, is to assist Vanderbilt graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who wish to gain a clearer, deeper, more active approach to teaching and learning in higher education. The certificate focuses on the research on learning and best teaching practices, and supports the university’s pursuit of excellence in teaching and learning. The certificate is ideal for graduate students and postdocs whose goals are to become more effective educators and who want to prepare for future careers in higher education teaching.
To receive a Certificate, participants must complete the following:
- Seminar in College Teaching. A one-semester seminar which explores and develops teaching skills. Participants attend 8 group sessions, complete a microteaching experience and develop a philosophy of teaching statement with feedback provided by a private 1:1 consultation. Additionally, participants may attend an optional teaching visit.
- College Teaching Practicum. A one-semester practicum in which participants enhance the effectiveness of their current teaching and assessment practices. Participants complete an observation of their classroom teaching. Additionally, participants will refine their philosophy of teaching.
The Certificate in College Teaching Program is highly popular and now maintains a wait list with no less than a semester wait to get in. Wait list applicants are considered on a first come first serve basis till all sections are full. If you do not get into the upcoming semester for the Seminar, your position on the wait list will be maintained for the next cohort by the date you applied.
More information and a link to seminar sign up can be found here.