Join us to discuss ethical, effective, and inspiring mentors

Thursday, September 21, 2017 ,· 8 AM – 8 PM

The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs and The Graduate School at University of Maryland College Park (UMD) extend an invitation to all Postdoctoral Fellows and Associates and Graduate Students of the USM System interested in pursuing an Academic Career to attend this event.

All events, save for the networking reception, will be held at the University of Maryland, College Park Campus. The reception will tentatively be held at the Milkboy Arthouse, subject to confirmation from the venue.

Adele Stamp Student Union

3972 Campus Drive

College Park, MD 20142

The registration as a cost of $15 for Non-UMD Students or Faculty members.

REGISTER HERE

The symposium has four goals:

1. To recognize and discuss the issues surrounding mentoring in STEM fields.
2. To discuss effective mentorship and advocacy techniques at all levels: PhD, Postdoc, Faculty
3. To provide a platform to connect like-minded young scientists who wish to effect change at their own institutions at the grassroots level.
4. To inspire participants to practice effective mentorship practices and promote these skill sets to their peers and colleagues at their own institutions.

Among the many roles that scientists play, mentoring younger scientists is one which researchers are rarely trained for. In the current STEM research environment, where lack of funding is but one of the systemic issues faced by young scientists, the roles, responsibilities, and career trajectories are changing. Organizations such as Future of Research and Rescuing Biomedical Research have been formed in recent years to address systemic issues facing academic research. Others, such as the National Mentoring Research Network, have arisen to address the training needs of those who wish to remain in academia but receive no formal training in how to supervise and mentor students. Still, there are gaps in the cultural awareness and value of being an inspiring leader, promoting a positive work environment, and in having happy, mentally fit employees. Where other industries recognize these benefits, academic culture lags.

But all of these issues are intertwined, and lead to the pessimism and learned helplessness found in many young researchers regarding their careers across the nation and the world. Because system, training, and culture all intersect to provide a scientist’s well-being and productivity, Labmosphere and Future of Research are holding a conference in collaboration with UMD-College Park to discuss current mentorship practices and the way in which they could be improved upon.

This whole day conference will take place at the end of National Postdoc Appreciation week (September 21st). It will consist of three speakers with break-out sessions in between the talks, as well as a mentorship panel at the end followed by discussion and a networking reception.

Tentative schedule:

8:00 – 9:00 AM

Event Registration and continental breakfast served in main auditorium

9:00 AM – 10: 30 AM

9:00 AM Opening remarks (Blessing Enekwe (UMD); Jeff Franke (UMD); Gary McDowell (FoR))

9:30 AM Keynote Speaker (UMD-Faculty and NRMN Core faculty (Dr. Sandra Quinn))

10:15 AM Questions and first talk wrap-up

10:30 AM – 12:00 PM

Break-out Sessions for workshops:

Culturally Aware Mentoring (Dr. Sandra Quinn)

Local Advocacy (Gary McDowell and Union of Concerned Scientists)

12:00 PM – 1:00 PM

Networking lunch in the main auditorium

1:00 PM – 2:30 PM

1:00 PM Hypercompetition in Research (Dr. Chris Pickett, Rescuing Biomedical Research)

1:45 PM Courageous and Value-Based Leadership in Academic Research (Brooke Deterline, Courage to Lead)

2:45 PM – 4:00 PM

Break-out Sessions for second round of workshops:

Mentorship across the industry/academia divide (Will Olds, Proteintech)

Support Networks (Juan Pablo Ruiz, Labmosphere)

4:00 PM – 5:30 PM

Workshop wrap-up and mentoring panel:

Meg Bentley, Director in Residence of Laboratories, Dept of Biology, American University

Andy De Los Reyes, University of Maryland

Belinda Huang, George Washington University

Chinonye “Chi-Chi” Nnakwe, American Association for the Advancement of Science

5:45 PM – 6:00 PM

Transfer to Milkboy Arthouse for Reception

6:00 PM  –  8:00 PM

Final remarks by organizers and networking reception

Official website: http://futureofresearch.org/college-park-2017/

For more information please contact:

Blessing Enekwe, Ph.D.
Program Director, Office of Postdoctoral Affairs (OPA)
The Graduate School, University of Maryland
2123 Lee Building,
7809 Regents Drive, College Park, MD 20742
(301) 405-6009 I  blessing@umd.edu  I  gradschool.umd.edu  I  @UMDGradSchool
Advancing graduate education. Enhancing the graduate student experience.

Dear PROMISE Participants,

Our friends at Northeastern University have shared this event with us:

Northeastern University STEM Future Faculty Fellowship Program

Northeastern University invites nominations and applications from candidates in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields for the Northeastern University STEM Future Faculty Fellowship (Postdoctoral) Program. 

Northeastern University’s mission emphasizes translational research that addresses global challenges and enhances social wellbeing.  Northeastern University strives to create a vibrant and diverse community, characterized by collaboration, creativity, and unwavering commitment to excellence and an equally unwavering commitment to exhibiting respect for one another.  Northeastern celebrates diversity in all its forms and fosters a culture of respect that affirms inter-group relations and builds community. 

Consistent with Northeastern’s mission, vision and core values, the objectives of the STEM Future Faculty fellowship program are:

1)      to encourage and promote excellence and diversity in the pool of future faculty candidates in the STEM fields at Northeastern;

2)      to introduce to Northeastern’s academic community qualified postdoctoral researchers in the STEM fields who are considering faculty careers;

3)      to enhance opportunities for academic careers in the STEM fields for persons from diverse backgrounds who have demonstrated a commitment to an inclusive faculty and an inclusive academic experience for all students;

4)      to prepare Future Faculty Fellows for possible tenure-track appointments at Northeastern;

5)      to enhance the academic environment of Northeastern’s STEM fields by providing opportunities for students and faculty to gain experience in multi-cultural, broadly diverse and inclusive work settings and research collaborations that improve the capacity of all their members.  

The details are here: http://www.northeastern.edu/advance/recruitment/northeastern-university-stem-future-faculty-fellowship-program/  

If you plan to apply, please send email to promisestaff@gmail.com with the subject “Northeastern STEM Future Faculty Fellowship Program,” so that we can follow-up on your application.

Dear PROMISE Participants,

Our friends at Northeastern University have shared this event with us:

Northeastern University STEM Future Faculty Fellowship Program

Northeastern University invites nominations and applications from candidates in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields for the Northeastern University STEM Future Faculty Fellowship (Postdoctoral) Program. 

Northeastern University’s mission emphasizes translational research that addresses global challenges and enhances social wellbeing.  Northeastern University strives to create a vibrant and diverse community, characterized by collaboration, creativity, and unwavering commitment to excellence and an equally unwavering commitment to exhibiting respect for one another.  Northeastern celebrates diversity in all its forms and fosters a culture of respect that affirms inter-group relations and builds community. 

Consistent with Northeastern’s mission, vision and core values, the objectives of the STEM Future Faculty fellowship program are:

1)      to encourage and promote excellence and diversity in the pool of future faculty candidates in the STEM fields at Northeastern;

2)      to introduce to Northeastern’s academic community qualified postdoctoral researchers in the STEM fields who are considering faculty careers;

3)      to enhance opportunities for academic careers in the STEM fields for persons from diverse backgrounds who have demonstrated a commitment to an inclusive faculty and an inclusive academic experience for all students;

4)      to prepare Future Faculty Fellows for possible tenure-track appointments at Northeastern;

5)      to enhance the academic environment of Northeastern’s STEM fields by providing opportunities for students and faculty to gain experience in multi-cultural, broadly diverse and inclusive work settings and research collaborations that improve the capacity of all their members.  

The details are here: http://www.northeastern.edu/advance/recruitment/northeastern-university-stem-future-faculty-fellowship-program/  

If you plan to apply, please send email to promisestaff@gmail.com with the subject “Northeastern STEM Future Faculty Fellowship Program,” so that we can follow-up on your application.

The following information was shared by Dr. LaTese Briggs (PROMISE Alum, UMBC Chemistry & Biochemistry, Current Program Analyst at Faster Cures.) Dr. Briggs captivated the audience of the 2013 PROMISE SSI on Saturday, August 17, with her call to the audience to have their G.I. Jane/G.I. Joe moments. She called for people to be academically, mentally, and emotionally prepared to step into their moments. Dr. Briggs finished her undergraduate degree at Hood College, her PhD at UMBC, and her Postdoc at the Broad Institute, a collaborative between Harvard and MIT. Dr. Briggs said that she is now in her dream job at an “ACTION” tank.  During the 2013 PROMISE SSI, Dr. Briggs participated in the During her time at UMBC, Dr. Briggs was a Meyerhoff Biomedical Fellow, A Gates Fellow, and a Peer Mentor for PROMISE: Maryland’s AGEP. Dr. Briggs voluntarily provided the information below, after receiving inquires following her segment for the 2013 SSI Alumni PROMISE Talks. We thank her for being so giving of her time and expertise. 

• SSI 2013, August 17. 9:00 AM: The PROMISE Talks: PROMISE Alumni Discuss Their Research on Healthcare

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From Dr. Briggs:

Thank you again for inviting me to participate in the 10^th anniversary of SSI. It is always an honor to be invited to speak at SSI, but it was truly special to participate in such a milestone event.

I have a had  few student reach out to me to inquire about the Broad Institute and I thought that it might be helpful to share my response to them with the larger PROMISE audience. I have pasted some tips and useful links on the subject below.

1.      Well before you are ready to apply (<1 year prior if possible), please be sure to study the website thoroughly to really get a sense of what is happening at the Broad. Start NOW, well before you are ready to move on to your postdoc. Do this by:

a.      Familiarizing yourself with the website

b.      Review the online  Brochures and Annual reports

c.      Review the Program areas at the Broad

2.      Identify  Faculty at the Broad whose research align with your interests and skill sets. When you select these 2-3 people, make certain that you are very familiar with the work (read their papers, understand the larger initiatives that they might be a part of i.e. chemical biology platform, RNAi platform, etc).

a.      Also try to figure out which conferences these faculty members frequent and get yourself there to meet him/her, and of course when you do, position yourself so that you can strike up a conversation. It can be as simple as “I read about your research in X, and I found Y to be very interesting, can you tell me more about this?”

3.      Develop a research proposal that outlines a project that you would like to pursue in that lab and really make sure that it is comprehensive, well thought out, and is both in alignment  and can enrich the work that is already going on in that lab (Note: this is good to do for any postdoc position that you consider, I guarantee you that it will put you a few steps ahead of most candidates).

4.      Read about the Diversity Initiative which houses the Diversity Postdoctoral fellowship program. Be sure to read this page carefully before submitting the required documents to diversity@broadinstitute.org

5.      Keep in mind that you can also reach out to a faculty member directly if you prefer, or if there are no remaining diversity fellowship slots available.

Here are some other links that will help you familiarize with the organization:

Broad Mindset/Approach

Broad Blog

Broad video library

BE THOROUGH! The key to accessing a training opportunity at the Broad is congruency. You need to be both a scientific and cultural fit – meaning that you are motivated and enthusiastic about being creative and highly collaborative.  This is truly a unique organization, so take your time with learning what the Broad is about and really put your best foot forward in the application. The website is dense and there is a lot of “hidden” information, so go through it more than once. If you are selected for an interview, be prepared to give a talk and to  meet at least 10 people during your interview. The process is intense and competitive, but keep in mind that if you believe that you are exceptional, then you are exceptional, and it will reflect as such at all times. Don’t sell yourself short; however, be prepared to perform exceptionally when they tell you YES, you can join us as a Broadie!

LaTese L. Briggs, Ph.D.

FasterCures |A Center of the Milken Institute

Program Analyst

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We thank Dr. Briggs for sharing this information!

The following information was shared by Dr. LaTese Briggs (PROMISE Alum, UMBC Chemistry & Biochemistry, Current Program Analyst at Faster Cures.) Dr. Briggs captivated the audience of the 2013 PROMISE SSI on Saturday, August 17, with her call to the audience to have their G.I. Jane/G.I. Joe moments. She called for people to be academically, mentally, and emotionally prepared to step into their moments. Dr. Briggs finished her undergraduate degree at Hood College, her PhD at UMBC, and her Postdoc at the Broad Institute, a collaborative between Harvard and MIT. Dr. Briggs said that she is now in her dream job at an “ACTION” tank.  During the 2013 PROMISE SSI, Dr. Briggs participated in the During her time at UMBC, Dr. Briggs was a Meyerhoff Biomedical Fellow, A Gates Fellow, and a Peer Mentor for PROMISE: Maryland’s AGEP. Dr. Briggs voluntarily provided the information below, after receiving inquires following her segment for the 2013 SSI Alumni PROMISE Talks. We thank her for being so giving of her time and expertise. 

• SSI 2013, August 17. 9:00 AM: The PROMISE Talks: PROMISE Alumni Discuss Their Research on Healthcare

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From Dr. Briggs:

Thank you again for inviting me to participate in the 10^th anniversary of SSI. It is always an honor to be invited to speak at SSI, but it was truly special to participate in such a milestone event.

I have a had  few student reach out to me to inquire about the Broad Institute and I thought that it might be helpful to share my response to them with the larger PROMISE audience. I have pasted some tips and useful links on the subject below.

1.      Well before you are ready to apply (<1 year prior if possible), please be sure to study the website thoroughly to really get a sense of what is happening at the Broad. Start NOW, well before you are ready to move on to your postdoc. Do this by:

a.      Familiarizing yourself with the website

b.      Review the online  Brochures and Annual reports

c.      Review the Program areas at the Broad

2.      Identify  Faculty at the Broad whose research align with your interests and skill sets. When you select these 2-3 people, make certain that you are very familiar with the work (read their papers, understand the larger initiatives that they might be a part of i.e. chemical biology platform, RNAi platform, etc).

a.      Also try to figure out which conferences these faculty members frequent and get yourself there to meet him/her, and of course when you do, position yourself so that you can strike up a conversation. It can be as simple as “I read about your research in X, and I found Y to be very interesting, can you tell me more about this?”

3.      Develop a research proposal that outlines a project that you would like to pursue in that lab and really make sure that it is comprehensive, well thought out, and is both in alignment  and can enrich the work that is already going on in that lab (Note: this is good to do for any postdoc position that you consider, I guarantee you that it will put you a few steps ahead of most candidates).

4.      Read about the Diversity Initiative which houses the Diversity Postdoctoral fellowship program. Be sure to read this page carefully before submitting the required documents to diversity@broadinstitute.org

5.      Keep in mind that you can also reach out to a faculty member directly if you prefer, or if there are no remaining diversity fellowship slots available.

Here are some other links that will help you familiarize with the organization:

Broad Mindset/Approach

Broad Blog

Broad video library

BE THOROUGH! The key to accessing a training opportunity at the Broad is congruency. You need to be both a scientific and cultural fit – meaning that you are motivated and enthusiastic about being creative and highly collaborative.  This is truly a unique organization, so take your time with learning what the Broad is about and really put your best foot forward in the application. The website is dense and there is a lot of “hidden” information, so go through it more than once. If you are selected for an interview, be prepared to give a talk and to  meet at least 10 people during your interview. The process is intense and competitive, but keep in mind that if you believe that you are exceptional, then you are exceptional, and it will reflect as such at all times. Don’t sell yourself short; however, be prepared to perform exceptionally when they tell you YES, you can join us as a Broadie!

LaTese L. Briggs, Ph.D.

FasterCures |A Center of the Milken Institute

Program Analyst

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We thank Dr. Briggs for sharing this information!

During the July “Postdoctoral Writing Suite” at UMBC, there was discussion about developing Individual Development Plans, or IDPs, as a tool for assessing skills, charting goals, and facilitating communication with your postdoctoral mentor. The IDP, developed by Dr. Cynthia Fuhrmann (formally of UCSF, joining UMass Medical School August 2013), has been used by both graduate students and postdocs, but increasingly, Offices of Postdoctoral Affairs are adopting this tool as means of adhering to regulations for postdoctoral mentoring that have been established by NSF, NIH, and other agencies. The National Postdoctoral Association is a strong advocate for the IDP, and PROMISE will be discussing it more during the August 16, 2013 “Postdoctoral Writing Suite” at the PROMISE Summer Success Institute.

Here are some of the resources that were shared during the July 12, 2013 “Postdoctoral Writing Suite” at UMBC:

Develop your goals so that they match your

ideal performance for an annual review: 

http://www.faseb.org/portals/0/pdfs/opa/SampleAnnualReview.pdf

During the July “Postdoctoral Writing Suite” at UMBC, there was discussion about developing Individual Development Plans, or IDPs, as a tool for assessing skills, charting goals, and facilitating communication with your postdoctoral mentor. The IDP, developed by Dr. Cynthia Fuhrmann (formally of UCSF, joining UMass Medical School August 2013), has been used by both graduate students and postdocs, but increasingly, Offices of Postdoctoral Affairs are adopting this tool as means of adhering to regulations for postdoctoral mentoring that have been established by NSF, NIH, and other agencies. The National Postdoctoral Association is a strong advocate for the IDP, and PROMISE will be discussing it more during the August 16, 2013 “Postdoctoral Writing Suite” at the PROMISE Summer Success Institute.

Here are some of the resources that were shared during the July 12, 2013 “Postdoctoral Writing Suite” at UMBC:

Develop your goals so that they match your

ideal performance for an annual review: 

http://www.faseb.org/portals/0/pdfs/opa/SampleAnnualReview.pdf

CIC conference for URM postdocs in STEM
May 31-June 2, 2012
Hyatt Place Columbus/OSU
795 Yard Street, Columbus, OH 43212

CIC member campuses are committed to recruiting and retaining diverse
faculty. The goal of this conference is to provide Postdoctoral
Scholars from groups historically underrepresented in Engineering and
Natural Sciences the opportunity to network and access information and
materials necessary for a successful transition to a faculty position
at CIC universities or similar research intensive institutions.

The conference is also designed to provide recruitment opportunities
for CIC departments and programs anticipating faculty hires in STEM
disciplines (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). The
intent is to match potential faculty recruits with open searches at
CIC universities. For more information, see
http://www.cic.net/Home/Projects/Leadership/PostDocConference/Home.aspx

——————————————

This message has been sent to all AGEPs nationwide.  We hope that postdoctoral scholars from our PROMISE AGEP campuses and beyond will take advantage of this opportunity. Registration is free of charge.  Interested PROMISE postdocs should check with representatives from their respective campus’ office or unit of postdoctoral affairs  (representatives listed below) to see if there are funds available for travel and lodging.

• UMBC: Dr. Renetta Tull (rtull@umbc.edu)
• UMB: Dr. Erin Golembewski (egole001@umaryland.edu)
• UMCP: Dr. Arthur Popper (apopper@umd.edu)

CIC conference for URM postdocs in STEM
May 31-June 2, 2012
Hyatt Place Columbus/OSU
795 Yard Street, Columbus, OH 43212

CIC member campuses are committed to recruiting and retaining diverse
faculty. The goal of this conference is to provide Postdoctoral
Scholars from groups historically underrepresented in Engineering and
Natural Sciences the opportunity to network and access information and
materials necessary for a successful transition to a faculty position
at CIC universities or similar research intensive institutions.

The conference is also designed to provide recruitment opportunities
for CIC departments and programs anticipating faculty hires in STEM
disciplines (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). The
intent is to match potential faculty recruits with open searches at
CIC universities. For more information, see
http://www.cic.net/Home/Projects/Leadership/PostDocConference/Home.aspx

——————————————

This message has been sent to all AGEPs nationwide.  We hope that postdoctoral scholars from our PROMISE AGEP campuses and beyond will take advantage of this opportunity. Registration is free of charge.  Interested PROMISE postdocs should check with representatives from their respective campus’ office or unit of postdoctoral affairs  (representatives listed below) to see if there are funds available for travel and lodging.

• UMBC: Dr. Renetta Tull (rtull@umbc.edu)
• UMB: Dr. Erin Golembewski (egole001@umaryland.edu)
• UMCP: Dr. Arthur Popper (apopper@umd.edu)