2014 Education Events

Contemporary researchers face a variety of challenges: reduced federal funding, increasing publication pressures, controversies over conflicts of interest, high profile suspensions of clinical trials, and growing public scrutiny of research methods and outcomes. Success in research and professional development requires awareness of these challenges. It also requires skill in managing them. While professional codes of conduct and principles of responsible conduct of research offer some guidance, they may leave trainees unclear how to proceed in real world disputes or “gray areas.” To address these concerns, the UC San Diego Research Ethics Program and the Office of Postdoctoral and Visiting Scholar Affairs have collaborated to bring UC San Diego postdoctoral scholars the Ethical Challenges of Research Series.

The purpose of this series is to discuss what the responsible conduct of research involves.  The series is comprised of two parts: an introductory overview offered every month and special topics offered every other month.  The introductory overview is essential to take as part of your postdoctoral training and education if you have never taken a research ethics course as a postdoc. 

Introduction to the Ethical Challenges of Research

• 2nd Tues. every month starting January 2014. – Mary Devereaux, Ph.D., Assistant Director of UC San Diego Research Ethics Program
• Register: https://introresearchethics.eventbrite.com

Special Topics

• Professional Checks & Balances: Speaking up about Research Misconduct - February 4^th, 2014
• Data Acquisition and Managing Bias -  April 1^st, 2014
• Lab Management & Mentorship - August 22^nd,2014
• Crucial Conversations - October 7^th, 2014
• Authorship & Collaboration - December 2^nd, 2014

Workshops will be offered in the Medical Education and Telemedicine Building (MET), room 145 from 12:00-2:00pm.

If you are funded on an NIH mentored training program, you may take the introductory course with three additional special topics courses (2 hours each) in the Ethical Challenges series OR the Scientific Ethics course offered through the campus Research Ethics Program (ethics.ucsd.edu/research.html).  Both provide 8 hours of substantial face to face discussions on the various topics as required by NIH.

Postdoctoral scholars are strongly encouraged to participate as part of their research training and education.

Dates and location are subject to change.

You love the academic environment and want to support the research enterprise, but realize that a traditional tenure-track position is not the right fit for you.  What other possibilities in the university setting exist for Ph.D.s?  Come join us to explore various career opportunities that Ph.D.s have in academia outside the traditional role.

Each workshop will focus on perspectives from a Ph.D. working in the university and how he/she successfully transitioned to a non-traditional academic position.  The speaker will give a short presentation and then open the topic up for Q & A.  This event is limited to 20 postdoctoral scholars and a light lunch will be provided. If you attend, please be willing to participate in the discussion.

Workshops will be held from 12 – 1 pm in the Student Services Center (SSC).

Dates and locations are subject to change.

**Registration for these workshops is required due to their popularity. If you register for a workshop and cannot attend, please cancel your reservation through EventBrite to allow another postdoc to attend.**

The ability to successfully secure funding is a critical part of your postdoctoral training.  However, how does one write a competitive grant?  What funding opportunities exist for postdocs? How does the submission process work? Come and learn the answers by attending the workshops of Funding Fest!  

Funding Fest is an annual series of informational workshops that is held each Spring or Summer and provided by the Torrey Pines Training Consortium.  The Torrey Pines Training Consortium members include Salk Institute for Biological Studies, Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute (SBMI), The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) and UC San Diego. They sponsor training courses and programs designed to provide career development and leadership competencies for scientific professionals at early stages of their career.

Funding Fest workshops are presented by various faculty members, postdoctoral training grant and fellowship recipients and institutional offices, such as UC San Diego’s Office of Corporate and Foundation Relations.

This year will be Funding Fridays, where various workshops will be held at the different Torrey Pines Training Consortium institutions during the April and May, 2014.  

April 11: 10 Fatal Flaws of NIH Grant Submissions (and how to Avoid Them)

• Steffanie Strathdee, Ph.D., Associate Dean of Global Health Sciences, Department of Medicine Thomas Patterson, Ph.D., Professor IR, Department of Psychiatry
• 12- 2 pm
• UC San Diego campus, Leichtag Building, room 107

April 18: Making Philanthropy Count for Postdocs

• Raquel Benguiat, Associate Director, Corporate & Foundation Relations
• 12- 1 pm
• UC San Diego campus, Medicine Education & Telemedicine (MET) Building, room 215

April 25: Postdoc Fellowships 101

• Rachel Cook, Senior Grant Analyst, Health Sciences Sponsored Project Pre-Award Office
• 12- 2 pm
• UC San Diego campus, Medicine Education & Telemedicine (MET) Building, room 143

May 2: NIH K99/R00 & the NIH Grant Process

• Pamela Mellon, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Reproductive Medicine and Neurosciences
• 12- 2 pm
• UC San Diego campus, Leichtag Building, room 107

May 23: Basics of Mentored Grant Writing

• Peter Wagner, M.D., Distinguished Professor of Medicine and Bioengineering, Department of Medicine
• 12- 2 pm
• UC San Diego campus, Leichtag Building, room 107

TBA - NIH Funding Opportunities

TBA - State/Other Funding Opportunities

Questions? Suggestions? Contact the person at your respective institution:

Ginger Hazen, UC San Diego, vhazen@ucsd.edu or (858) 822-5915

Diane Klotz, SBMRI, dklotz@sanfordburnham.org

B.Bea Rajsombath, Salk, brajsombath@salk.edu

Ryan Wheeler, TSRI, rwheeler@scripps.edu

Interested in an industry position, but not quite sure what careers are available? How does one make the transition from an academia to an industry position? The Industry Connections series seeks to answer those questions. 

Each workshop will focus on perspectives from a Ph.D. working in industry and how he/she successfully transitioned to a career in industry.  The speaker will give a short presentation and then open the topic up for Q & A.  This event is limited to 20 postdoctoral scholars and a light lunch will be provided. If you attend, please be willing to participate in the discussion. 

Workshops will be held the 4^th Wednesday of every other month starting in January 2014 from 12 – 1 pm in the Student Services Center (SSC), room 400.

Dates and locations are subject to change.

As a postdoc, you most likely only have experience in academia.  But what if you prefer a career in industry?  How do translate your academic training and experience for potential industry positions? How do you become a competitive candidate and target the right companies for you? How do you secure an interview and then make a strong positive impression? How can you re-think the application process to be more proactive than reactive? Join us for the Industry Job Search Series to answer these questions and more!

Each workshop will focus on the successive phases of an Industry Job Search.  Barbara Preston, Ph.D., recruiter and co-founder of PharmaScouts, will present each workshop and share tips and best practices to help you succeed in transitioning from academia to industry.  It is important to change one’s mindset from “I’m a postdoc” as a negative to a positive.  Attend this series of workshops to learn how to positively leverage being a postdoc!

February 5^th, 2014 – Resume Writing for Industry

Learn the differences between a CV and resume and gain a better understanding about how to present your experience, communicate relevant skills, highlight what is important to a hiring manager in industry and even how to be considered for non-bench scientific roles. Register HERE

March 5^th, 2014 - Getting in the Door of Industry

Learn how to identify companies and make targeted lists of companies you would want to work for [whether or not a position is posted], identify the right people to connect with internally using available resources and discover how to connect with those people directly to assist your transition from academia. Register HERE

April 2^nd, 2014 - Passing the Interview Hurdle 

Learn about phone screens, the in-person interview with multiple individuals at different levels, and the scientific seminar.  This workshop is a combination of universal job interview insights and tips specific for new-to-industry postdoctoral applicants to help with the common questions and challenges you will face. Register HERE

All workshops will be held from 12 – 1 pm in the Leichtag Building, room 107.

Dates and locations are subject to change.

Are you unsure of what to expect in a non-academic job interview?  Are you particularly interested in learning more about interviewing for biotech positions? Then join us for the Interviewing Skills for PhDs program!

This program is a series of events designed in collaboration with Alumni Relations/Career Services Center, Office of Postdoctoral and Visiting Scholar Affairs and the Postdoctoral Association to provide postdoctoral scholars and doctoral students useful interviewing skills and chance to apply those skills in a mock interview session with local industry HR professionals and hiring manager. 

Interview and Negotiation Strategies

Presented by Joe Cribari, Assoc. Director of Industry Relations and Outreach, this seminar teaches you interview techniques and strategies, which will allow you to create an effective and comfortable dialogue during the interview. In addition, you’ll develop questions to assist you in gaining greater insight into any position and company that will allow you to make an informed and affirmative job choice.

Thursday, Oct. 16 from 12 – 1 pm

Medical Education and Telemedicine (MET), room 141

Registration required as seating is limited: https://interviewnegotiation2014.eventbrite.com

**Attendance at this workshop is required to be considered to participate as an interviewee at the mock interview sessions**

Mock Interview Sessions for Industry

At each mock interview session, up to 6 candidates will be interviewed for 12 – 15 minutes, one at a time in front of an audience followed by a 5-8 minute debrief discussion about the interview. 

To be considered as a candidate for the mock interviews, you will need to have attended the Interview and Negotiation Strategies seminar on Oct. 16.  Those who attended will receive an invitation to submit their resume and a cover letter explaining what positions they are interested in and why they should be chosen for a mock interview with an industry professional. 

If you are not selected as an interviewee, you are still invited to attend the mock interview sessions as an audience member to have the chance to peak behind the veil of what happens in an industry interview and what makes a competitive candidate! 

• Wednesday, Nov. 12: 6-8 pm
• Interviewer: Dominique Verhelle, PhD/MBA; Director of Epigenetics at Pfizer

• Thursday, Nov. 13: 5:30 – 7:30 pm
• Interviewer: Jon Miyake, PhD; Manager, Technical Support at Illumina

All sessions will be held at Leichtag Building, room 107

We would like to welcome you to UC San Diego! Our mission is to advance knowledge through excellence in education and research at the undergraduate, graduate, professional school and postdoctoral level. We are known around the world for our excellent, innovative research and that could not be possible without the talents and skills of our postdocs.  So we thank you for joining our research team.

UC San Diego has one of the largest postdoctoral communities in the UC system (1250+ postdocs). As a postdoc, we want to ensure that you receive the best training, feel engaged with campus community and receive opportunities to enhance your postdoctoral experience.

To set the foundation of expectations, inform you of resources, benefits, services and professional development, please attend the New Postdoc Orientation.

Orientation will be held the 2^nd Thursday of every other month from 12 – 2 pm in the Price Center West, Earl Warren College Room.

For more information and to register, visit https://newpostdocorientation.eventbrite.com

Dates and locations are subject to change.

“Save early, save often” is a mantra touted by many financial planning websites and experts.  Time is critical when saving for retirement, or any financial goal.  The earlier you start saving, the more your money can work for you through the power of compounding.  Every 10 years you delay starting to save for retirement, you will need to save three times as much each month to catch up according to the U.S. Dept. of Labor. Ideally, you should put away 10% of your gross income if you are in your 20s.  If you start saving in your 40s or 50s, up that per month number to 20% or more. 

If you been thinking about it, but have not started saving yet, don’t despair!  Starting now is better than never starting at all.  To help you get started and understand how to maximize your financial potential, the Office of Postdoctoral and Visiting Scholar Affairs has teamed up with MetLife to offer the “PlanSmart: Financial Education Series for Postdocs”.

Each workshop will discuss the 10 ways to set yourself up for financial success for that specific topic. As many people are concerned about how to plan for their financial future as their careers advance (e.g. purchasing a home, investment options and to how to plan for a move to a different location or a return to a home country), the program offers a complimentary one-on-one personal consultation.  These one-on-one consultations are a great way to get individual solutions that fit your specific financial situation. If you would like to schedule a session, time slots will be available to meet on campus the next Tuesday after each workshop.  These one hour sessions with a Financial Advisor are confidential and complimentary.  A sign-up sheet will be available at each workshop.

Come join us to learn about the topics listed below and create a strategy for your financial future! 

• January 15^th, 2014 - Smart Money Moves in your 20s and 30s
• February 18^th, 2014 - Investing 101
• March 18^th, 2014 - Tax Strategies
• April 15^th, 2014 - Investing 201

All workshops will be held from 12 – 1:30 pm in Price Center East: Governance Chambers.

Dates and locations are subject to change. 

In collaboration with the Faculty and Staff Assistance Program (FSAP), this series is designed to help postdoctoral scholars have a healthy and productive time while in training.  Each workshop will have a different topic addressing the challenges that confront postdoctoral scholars. 

Workshops will be held the 3^rd Wednesday of each month from 12 – 1 pm in the Student Services Center (SSC), room 400.

Registration for each workshop required. 

Dates and locations are subject to change. 

For more information about the Faculty and Staff Assistance Program, please visit: http://blink.ucsd.edu/sponsor/hr/org-chart/fsap.html

Questions? Suggestions? Contact Merritt Bradford at: merritt@ucsd.edu  or (858) 534-3553

As a postdoctoral scholar you understand the importance of a well-structured and thoughtful plan.  You probably generated one for your doctoral dissertation, research strategy and publications, though you may not have called it an Individual Development Plan (IDP).  So why wouldn’t you construct one for your postdoctoral training?

An Individual Development Plan (IDP) is a dynamic document that identifies and outlines career goals and is a tool to manage career development during your postdoctoral training period.  Research has shown that having a structured postdoctoral training program correlates with a successful postdoc experience¹, which the Office of Postdoctoral and Visiting Scholar Affairs (OPVSA) strives to provide for all UC San Diego postdocs.

The content of an IDP and formulation of career objectives is the responsibility of the postdoc, but should include input from various mentors. The IDP includes career goal(s), skills in need of development to achieve career goal and at least 5 realistic goals per year to address those needed skills.  Discussion of your IDP with faculty and additional mentors is vital. They have gone through this process and have experiences, best practices, and tips to share.  Draw on their knowledge.  Each year, update your IDP to reflect changes your accomplishments and changes in your career and research objectives.

For more information and to register, visit https://postdocidp.eventbrite.com

Interested in an academic position? Come hear how to make the transition from a postdoc to professorship at the Research Roundtable series.

The Research Roundtable will focus on perspectives from faculty about the various aspects of being on the academic job market; from their job search experiences to the interview process. Throughout, the faculty members will talk about best practices and lessons learned to help you navigate the academic career path.

The speaker will give a short presentation and then open the topic up for Q & A.  This event is limited to 20 postdoctoral scholars and a light lunch will be provided. If you attend, please be willing to participate in the discussion. 

Workshops will be held from 12 – 1:30 pm in the Student Services Center (SSC), room 400.

• February 26: U.S. Academic Job Search Experience; Li-Fan Lu, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Division of Biological Sciences
• April 23: Preparing Your Academic Application: Perspectives from a Faculty Search Committee; Richard Firtel, Ph.D. Associate Dean, Division of Biological Sciences and Kimberly Cooper, Associate Professor, Division of Biological Sciences
• June 25: Writing Your Teaching Statement; Peter Newbury, Ph.D. Associate Director, Center for Teaching Development
• October 21: Preparing for your Academic Interview; Jeff Elman, Ph.D. Dean of Social Sciences Co-Director of Kavli Institute for Brain & Mind
• December 10: Academic Interview and Negotiation; Eric Bennett, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Division of Biological Sciences

Dates and locations are subject to change.

**Registration for these workshops is required. If you register for a workshop and cannot attend, please cancel your reservation through EventBrite to allow another postdoc to attend.**