Jana Stone

We are pleased to share the National Postdoctoral Association strategic plan for 2018-2020 with the postdoctoral community.

The postdoctoral community was key to creating the strategic plan. The process was kicked off at the 2016 NPA Annual Meeting when the Strategic Planning Committee asked new and experienced attendees, “Why do you support the NPA?”, “What do you think the NPA is trying to achieve?” and “How do you expect the NPA to achieve those goals?” The vast majority of responses centered on advocacy on behalf of postdocs, providing resources, and engagement with the postdoctoral community.

At the next NPA Board Retreat, the Board of Directors discussed who comprises the postdoctoral community and how we could best position the NPA to move its mission forward. All of that information was used to create the first draft of the strategic plan. It was then iteratively refined based on input from NPA members and advisors over the course of 2017.

Jana Stone, PhD, is the strategic planning chair and a member of the Board of Directors for the NPA. She is also the director of professional development and postdoctoral services in the office of graduate education and faculty development at the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Shakira Nelson, PhD, a member of the NPA Board of Directors, created the infographic.