National Postdoctoral Association

The Advocacy Committee addresses all advocacy and policy issues relating to and affecting the postdoctoral community.

Joining the Advocacy Committee is a fantastic way to learn about the policies that affect postdoctorates on an institutional and federal level, to have a direct impact on the advocacy work of the NPA, and to network with others with similar interests at institutions and organizations across the country. The Advocacy Committee provides a great opportunity to develop and showcase your writing and organizational skills, and, due to the scope of the tasks that we tackle, the opportunities for leadership are boundless. We work cross-functionally with the other Committees of the Membership, and also with the Diversity Officers and International Officers, providing you with exposure to all facets of postdoctoral policy and advocacy work.

Please contact the Chair or Vice-Chair of the Advocacy Committee regarding joining this committee.

Charges

• Develop and advocate for implementation of NPA recommended policies and practices, including the Agenda for Change.
• Advocate for increased diversity among postdoctoral scholars, ensuring the needs of under-represented groups are addressed.
• Advocate for the interests of international postdocs training in the US.
• Maintain and expand relationships with federal agencies and national organizations that have an interest in postdoctoral policies.
• Monitor policy issues of interest to the postdoctoral community, and respond as appropriate.
• Seek public opportunities to advocate for postdoctoral policy positions, such as testimony, comments on federal notices, conferences, and other national meetings.
• Consult with other committees and Officers to avoid project duplication and promote coordination.

Meet the Advocacy Committee Leaders

Juliet Moncaster, Ph.D.
Advocacy Committee Chair
(Contact)

Juliet Moncaster obtained her B.Sc. in Biomedical Science from University of Sheffield, United Kingdom, and her Ph.D. from Imperial College London, United Kingdom. In 2005, she accepted a Postdoctoral Fellowship studying Alzheimer’s Disease in the laboratory of Dr Lee E. Goldstein at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) in Boston, Massachusetts. Her involvement with the postdoctoral community both at BWH and Harvard Medical School ultimately led to the establishment of the Office for Postdoctoral Careers (now called the Office for Postdoctoral Research and Careers) at BWH. She was an active member of the BWH Postdoctoral Advisory Committee and Focus Groups and was elected by BWH Postdocs to serve as their representative on the Research Oversee Committee which directs all research at BWH. Recently her lab relocated from BWH to the Boston University School of Medicine, where she currently is located. Juliet has been active with the National Postdoctoral Association since 2007 and previously served as Vice Chair of the Advocacy Committee and Vice Chair of the International Postdoc Committee.

Rashada Alexander, Ph.D.
Advocacy Vice Chair
(Contact)

Rashada Alexander received her B.S. in Chemistry from Youngstown State University and her Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Kentucky. Currently, she conducts research in mucosal immunology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) as a postdoctoral scholar. She is the vice-chair of the UAB Postdoctoral Association, where she has been involved in planning career advocacy and development programming for postdoctoral researchers. She became active in the NPA in 2008 serving on both the Advocacy and Resource Development Committees.