National Postdoctoral Association

2013 NPA Annual Meeting: Call for Workshop Proposals

March 15-17, 2013
Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC

Submission Deadline: Wednesday, August 15, 2012, 11:59 p.m. EDT
EXTENDED to Friday, August 24, 2012, 11:59 p.m. EDT

Goals| New for 2013 | Designing Your Workshop | Proposal Timeline |
Suggested Workshop Topics | Example of Abstract Format |Submitting Your Proposal

National Postdoctoral Association Goals

Meeting Goals:

• To promote the programs and policy agenda of the NPA;
• To provide networking opportunities for the postdoctoral community;
• To foster leadership skills development for prospective and current Postdoctoral Association (PDA)/Postdoctoral Office (PDO) leadership.

Professional Development Workshop Goals:

• To foster a two-way exchange between the NPA and its membership, with respect to policies, programs, best practices and collaborative efforts,
• To enhance the leadership skills and professional development of prospective and current postdoctoral association leaders and postdoctoral office officials, in order to more effectively serve the postdoctoral community at their institutions and nationally.
• To increase the knowledge and understanding of participants regarding issues affecting the postdoctoral community.

The NPA is committed to ensuring that our Annual Meeting content is reflective of a diversity of topics and perspectives. We therefore strongly encourage workshop submissions with content that is applicable to and inclusive of multiple disciplines, as well as delegates from international and under-represented minority backgrounds. We also encourage workshop submissions with presenters and panelists drawn from a diversity of backgrounds, including multiple disciplines, as well as the international under-represented minority perspectives.

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NEW for 2013

Based on input received from registrants at the 2012 Annual Meeting and other NPA members and friends, the NPA is inviting submission of proposals for 45-minute workshops and for "flip the room" workshops for the 2013 meeting, in addition to submission of proposals for 90-minute "regular" workshops.

45-Minute Workshops

The NPA Workshop Selection Committee will consider proposals for 45-minute workshops and, depending upon topic and quality of any proposals received, may select a limited number for the 2013 Annual Meeting. In that case, participants could choose to attend two 45-minute workshops rather than one 90-minute workshop.  The majority of proposals selected, however, will be for 90 minutes. Please note that the submission of any proposal, regardless of length, does not guarantee its acceptance.

"Flip the Classroom" Workshops

In order to encourage more interactive workshops with tangible outcomes, the NPA would like to try out the "flip the classroom" principle for a limited number of workshops this year.  Briefly, "flip the classroom" is where the lecture is done via online video or a presentation synched with audio before the meeting, and the workshop session itself is completely interactive, with group work,etc.  The group work should have tangible goals and outcomes, e.g., recommendations that could be shared with the postdoctoral community.

Presenters of a "flip the classroom"workshop must (1) prepare a slide presentation with synched audio OR prepare a YouTube video or a video podcast (vodcast)of the lecture/panel; (2) have this online presentation ready to go and submitted to the NPA by February 10; and (3) give written permission to the NPA for their pre-meeting lectures to be posted on the NPA Web site or, if appropriate, the NPA meeting YouTube site. The NPA anticipates offering the pre-meeting segments beginning February 27. Based on a literature review of evaluation of online presentations, the NPA recommends that the pre-meeting presentations be no longer than 20 minutes or that they be broken down into 10-to 15-minute segments for longer than 20 minutes (ideal for a panel).

Please note that the submission of any proposal, regardless of format, does not guarantee its acceptance.

Designing Your Workshop

What is a "Workshop"?

A workshop is a brief intensive course where small groups of people meet to concentrate on a defined area of concern or interest, emphasizing interaction and exchange of information among participants. The NPA values participatory workshops that maximize group discussion and promote problem-solving. Workshops should be designed to provide ‘deliverable learning objectives' for participants to encourage and enhance the implementation of new ideas/concepts/programs presented in the workshop at their home institutions.

Workshops should be structured to ensure the following:

1. All workshops should last 1 hour and 30 minutes, including time for interaction, with the exception of workshops designed for this year's call for a limited number of 45-minute sessions.
2. Limit major presenters to no more than 3 individuals per workshop; can have additional facilitators to help with the smaller groups.

Presenters are responsible for the following:

1. Ensuring their abstract clearly explains the subject matter they will present. (There will be an opportunity to edit before the final abstract goes into the program.)
2. Presenting a specific topic with 2 -3 deliverable learning objectives (take home points!) to the participants.
3. Defining the basic structure and the goals for the workshop.
4. Bringing the workshop to a close in a positive and motivational manner.
5. Providing a dynamic workshop with an end goal and a practical application (take home points!) of the topic to the participants.

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Proposal Timeline

August 15 , Proposal Submission Deadline
August 16 - October 1, Workshop Subcommittee Review with Executive Director of NPA
October 1 - 15, Proposal Notifications

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Workshop topic suggestions

We have listed some potential workshop topics below, but please feel free to submit proposals on other topics

PDO-centric workshops

• Leadership Skills for Postdoctoral Office Directors
• Alumni Databases and Exit Surveys
• Education 2011: A Guide to Pedagogy, Technology and Educational Assessment
• The PDO Perspective of Postdoc Unionization
  Policies Impacting Postdoc Hiring and Diversity
• Defining a Postdoctoral Office
• Professional Development for PDO Leaders
• Strategic Planning for a PDO: How to Position Your PDO for Future Success
• Providing Career Development Resources for Postdocs
• Best Practices for Enhancing the Postdoctoral Experience
• Building and Maintaining Structured Mentoring Programs
• Conducting Postdoctoral Surveys
• Tracking Postdocs: Incoming, Current and Former
• How to Organize a Research Day
• How to Give an Orientation to New Postdocs
• Recruiting & Motivating Postdocs
• Beyond the PDO: Career Growth for Experienced Postdoc Administrators
• Effective Strategies to Diversify Your Institution's Postdoc Population
• Defining the Humanities Postdoc Experience

PDA-centric workshops

• PDA Sustainability
• Strategic Planning for a PDA: How to Position Your PDA for Future Success
• Negotiating With Your Host Institution
• Team-building Basics
• Running Effective Meetings
• Strategies for Achieving and Implementing New Policies
• Retaining a Thriving PDA after University Policy Has Improved Postdoc Lives
• Strategies to Promote Faculty Support of PDAs
• Leadership Skills for Postdoc Associations
• Networking
• Building an Entrepreneurial Postdoc Association

Individual-centric workshops

• From Postdoc to Startup: The Skills that Make a Successful Entrepreneur
• Scientific Teaching and Active Learning in Undergraduate Science
• Your Inner Confidence: Make it Work for You
• How International Postdocs Must Balance Career Advancement with Visa Issues
• Setting Expectations and Managing Conflict
• Health Science Administrators at NIH: Insight into This Exciting Career Choice

All Intended Audiences

• Conflict Management and Group Dynamics
• Balancing Work/Family Responsibilities
• Mentoring: Best Mentoring and Mentee Practices
• Marketing for Scientists
• Using Social Media to Network
• Challenges and Benefits of Diversity
• Update on Policy Issues Affecting International Postdocs
• Facilitating Use of the Individual Development Plan for Postdocs
• Event Planning
• Legal Seminar for International Postdocs
• Preparing Academic Scientist for Careers in Industry
• Can We Teach Creativity?
• Leadership in Science
• Communication and Conflict Resolution
• Effective Leadership Styles/ Ethical Leadership
• Fundraising, Budgeting and Fiscal Management
• Networking and Establishing Collaborative Relationships
• Balancing Work/Family Responsibilities
• Working with Congress on Postdoctoral Issues
• Policies Impacting Postdoc Hiring and Diversity
• Advocacy: A tool for Change
• A Novel Approach and Framework to Assessing Postdoctoral Career Development and Progress
• Business Dining is Not About Food
• How to Build a Postdoc Industry Exploration Program

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Example of abstract format:

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Submitting a Proposal:

If you have any questions regarding these workshop proposals, please contact Tammy Dennis at tad9{at}pitt{dot}edu or 412-648-9562 or Stacy Gelhaus at gstacy{at}pitt{dot}edu or 412-648-1351.

To submit your proposal please download and complete the {docs}2013 Annual Meeting Workshop Proposal Submission Form, 2013-submission-form{/docs}. Please submit your completed workshop proposal form via e-mail attachment (Word document or PDF) to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Thank you!

IMPORTANT, PLEASE NOTE:

1. The submission of a proposal DOES NOT guarantee its acceptance for the meeting. Submissions of proposals for workshops at the NPA Annual Meetings has become competitive: For example, we received 46 proposals for 16 slots for the 2012 Annual Meeting.

2. Due to funding limitations, the NPA DOES NOT PAY for travel, lodging or meeting registration expenses for workshop presenters/speakers. The NPA does offer a substantial discount on meeting registration for workshop presenters/speakers (to be determined for 2013). Postdocs needing travel funds to attend the meeting may apply for NPA travel awards.

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*We refer applicants to the NPA's Diversity Statement, for our definition of diversity and under-represented minorities: The National Postdoctoral Association seeks to promote diversity and ensure equal opportunity and inclusion for all postdocs in the membership, leadership, and activities of the National Postdoctoral Association regardless of race, ethnicity, sex, disability, country of origin, field of research, socio-economic status, religion, age, marital status, sexual orientation, or gender identity.