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Since its inception, the National Postdoctoral Association (NPA) has provided assistance to postdoctoral offices and associations during all stages of their formation and growth through Team Visits as well as through its online toolkits which provide comprehensive guidance on establishing and maintaining postdoc offices and associations. The Team Visit brings a small group of NPA-approved experts to the requesting organization to provide individualized advice on any aspect of setting-up and developing postdoctoral programs and services. This important program has received past support from the AAAS, the Joy McCann Foundation and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
For any Team Visit, the "Team" consists of NPA-approved experts with knowledge and experience in the areas requested by the hosting organization. These experts can include members of the NPA leadership, founding leaders of postdoc associations nationwide and faculty and administrators who have started postdoc offices. Team members bring a wealth of experience and advice, tailored to the requirements and character of the host organization.
The Team Visit Program is designed to be flexible and responsive to the needs of the postdoc office or association requesting assistance. The Visit can take on a variety of formats depending on the needs of the requesting institution. Past Visits have ranged from “Coaching Intensive” visits, where the Team provides direct, small-group advice and counseling on any issues of interest to various stakeholders, to “Keynote Speaker” visits, where NPA representatives provide a formal presentation addressing issues of interest to a large audience at a symposium or other event. Some visits have combined formats to reach a range of audiences.
The driving goal behind the NPA Team Visit -- and one of the NPA’s top priorities -- is to foster the postdoc offices and associations that are vital sources of support for their institution’s postdoctoral scholars. The benefits of having an active and effective association and/or office are numerous. Sigma Xi’s 2005 nationwide survey of postdoctoral scholars found that the most successful postdocs, using various measures, are those who tend to have structured oversight at their institution. Institutions with active associations and offices are much more likely to have this type of oversight, for example, a formal appointment mechanism for postdocs, comprehensive policies governing the role of postdoctoral scholars, and programs and services for postdocs that include professional development.
Download this program overview: NPA Team Visit Overview (PDF)
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