The NPA Annual Conference is the largest national conference and networking event dedicated to the postdoctoral community. This year’s in-person event will be held in Philadelphia from 4/21/2023 - 4/22/2023, sponsored by the Seattle Children's Research Institute, while the virtual event will be held on 5/11/2023 - 5/12/2023.

Keynote speakers at this year’s Annual Conference include:

• Sudip Parikh, Ph.D., chief executive officer of AAAS and the Science family of journals
• Dawn Bonnell, Ph.D., senior vice provost for research at the University of Pennsylvania

Both keynotes will be recorded and made available to those attending the virtual conference in May.

Through this annual conference, we hope our NPA members will gather to enhance their professional development, networking, and leadership skills.

Topics that will be discussed at our event include:

• Postdocs of the Future
• Introduction to Mentoring Scientific Communication for Postdocs
• As Postdoc Shortage Intensifies, It is Time to Retain Talent by Recognizing Their Worth
• Self-Advocacy and Community Building
• Translating Your Academic Skills to Business Language
• Adapting DEI Content for STEM to Humanities Postdocs

As always, sessions will be geared explicitly toward postdoctoral scholars seeking to build valuable skills, including effective communication and mentorship, grant writing best practices, applying a project management approach to your job search, and more. We expect between 350 and 400 in attendance in Philadelphia, providing an outstanding opportunity to meet colleagues from institutions across the nation.

Please visit the Annual Conference site to see the full agenda for the complete list of topics, speakers, and breakout sessions. Through this annual conference, we hope our NPA members will gather to enhance their professional development, networking, and leadership skills. Consider joining us in-person or virtually!

Sunny Narayanan, Ph.D., is a research faculty at Florida State University and a member of the NPA Board of Directors and Board liaison to The POSTDOCket.

Chris Smith, Ph.D., is postdoctoral affairs program administrator at Virginia Tech and a member of the NPA Board of Directors.

One may view equity as being interchangeable with equality. Although these words are similar, there are fundamental differences between them. Equity achieves fairness for everyone by serving people based on their needs and individual or group circumstances such that outcomes result in equal treatment for everyone. On the other hand, equality helps everyone the same, regardless of the need of individual or group circumstances. Comprehending these distinctions is necessary to achieve and advance racial and ethnic justice and encourage scientific communities in academia, industry, and government to be inclusive of everyone, especially postdoctoral scholars (“postdocs”).

Before the new year commenced, the NPA partnered with several organizations to identify barriers to and find pathways toward racial and ethnic equity in the postdoc community. Aligning with Pillar two of the NPA Strategic Plan 2021-2024, which highlights strategies that champion and model greater diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), they hosted a four-part series of interactive virtual panel discussions that reflect the postdoc experience through the lens of race and ethnicity at the NPA Race and Ethnicity Equity Summit held on November 17, 2022. According to Tom Kimbis, Esq, NPA executive director and chief executive officer (CEO), the summit “was launched to advance the conversation around difficult issues that surround race and ethnicity and affect the postdoc community and inspire actions by both individuals and institutions to improve the postdoctoral training environment for everyone.” These discussions covered a range of topics from diversifying aspiring postdocs (Part 1: What Comes Before) to promoting egalitarian hiring practices for future postdocs after completing graduate training ( Part 2: Becoming a Postdoc) to strategies that guarantee equity, inclusion, and belonging for postdocs (Part 3: Thriving as a Postdoc) and to building equitable career pathways for postdocs from diverse backgrounds after completing postdoc training (Part 4: Moving On). Here is a synopsis of important takeaways from the summit.

What Comes Before

The summit began with a panel discussion on actions to enhance diversity in the postdoc community (Part 1: What Comes Before). Suzanne Ortega, Ph.D., president of the Council of Graduate Schools, moderated the panel.

Panelists included:

• Andrea Joseph, Ph.D., a postdoc at the University of Pennsylvania and chair of the NPA Postdoc Council;
• Michael Cunningham, Ph.D., associate provost in the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies at Tulane University;
• James Antony, Ph.D., dean in the Division of Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs at the University of California in San Diego; and
• Hiro Okahana, Ph.D., assistant vice president of Research at the American Council on Education.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, pathways into careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are more diverse are less linear. Furthermore, there is growing evidence that graduate students and postdocs, especially those from diverse backgrounds, are less interested in working in academia as research faculty. So, Ortega asked the panel for their thoughts on “how to incorporate preparation for diverse careers into professional development” for graduate students and postdocs while valuing careers beyond academia and addressing the “urgent need for a more diverse and inclusive faculty.”

Joseph reflected on her early experiences in a science lab as an undergraduate student, where her research advisor introduced her to careers outside of academia. She emphasized expanding access for marginalized students and postdocs who identify as a minority in STEM to these opportunities with work-study options. Joseph also thinks professional development workshops should be more accessible to these populations and facilitated by academic institutions. Exemplar workshop topics are STEM career opportunities within and outside academia and the Individual Development Plan (IDP), a tool that helps graduate students and postdocs achieve short-term and long-term goals during their career and personal development. NPA provided a guide on using the IDP and held a webinar on assessing IDPs use and impact. In addition, Joseph believes a “culture shift” in academia is needed to address diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) issues, including the financial burden of relocation to pursue graduate training, conflicts with research advisors, and visa complexities. She also suggested providing opportunities for graduate students and postdocs to participate in industry-funded research projects through “strong faculty partnerships with industry collaborators” and “changing funding models to be more supportive of research projects” typically led by industry.

Cunningham pointed out that “universities need to be self-reflective.” Academic institutions should “require diversity statements for faculty hires” and provide a “sense of connectedness” and belonging to underrepresented postdocs, especially Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) women in STEM who may be balancing motherhood with academic research life, the LGBTQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, asexual, and other identities) community, and veterans. He advised that “postdocs should get individualized training” and gain skills in diverse statistical analysis methods to appear more attractive for industry jobs.

Antony highlighted the need to reevaluate “education labor patterns.” According to Antony, academia is "biased towards selecting students from elite institutions” and those with high standardized test scores. Yet, many talented students can be recruited to these graduate programs that are from diverse backgrounds, identify as a woman or first-generation, and attended non-Association of American Universities (AAU) member universities. Antony believes universities must “look at other indicators of student success in a graduate program.” He also thinks there is a need to “increase fluidity between academia and industry” through memoranda of understanding or agreement (MOUs/MOAs) that detail the sharing of resources, such as lab space and staff, intellectual property (IP), in-kind contributions, and funding for research.

Okahana added that changes to “indoctrination” at the institution level and faculty hiring and promotion practices are vital to “increasing representation of BIPOC in the professoriate.” Okahana says that academia “makes faculty appear superhuman.” However, to attract future faculty and postdocs, academia must support non-toxic occupational environments that integrate a work-life balance and have “intentionality for postdoc training” as an opportunity to gain experience in STEM research fields and prepare for research faculty jobs – not as a “permanent stop” in their career path.

Becoming a Postdoc

The following panel discussion (Part 2: Becoming a Postdoc) focused on demystifying postdoc training and promoting egalitarian hiring practices. Caleb C. McKinney, Ph.D., M.P.S., associate professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, associate dean of graduate and postdoctoral training & development for Biomedical Graduate Education (BGE), and assistant vice president of master’s program administration and development at Georgetown University Medical Center (GUMC), moderated the panel.

Panelists included:

• Devin Horton, Ph.D., STEM graduate diversity officer, University of California (UC), Davis;
• Aileen Fernandez, Ph.D., postdoctoral associate, Yale University; and
• Antonio Robinson, M.S.Ed., recruitment and engagement programs manager, Stanford PRISM Program, Stanford University.

McKinney opened the discussion by asking panelists to highlight activities they participated in and pertinent to the conversation about which factors graduate students should consider when pursuing postdoc training in academia and how postdocs can leverage or realize their power that brings value to academic institutions. Horton noted that there are many programs aimed at diversifying the postdoc community. Examples include the President’s Postdoctoral Fellowship through the University of California System, the National Institutes of Health (NIH)-Institutional Research and Academic Career Development Awards (IRACDA) program, and postdoc affinity groups at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies and Stanford University. In addition, Horton thinks that graduate students should “keep in touch with undergraduate professors” to provide support in their postdoc search. Horton also believes postdocs should ask questions about the postdoc training environment before committing to a particular institution. Example questions relate to “support for career development and grant writing” and initiatives that address structural mentoring barriers in postdoc training, like power abuse and mistreatment of minoritized and international postdocs.

Fernandez participated in a Bridges to the Baccalaureate (B2B) program for students at community colleges that prepared Fernandez for a science career. These programs help diversify the STEM workforce by supporting underrepresented students through various activities, including, but not limited to, exposure to biomedical research training and scientific conferences, professional skills development, networking with STEM professionals, and academic support. Fernandez discussed the importance of graduate students networking with people at scientific conferences and “making connections” after these meetings to expand their scientific community. In addition, Fernandez believes that graduate students can overcome imposter syndrome; they should not “undersell [themselves]” or “settle to go anywhere” for postdoc training. Instead, graduate students should ask questions like, “Are principal investigators (PIs) able to connect their students to other STEM professionals? Where do postdocs work after training? Does the science in this lab excite or invigorate me?”

Robinson added that there is “power in networking” during a postdoc search. According to Robinson, graduate students should begin their postdoc search at least a year in advance, “build their rapport with labs they are interested in working in,” and “learn what each campus has to offer” for thriving during postdoc training by visiting prospective campuses. Robinson provided a resource, the Research University Alliance (RUA), where graduate students can create a profile in the postdoc portal to be matched with prospective postdoc positions at RUA institutions.

Kimbis emphasized the “importance of being bold when tackling difficult and deep-rooted issues” regarding racial and ethnic equity during the postdoc experience.

Thriving as a Postdoc

The third-panel discussion (Part 3: Thriving as a Postdoc) concerned why some environments succeed at ensuring DEI and belonging (DEIB) is integral to postdoc training from a race and ethnicity perspective, while others fail. Vipul Sharma, Ph.D., assistant director of postdoctoral affairs at the University of Chicago and NPA Diversity Officer, moderated the panel.

Panelists included:

• Katelyn Dunigan Russell, Ph.D., internal project manager, AmplifyBio, and vice chair, NPA Postdoc Council;
• Irene Hulede, director of education, American Society for Microbiology;
• Sarina Kajani, Ph.D., senior scientist, AstraZeneca; and
• Kimiko Krieger, Ph.D., postdoctoral associate, Baylor College of Medicine.

Sharma started the discussion by asking panelists, “What does thriving as a postdoc and DEI mean to them?” Reflecting upon her experience as a postdoc, Krieger believes postdocs can thrive in academia when they have access to “allyship.” To Krieger, DEI is about learning “how to leverage and embrace it” to move forward. Kajani added that it is crucial to understand what “DEI means to people outside of your research group because people think of things in different ways.”

The panelists then commented on ways to ensure DEIB is a part of the postdoc experience or research culture. Krieger indicated that people in academia should make others aware of poor DEIB efforts and identify and correct the problems with those efforts. Russell mentioned the importance of allies who “do not look like” the postdocs they advocate for. These allies should be central to “having difficult conversations” about DEIB instead of diverse people. Kajani spotlighted “ethnic potlucks” to understand people from diverse backgrounds and ensure DEIB.

The panelists also provided examples of institutions and association-wide efforts that were successful or failed at guaranteeing DEIB during postdoc training. One example success story included administrative supplements offered by the NIH to enhance the diversity of the research workforce. These funding opportunities support salary, fringe benefits, and other expenses, such as travel and supplies, so that postdocs can work on a funded research project. On the other hand, Hulede pointed out that institutions fail at DEIB efforts for postdocs when “one to two people” serve as “champions” for these efforts; they do not mentor others to continue these efforts once those individuals move on to other endeavors.

The panel discussion ended with advice for postdocs on practical skills and building their DEI literacy or experience. Kajani emphasized that postdocs should “champion for [themselves] and be consistent” with their efforts. Kajani also provided an example of building a lab’s DEI literacy by requiring lab meetings to end with a DEI session. Russell and Kajani agreed that learning about and discussing DEI activities on campus is crucial to DEI literacy. Russell also highlighted the need for postdocs to “protect [themselves]” and search for research funding, especially when institutions and research mentors are not supporting such efforts. She also provided a resource, the SACNAS Postdoc Leadership Institute (PLI), for postdocs to develop their leadership skills and ability to bring their whole selves, including their culture, to work as an asset. Krieger added that postdocs should “find resources to handle difficult conversations.” Hulede suggested that postdocs enhance their CV and networking skills by serving as judges at scientific meetings like the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS), mentoring undergraduate students, and taking up leadership roles within professional associations and societies.

Moving On

The last panel discussion (Part 4: Moving On) focused on career pathways and strategies to ensure equal career opportunities after postdoc training regardless of the racial and ethnic background of postdocs. Jessica Wise, M.S., co-executive director and director of programs for the Higher Education Recruitment Consortium (HERC), moderated the panel.

Panelists included:

• Omanjana Goswami, Ph.D., interdisciplinary scientist, Union of Concerned Scientists;
• Shakira Nelson, Ph.D., MP.H., program officer, Division of Training, Workforce Development and Diversity (TWD), National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS);
• Julia Omotade, Ph.D., senior science policy specialist, Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC); and
• Andrea Pereyra, M.D., Ph.D., postdoctoral researcher, East Carolina University and Board member, NPA.

Goswami stressed that postdocs should “think outside of the box” when transitioning from their postdoc. Career pathways outside of academia can include policy fellowships, working with non-profits or think tanks, or careers in the government. Postdocs should consider what “marketable and transferable skills” they have, such as understanding and synthesizing large amounts of information, working effectively with limited supervision to meet deadlines, project management, and collaborating on projects. After postdoc training, postdocs should also consider the many opportunities and challenges in new academic jobs. These include “having a sense of community” for networking and mentorship that can advise you on “how to navigate this space,” application support, assessing long-term career impact, lack of representation to determine if the position is “a feasible career option” if you “don’t see anyone who [you] can relate to,” and international student or postdoc challenges, such as visa support issues. Goswami also advised how graduate students and postdocs market themselves to search committees. Goswami suggested that they should “highlight [their] skills, strengths, and what [they] bring to the table” and “be yourself.” Goswami also mentioned the importance of “having compensation expectations and non-negotiable asks” to discuss at the beginning with search committees.

Pereyra talked about how being an international scholar shapes career opportunities, decisions, and outcomes. Pereyra believes it is vital to become aware of the inequalities in academia when it comes to international representation. Of the 65,000 postdocs in the United States, 50-60% are international. U.S. academic institutions may appear as a “path of less resistance” for international scholars; however, this is not true at the faculty level. Postdocs with non-U.S. degrees are particularly vulnerable to the challenges of moving on. They may be susceptible to the “start early paradox.” This occurs when academia advises graduate students to start career planning early before obtaining their doctoral degree. Still, international postdocs “may feel that they [have] to catch up in terms of skills, publications, funding” because they “come from a different academic or scientific system” that follows their cultural norms. International postdocs may also be susceptible to the rules and expectations the U.S. academic system has for its postdocs. As Pereyra puts it, “you need to know how to play the game by surround[ing] yourself with allies” that know how to do this and will guide international postdocs. Pereyra also mentioned that international postdocs are vulnerable to their “migratory status as a gatekeeper to moving on and English as a second language.” To overcome one of these vulnerabilities, Pereyra stated that international postdocs could improve their communication skills by expanding their vocabulary, learning how to engage their audience, effectively communicating their message, and connecting with their audience. She suggested that academic administrators and postdoc offices should develop training and “workshops on communication skills for non-English speakers” to address these vulnerabilities that international postdocs experience. Pereyra also discussed strategies for graduate students and postdocs to navigate pursuing a traditional academic career. Pereyra advised that graduate students and postdocs should “surround [themselves] with a network of informal or unofficial advisors, mentors, and guides that have experience in those areas.” They can meet these individuals through a colleague, conference, or networking event. These individuals can provide help with “brainstorm[ing] conversations” on the pursuit of academic career paths, “sharing resources, sending job ads, and help you thrive and make the best out of your experience in academia.”

Omotade shared the following advice on transitioning from postdoc training:

• If you have needs for compensation, directly say what they are;
• If you’re getting yellow flags, then call them out to a consultant/search committee;
• State how you are experiencing the search process;
• If you don’t want the job, keep yourself out of the search, but if you are somewhat interested in the job, then it's feasible to be open to a conversation about it;
• If there’s a case that you could end up as the hire, consider it;
• Ask for confidentiality - some searches are totally “closed,” and for others, all names are discoverable.
• Don’t be afraid to discuss issues regarding DEI with the committee/institution.

Omotade also discussed how comments made by a search committee could harm the candidate looking for the job, the search process, and the search committee of varying combinations of faculty, students, postdocs, and institutional leaders/or the institution itself. Example comments include, but are not limited to:

• “That’s not where the best people train”
• “Well, we’re on the shortlist and need a diversity candidate”
• “She’s very talented for a woman candidate”
• “We do want a diverse candidate, BUT we also want the best and the brightest”
• “We need an excellent candidate BUT a diverse candidate”

These comments that question one’s identity and can “discredit a candidate’s merits and accomplishments” were provided to “empower” and “validate” postdocs on the job market. According to Omotade, postdocs should have “no shame in being different.” Postdocs participating in the search process should “be proactive” and “bring these comments to the search committee and the job recruiter” in person or in the form of a letter. Postdocs should also ask questions about how the institution mitigates acts of microaggression or macroaggression toward employees that are underrepresented in the academic research enterprise. Furthermore, Omotade believes that “there are other ways to talk about exclusion and excellence instead of labeling someone as a diversity candidate,” which is a “non-specific” phrase. Institutions should “be open to alternative phrases” to distinguish candidates participating in the search.

Omotade also provided advice on how job applicants can navigate conversations about identity and belonging before and during the interview process. For example, she suggested job applicants should “talk with the chair and members of the search committee or a consultant” about their concerns. In addition, they should know “it's [their] right” to ask questions they have regarding “salary, job location, and personal identity and belonging that are beyond performative initiatives.”

Nelson emphasized how “diversity enhances excellence, inspires creativity, and drives innovation.” She also pointed out contributions to structural racism and discrimination at three different levels. At the student level, contributors include microaggressions, isolation, imposter phenomenon, stereotype threat, reporting on harassment or discrimination that can derail a career, insufficient role models, burden of representation, and student debt. At the faculty level, contributors include biases in hiring, resource allocation, low start-up packages, minority tax, publication inequities, and hiring that focuses on ”pedigree.” Finally, at the funding level, contributors include R01 disparities, funding priorities, the application process, peer review, and its review criteria. Nelson also provided a brief overview of the following funding opportunities through the NIH for postdocs that aim at combatting these contributors to structural racism and discrimination:

• NIGMS Institutional Research and Academic Career Development Awards (IRACDA, PAR-22-212);
• Pathway to Independence Award (PA-20-187; PA-20-188; PA-20-189);
• MOSAIC Postdoctoral Career Transition Award to Promote Diversity;
• NIGMS Postdoctoral Research Associate Training (PRAT) Program; and
• NRSA Individual Postdoctoral Fellowship (F32) Program (PA-21-048).

Nelson also provided key steps early professionals can take within their first three years to best position themselves for success. Nelson thinks that graduate students and postdocs should “remember that [they] are enough” and they are “where [they’re] supposed to be.” They should disregard any negative thoughts that may persuade them to follow a different career path. Nelson also believes that graduate students and postdocs should “establish a strong team of supporters” that fulfill the roles of a mentor, sponsor, and advocate. This team can help them navigate training and funding opportunities early in their careers and later support them along their career path as junior faculty seeking tenure. It “can give [them] the space to learn and grow and be as successful as possible.”

Kimbis provided closing remarks at the end of the summit. Kimbis emphasized the “importance of being bold when tackling difficult and deep-rooted issues” regarding racial and ethnic equity during the postdoc experience. As Kimbis puts it, “all of us can do our part in continuing these conversations” at the summit. Still, we must continue to work on these issues “to actualize change, including small, everyday changes in our personal and professional lives” at the institutional and public policy levels. Kimbis also reminded the audience that the “NPA will work continuously to follow up with DEI efforts,”, especially with its partners, such as SACNAS, AAMC, ABRCMS, UCS, and the NPA Organizational Members, as well as “those organizations that [NPA] has yet to meet.”

Please check out the online NPA resources on diversity and supporting the postdoc community, including summit recordings. Remember, postdocs, you are not alone; we are all in this fight together to achieve racial and ethnic justice for the postdoc community.

Joyonna Gamble-George, Ph.D., M.H.A., is a postdoctoral scholar at New York University in the behavioral sciences training in drug abuse research program.

On December 1, 2022, the University of Colorado Anschutz Health and Wellness Center (AHWC) hosted its first in-person Learning and Building collaborative (“LAB collab”) cooking class since its launch just prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The LAB collab cooking and nutrition education program is designed to provide postdoctoral scholars, doctoral students, professional research assistants, and international scholars on the Anschutz medical campus with a sense of community designed for learning new healthy recipes from a range of cultures. It also helps to address food insecurity on campus and provides an accessible way for participants to improve their culinary skills and nutritional knowledge. Classes are facilitated by a team of registered dietitians on campus and represent one of many programs offered by AHWC. LAB collab classes are held quarterly and funded by the University of Colorado AHWC in partnership with the postdoctoral association, the Graduate School, and the Office of International Affairs.

Throughout the LAB collab classes, run by dietitians and classically-trained chefs, participants have enjoyed a range of flavorful dishes, including quick chana masala, arepas with huevos perico, Peruvian quinoa stew, and shirazi salad with flatbread to name just a few. AHWC dietitians work together to develop these dishes that are typically vegetarian and meet nutritional standards, including good protein content and little saturated fat and sodium. An effort is made to source recipes from various cultures, and while they may be adapted to fit AHWC’s nutritional requirements, it is tried to keep each dish true to its culture of origin. Ingredients include spices, canned and dry goods, fresh produce, and dairy, all of which are provided to participants free of charge. The cultural relevance of the recipe, relevant nutritional facts, and culinary tips are discussed throughout the classes.

LAB collab is a timely service as recent reports highlight the issue of food insecurity among individuals at university programs. According to a 2020 survey of more than 195,000 students across the United States, nearly 40% of students at two-year and 30% at four-year higher education institutions are food insecure. A 2021 study of college students further revealed that almost 50% were food insecure and observed a significant correlation with well-being indicators, including increased psychological stress and loneliness and decreased scores for flourishing and resilience. Although there is limited data within the postdoc population, this highlights the importance of food security and good nutrition to both physical and mental health and academic success. In light of this, the University of Colorado’s AHWC also runs monthly “CU Eat Well” virtual classes coordinated with the campus food pantry so that ingredients are readily available and awareness is raised for the food pantry service. Like the LAB collab classes, recipes are chosen for their nutritional content, budget- and beginner-friendliness, and multi-cultural influences.

Chef and registered dietitian, Anita Bancroft, has been coordinating LAB collab since joining the University of Colorado community in 2021. She highlights that the program was primarily conceived to address the need to foster connectivity in subgroups of trainees that are less commonly targeted for campus programs and often spend large amounts of time in isolated workspaces, such as laboratories. This proved particularly important at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic when many postdocs were limited to predominantly working from home, and most research groups had to restrict numbers of in-person personnel. Throughout this period, the hour-long classes transitioned to a virtual format, run from the AHWC kitchens, and connected to participants via Zoom. Ingredient bag pick-up before each class enabled participants to cook at home without needing to source groceries. Although the in-person format arguably allows for easier connection between participants, the Zoom classes have the added benefit of greater accessibility to those unable to drive to campus and let participants cook at home with their friends and family, often joining in and adding to the social environment. It also increases the number of people who can participate as the kitchen capacity is limited to 18 in-person attendees. As a result, recent polling of participants gave a 50:50 preference for in-person or virtual classes, leading AHWC to decide to alternate between the two formats now that pandemic restrictions have eased.

The cultural relevance of the recipe, relevant nutritional facts, and culinary tips are discussed throughout the classes.

After the sold-out December in-person class (lentil sambusa with Ethiopian collard greens), February’s class will be given virtually, and the May class will return to the AHWC kitchen. These classes will expose participants to German and Korean cuisine and will likely be just as popular as previous classes. But, most importantly, they will bring postdocs and others in the university together to provide a strong sense of community that has been somewhat lost over these past pandemic years.

Caitlin Lewis, Ph.D., is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Colorado and an associate editor of The POSTDOCket.

Halo is a software platform that helps R&D teams collaborate more efficiently through a suite of software tools and a global network of researchers actively looking to collaborate with the industry. Since its inception in 2020, Halo has established connections between companies and over 4,500 highly qualified scientists from universities and startups in 97 countries worldwide.

Halo collaborates with numerous Fortune 500 companies from various sectors, including biopharma, medical devices, consumer goods, and agriculture, to help companies solve tough scientific challenges and form R&D partnerships.

Halo allows companies to post areas of interest for research collaborations (i.e., RFPs), and scientists submit simple, standardized proposals. Companies then review the proposals and contact scientists to learn more or provide feedback. If the two are interested in sharing confidential information or negotiating an agreement, the conversation moves off of Halo, and the process proceeds per usual with any industry collaboration.

Principal investigators, postdoctoral scholars, doctorate students, and startup companies can all submit proposals on Halo.

Profiles of Postdoc Awardees

Principal investigators, postdoctoral scholars, doctorate students, and startup companies can all submit proposals on Halo. For example, Bayer Crop Science, a global innovator in crop science and pest management, has funded over 100 grants through Halo with its annual Grants4Ag program. Learn more about several postdocs who received funding to develop novel solutions in agriculture:

• Weeds cause tremendous losses to crop yields around the globe. To combat them more sustainably, Cristian Malavert, Ph.D., is working to develop predictive models on weed emergence to help farmers make more informed decisions about management practices (learn more here).
  • “In this way, it will be possible to have tools to define management schemes based on more efficient control practices, both agronomically through the timing of control and environmentally through a reduction in the use of herbicides.” - Malavert
• Amy Lemay's, Ph.D. research sits at the nexus of agricultural science and sociology. For Grants4Ag, she is investigating how farmers find information to learn to bridge the gap between research and practice of sustainable crop production (learn more here).
  • “With a better understanding of how innovation works and more effective knowledge mobilization tools and strategies, we can accelerate and improve the development, acceptance, and adoption of sustainable agri-innovations.” - Lemay
• With her research, Vanessa Nessner Kavamura, Ph.D., strives for more sustainable crop production by using microbes as an alternative to heavy chemicals in agriculture. For example, to prevent fungal disease in wheat, Kavamura is researching the potentially beneficial chemical compounds produced by microbes to fight disease-causing organisms (learn more here).
  • “The Grants4Ag project would allow me to further assess the potential of microbes in inhibiting the growth of Fusarium graminearum and test their ability and efficiency to control the development of Fusarium Head Blight (FHB) in mature wheat plants.” - Kavamura

Find Funding and Mentorship on Halo

Halo is free for universities and researchers. Learn more about Halo and connect with industry partners here. “Halo made it easy to find and apply for opportunities! It’s become a website I routinely look at now.” - Zheng Gong, The University of Queensland doctoral candidate.

Aya Alame is a marketing specialist at Halo, a software platform that connects R&D teams with researchers seeking industry collaborations.