Postdoc  Orienta.on:  Integra.on  Strategies  at  HMS  

Jim  Gould,  PhD  Director,  Office  for  Postdoctoral  Fellows  

Harvard  Medical  School  &  Harvard  School  of  Dental  Medicine  

 

Office  of  Postdoctoral    Fellows  

 •   Supports  postdocs  from  six  basic  science  and  

two  social  science  depts  at  HMS;  four  depts  at  HSDM  

•   The  Staff            Jim  Gould,  PhD  -­‐  Director            Leigh  Melanson  -­‐  Program  Coordinator        •   Academic  Oversight              Judy  Glaven,  PhD  –  Associate  Dean,  Basic  &    

               Interdisciplinary  Research              •   Faculty  Advisory  CommiJee    

•   RepresentaLves  from  each  dept  

Total  ~1000  (data  from  ~850  federally  funded)  

Female  35%  

Male  65%  

Foreign  61%  

DomesLc  39%  

HMS  Quad  Postdoc  Demographics  

Our  Programming  

Orienta.on  •    Postdoc  &  Research  Resources,  Postdoc  organizaLons  •    HR  &  Benefits,  Research  Admin  &  Compliance  

Skills  Development  •    Publishing,  grantsmanship,  &  collaboraLon  •    CommunicaLon,  mentoring,  &  management  

Career  Development  •    Academic  Job  Search  Series  •    Career  Discussion  Hour  &  Networking  •    ApplicaLon  material  criLque  

Social  Events  •    Postdoc  Movie  Night  •    Summer  Fun  Series  •    Postdoc  Lounge:  Coffee  &  Donut  Morning  

Leveraging  Our  Community  in  Programming  &  Orienta.on  

IdenLfying  &  connecLng  with  

postdocs  

•   Human  Resources  &  Payroll  

•   Informa.on  Technology  &  Compu.ng  

•   Communica.ons  

Assessing  &  building  resources  

for  postdocs  

•   Postdoc  Feedback  •   Department  Admin  •   Research  Admin  &  

Compliance  

Developing  partnerships  &  collaboraLons  

•   Ombuds,  Work-­‐Life  &  Support  Offices  

•   Ins.tu.onal  Research  Offices  

•   Faculty  &  Staff  

Outreach  &  Connec.on  

•  Department  Level  •  Email  InvitaLon  •  OPF  Website  

First  Point  of  Contact:  

Department  Onboarding  

     •   Welcome  leJer  

•   Postdoc  OrientaLon  •   Benefits  •   InternaLonal  Office  •   PDA  •   Lab  Safety  Training  

•   Reinforces  Dept  process  

Next  Point  of  Contact:  Email  

InvitaLon    •   New  postdoc  list  generated  by  HR  

•   Reinforces  the  Welcome  LeJer  

•   Introduces  the  Postdoc  Office  

•   OrientaLon  Date  

Web-­‐based  Orienta.on  Resource  

 •   OPF  Website  

•   Benefits  reminder  •   OrientaLon  schedule  •   Research  support  •   OrientaLon  registraLon  

•   OrientaLon  RegistraLon  •   Tracks  postdoc  info  •   Ease  of  use  for  OPF  •   Internal  or  external  plaZorm  

New  Postdoc  Orienta.on  

•  Purpose  •  Approach  •  Structure  

Why  Orienta.on:  Introducing  the  Landscape    

Needs  •   Time  SensiLvity  •   Resources  

–   Postdoc-­‐specific  –   InsLtuLonal  Research  

•   Community  •   InsLtuLonal  Policy  •   Benefits  

Service  Providers  •   Postdoc  Office/AssociaLon;  

Ombuds;  Work/Life  •   ComputaLon/IT;  Library;  

Core  FaciliLes  •   IACUC;  IRB;  Safety  •   Tech  Development/Transfer  •   Grants  Admin;  Compliance  •   Human  Resources  

Our  Approach  to  Orienta.on  

 •   Every  6  weeks    •   Overview  of  resources  and  support  services  

•   Emphasis  on:  •   Postdoc  Resources  •   Research  Skills  &  Policy  •   Work/Life  Issues  

•   Relevant  &  Valuable  

•   Not  mandatory  

Orienta.on  Structure:    Making  the  Most  of  Their  Time  

Postdoc  Resources  

HMS  Research  Resources  

Postdoc  OrganizaLons  

Research  AdministraLon  &  Compliance  

HR  &  Benefits  

Orienta.on  Challenges  &  Opportuni.es  

•  Successes  •  Current  Challenges  •  Future  OpportuniLes  

What  we  do  well:  Informa.on  

•   Introduce  the  OPF  –   Services  &  programming  –   Create  &  reinforce  our  

“Brand”  

•   IdenLfy  resources  –   Postdoc  Skills  –   Research  Policy  –   Work/Life    

•   Detailed  info  packets  •   Responsive  to  feedback  

What  we  do  well:  Build  Community  

•   Begin  integraLon  at  HMS  •   Cross-­‐discipline/dept  interacLon  –   PDA  &  Postdoc  Forum  –   HMS  Admin  &  Staff  

•   Comprehensive  –  Wide  array  of  speakers  –  Wide  array  of  topics  

 

Current  Challenges  

•   Streamline  InformaLon  Delivery  –   Powerpoint,  internet,  freestyle,  

and  paper  •   MulLpurpose  Venue  

–   Flexibility  of  presentaLon  style  –   Comfortable  space    

•   Timing  &  Efficiency  –   Keeping  on  Lme  w/o  diminishing  

quality  –   Flexibility  for  more  speakers  

•   Avoid  informaLon  overload  –   Focus  on  what  they  need  to  know  

NOW  –   Allow  for  break(s)  and  interacLon  –   TransiLon  between  topics  

Future  Opportuni.es  

•   Going  paperless  –   Only  handout  would  be  flash  drive  

•   Leveraging  technology  –   Smart  phone  Apps  –   Smartboard  –   Use  cueng  edge  classroom  

•   Serving  throughout  postdoc  tenure  –   Modular  orientaLon  –   Webinars/pre-­‐recording  –   Key  area  refreshers  

 

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