Postdoc Professional Development

One important aspect of NESCent's mission is providing professional training for postdoctoral fellows in the field of Evolutionary Biology. NESCent Postdoctoral Fellowships provide two years of funding to support ambitious, synthetic research on any aspect of evolutionary biology and relevant disciplines. Products might include (but are not restricted to):

  • Synthetic papers and reviews
  • Databases allowing others to build on the postdoctoral fellow's foundation
  • Software or mathematical tools that solve a major analytical problem

Read more about the current NESCent postdocs and the projects on which they are working, please.

The EOG recognizes that NESCent postdocs are the Evolutionary Biology professors and teachers of the future, and is dedicated to providing appropriate training and professional development to allow them to excel in Evolution education. NESCent postdocs are offered a series of workshops covering the following topics:

  • Effective Teaching and Learning series
  • Media Training for Scientists (Workshop delivered by Erin Heath, Public Affairs Representative, American Institute of Biological Sciences)
  • Effective Grant Writing
  • Developing Your Teaching Portfolio
  • Interviewing and Negotiating
  • Student Mentoring

In some cases, these workshops are conducted by NESCent's own EOG staff, and in other instances the workshops are delivered by external consultants. In addition to workshops and courses, the EOG facilitates postdoc professional development opportunities in a number of ways, including:

  • Postdoc delivery of guest lectures and seminars, delivered face-to-face, or via videoconference (VC) from NESCent's VC facility. The EOG will prepare an online database of NESCent postdocs who are interested in delivering guest lectures and/or seminars, and their topics of expertise. This database can be searched by professors and teachers wishing to receive a guest lecture or seminar on a specific topic.
  • Mentoring " Postdocs can serve as mentors for undergraduates from local universities, as well as high school students who are interested in doing research internships.
  • Networking with local, regional and national postdoc organizations. Specifically linking with the resources and postdoc community in North Carolina's Research Triangle. NESCent postdocs will also participate in national organizations dedicated to serving and training postdoctoral fellows.