BGS Career Development

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Career: Research (academic)

Preparing for your First-Year as a Faculty Member (Online Q&A)

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Career Services | University of Pennsylvania

Thursday, May 21st, 2020, 1:00pm-2:00pm

This virtual program is intended to help those beginning their new faculty position and to better understand ways to succeed in their first year on the job.  Current faculty members will address aspects of starting a new faculty position that they feel are most important, such as how to stay engaged in research, handle the time demands related to teaching, and navigate the different types of “service” that come with joining a new department and institution. Please register for this online event to receive the online video link.  The panel session will be interactive with questions. If you have questions to ask the faculty panelists, please email them to Marianne Lipa (mlipa@upenn.edu) in Career Services. 

The panelists will be:

  • Dr. Yun Ding, Assistant Professor of Biology, University of Pennsylvania
  • Dr. Anna Schapiro, Assistant Professor of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania
  • Dr. Xi Song, Associate Professor of Sociology, University of Pennsylvania 

To register, click here: https://upenn.joinhandshake.com/events/431743

Upcoming Webinars with NIH OITE

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NIH OITE Webinar - April 1, 2 PM - BGS Career Development

Essential Leadership Skills for Scientists
Apr 27, 2020 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm 
Register here. Gain leadership skills as a scientist. We will discuss understanding yourself and how you relate to others. Good communication skills and developing your emotional intelligence. Speaker, Dr. Sharon Milgram 

CVs, Resumes, and cover letters: Essential Job Search Documents
Apr 30, 2020 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Register here. This workshop will highlight the critical elements and structure of CVs and resumes and cover letters. These important job documents serve as the foundation for all job searches, and knowing how to create them based on the employment sector and published position description is essential.  Speaker, Dr. Lori Conlan

Pre-/post-publication peer review
May 01, 2020 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm 
Register here. Pre-/post-publication peer review: You do a study, you write up the paper, and then you publish it. That’s it, right? Not so fast: peer review has always been a recurring step in the scientific process, but methods to do so are even more widespread than ever. We will talk about benefits and challenges of using preprint sites like bioRxiv, and the wide world of peer-reviewed feedback after publishing your manuscript. Speaker, Dr. Chris Gunter

BPP Virtual Events Coming Up: F & K Award Workshops

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F & K Award (Virtual) Workshop Series with Dr. Beth Schachter
Friday, April 24, 2020, 10 AM— 11 AM (F Award Session ONLY)
Monday, April 27, 2020, 10 AM— 11 AM (K Award Session ONLY)
Online via BlueJeans

As originally scheduled, we are happy to offer our annual F & K Award workshop series to you online via BlueJeans.  
Registration links and details are provided below!

Dr. Beth Schachter continues her Grantsmanship Workshops that covers NIH F32 fellowships, the K99/R00 Pathway-to-Independence awards for postdoctoral fellows and the other NIH K-type Career Development awards for junior clinical or translational faculty members. 

We’re offering two separate sessions for F Award only and K Award only. Dr. Schachter will make separate videos for each group, covering the research, mentoring and training plans (more details to follow).  F Award session on BlueJeans will take place on Friday, April 24th, 10 AM-11 AM (REGISTER HERE) and K Award session on BlueJeans will take place on Monday, April 27th, 10 AM-11 AM (REGISTER HERE).

One-on-one sessions: After all of the virtual sessions have been completed, Dr. Schachter will offer (20) 45-minute one-on-one sessions to individuals that joined the virtual sessions.  An email will be sent to all participants which will allow the first 20 to sign-up and request the time.  During those individual sessions, Dr. Schachter could read and critique your Aims Page, your Biosketch and/or discuss your mentoring team and training plan with you.  This offer stands for one year after the second video conference.

Many of you have already registered for these events; therefore, no further action is required. Feel free to reach Donna Crawley, BPP Academic Programs Coordinator, at dcrawley@pennmedicine.upenn.edu , if you have any questions about these events.  

Finding a STEM Postdoc (Online Q&A)

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Marketing Your Communication Major | Annenberg School for ...

This program is open to doctoral students and postdocs as part of Career Services’ Academic Job Search Series on Tuesday, April 28th 2020, 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm EDT.

Join us for this informational online Q&A session with Melvin Bates, Ph.D. (https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnbatesphd/), a current postdoctoral fellow at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Dr. Bates will answer questions that you may have about how to identify and apply for postdoc opportunities. He will provide advice on what you can do when you start your search, and answer any questions you have on where and how you can seek out postdoc opportunities. This discussion will be a valuable resource for anyone considering a postdoc once they have finished with their PhD – even if you are still several years from finishing up right now.

Please register for this event to receive the online video link. If you have questions you would like the moderator to pose to Dr. Bates, please send them to Dianne Hull (dhull@upenn.edu) in Career Services.

OITE Activities for Biomedical Trainees

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NIH OITE Webinar - April 1, 2 PM - BGS Career Development

The NIH Office of Intramural Training and Education is hosting a number of online activities for biomedical trainees the week of April 20. See details and register below!

Developing Feedback Resilience
Apr 20, 2020 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm
Online: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5063381194366246157
Being resilient around feedback is a critical skill to learn. Learn how your responses to feedback influence your ability to succeed in your career.

Industry Careers Overview and Job Packages
Apr 21, 2020 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm
Online: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/967223193073492749
A key difference between industry and academia is that in industry you are expected to produce something of value to your company and the shareholders – this is the business side of science.  A PhD scientist can assume numerous roles in an industry setting. This session will highlight these career opportunities and provide insight into how to position yourself (including building your resume and cover letters) to be competitive for these jobs.

Picking the Perfect Postdoc
Apr 22, 2020 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Online: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7418455936444557581
This session is for graduate students pondering postdocs (or postdocs considering an additional postdoc). We will talk about finding research groups, applying, and being successful as a postdoc.

Academic Job Search: Applying
Apr 23, 2020 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Online: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3209253845945991693
This session will address preparing early to be ready for faculty positions during the upcoming fall application cycle. We will also discuss the impact of the current emergency on the faculty hiring cycle. Topics covered in this session include: finding job opportunities, assessing your goals, and preparing your application packet.

Traditional Journal Publishing
Apr 24, 2020 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Online: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3529116072117091597
Traditional journal publishing: Instead of trying the spaghetti-sticking approach or impact factors, let’s talk about the best ways to identify a journal for your manuscript, and then how to navigate the submission process. We will look at several levels of journals and discuss pros/cons of each, along with the hidden importance of cover letters and how to appeal decisions you don’t agree with.

Upcoming Citation Management Workshops

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Welcome | Penn Libraries

Upcoming research paper, thesis, or dissertation?

By popular demand, Penn Libraries are hosting another round of Citation Management Workshops! See details and registration links below:

  • Using Zotero for Citation Management, Monday, April 20, 1 – 2 PM
    Introductory workshop for anyone: Zotero is a free, open-source, flexible research management tool with a diverse support community.
    Register here.
  • Using Mendeley for Citation Management, Tuesday, April 21, 1 – 2 PM
    Introductory workshop for anyone: Mendeley is a “freemium” research management tool with robust PDF integration.
    Register here.
  • Advanced Tools & Techniques for Citation Management, Wednesday, April 22, 1 – 2 PM
    For people working on thesis, dissertations, and other major research projects. This workshop will explore best practices, great tools, and advanced techniques to collect, organize, and cite your sources.
    Register here.