Office of Postdoctoral Affairs
The Department of Pediatrics in the College of Medicine at the University of Cincinnati is committed to the mentorship and development of its postdoctoral fellows. Dr. Thomas Boat, Chair of the department has appointed Dr. Sandra Degen, Associate Chair for Academic Affairs as the person responsible for the oversight of postdoctoral recruitment and retention. An Office of Postdoctoral Affairs has been put in place to address issues directly related to the recruitment and retention of postdoctoral fellows. (View an organizational chart of the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs.)
Office of Postdoctoral Affairs
Dr. James Lessard, PhD, Professor of Pediatrics is the Director of this office that provides faculty leadership in various aspects of postdoctoral recruitment and retention. A goal of this office is to become the centralized point of contact for all information with regard to postdoctoral fellows, including issues related to benefits, visas, tax issues, stipends, etc. Dr. Edith Markoff, PhD, Associate Professor of Pediatrics provides oversight of the recruitment process in conjunction with PhD recruiters in Human Resources. Dr. Susanne Wells, PhD, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, meets monthly with postdoctoral fellows to discuss their concerns, as well as to discuss their research. Wanda Downton provides secretarial support for the program.
Mentoring
The primary mentoring relationship is with the postdoctoral fellow's advisor. In addition, the leadership within the postdoctoral office is available for mentoring. Postdoctoral fellows are advised to form a mentoring committee that includes their advisor as well as at least two other faculty in their field of interest. This committee should meet at least two times a year in order to monitor the progress of the fellow and to give appropriate advice. Career guidance is also expected of this group.
Yearly Evaluations
All fellows are required to be evaluated annually by their advisor. Through this process fellows usually received merit increases to their stipend.
Making the Right Moves
A Practical Guide to Scientific Management for Postdocs and New Faculty is a publication available in PDF format from here and on the HHMI website that is provided to all new postdoctoral fellows.
Annual Postdoctoral Fellows Research Forum
This forum occurs each spring at the College of Medicine with the purpose of promoting scientific communication among postdoctoral fellows, graduate students and faculty, as well as to inform the scientific community and potential employers about current postdoctoral research activities at the College of Medicine and Cincinnati Children's Hospital. A keynote address by an internationally recognized scientist is part of this event. Postdoctoral fellows present their work as part of a poster presentation.
University of Cincinnati Office of International Affairs
We work closely with the University of Cincinnati Office of International Affairs on all aspects of the process of hiring international postdoctoral fellows. This office is critical for providing information that is helpful for obtaining visas, tax issues, housing in Cincinnati and required documentation.
Women's Faculty Association
Each year the Women's Faculty Association holds several faculty development workshops open to all faculty and fellows. In the past, workshops have included guidance on time management, mentoring, how to be a division director, managing a lab, team building, foreign nationals in academia and negotiation skills.
Faculty Development Program
Teaching faculty and fellows to become better teachers is part of the Faculty Development Series. Several forums are run each year that are open to faculty and fellows.
Grant Fundamentals Series
A series of seminars are presented each year that address specifics on writing NIH proposals, development of specific aims, the importance of the abstract and supplementary material, the NIH review process and budgeting, and support from private foundations. Special attention is paid to postdoctoral NRSA awards and the K series of mentored awards from the NIH.
Internal Review of Grants
It is expected that all faculty and fellows will have their new grant proposals reviewed at least one month prior to submission. A list of internal reviewers is updated yearly and provided to all faculty and fellows by way of the intranet. The signature of an internal reviewer is required before any grant can be submitted.
Clinical Research Forum
A yearly program is run by the Clinical Research Center on topics in clinical research that is open to all faculty and fellows.
Science Next Wave website
Fellows are encouraged to visit this website to find out about issues specific to postdoctoral fellows and junior faculty. The site is: http://nextwave.sciencemag.org/cdc/
Available to Postdoctoral Fellows
New Faculty Orientation
Yearly an orientation is held for all new faculty that includes presentations by key individuals within the department. The Chair of the department gives a historical overview of the department, the Research Foundation and the relationship of the department to the University of Cincinnati. Faculty are also introduced to reappointment, promotion and tenure criteria, mentoring philosophies, clinical responsibilities, internal grant support mechanisms, the Office of Sponsored Programs and the Intellectual Property Office.
Reappointment, Promotion and Tenure (RPT) Panel Discussion
A panel discussion with the departmental RPT committee takes place each year. Although presentations are given, the intent of this forum is to address all questions presented by the faculty and fellows.
Contact Us
For more information about postdoctoral fellowships at Cincinnati Children's, contact the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs at postdocs@cchmc.org or 513-636-9281.
