Postdoctoral Fellowship

The primary mentoring relationship is with the postdoctoral fellow’s adviser. In addition, the leadership within the postdoctoral office is available for mentoring. Postdoctoral fellows are advised to form a mentoring committee that includes their adviser as well as at least two other faculty in their field of interest. This committee should meet at least two times a year to monitor the progress of the fellow and to give appropriate advice. Career guidance is also expected of this group. 

All fellows are required to be evaluated annually by their adviser. Through this process, fellows usually receive merit increases to their stipend.

Making the Right Moves: A Practical Guide to Scientific Management for Postdocs and New Faculty, meant for all new postdoctoral fellows, is a publication available in PDF format and on the HHMI website.

We work closely with the University of Cincinnati’s Office of International Affairs on all aspects of hiring international postdoctoral fellows. This office is critical for providing information for obtaining visas, housing in Cincinnati and required documentation and understanding tax issues.

Each year the Women’s Faculty Association holds several faculty development workshops open to all faculty and fellows. 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.

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.

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 gaining support from private foundations. Special attention is paid to postdoctoral NRSA awards and the K series of mentored awards from the NIH.

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 our intranet. The signature of an internal reviewer is required before any grant can be submitted.

A yearly program, run by the Clinical Research Center, on topics in clinical research is open to all faculty and fellows.

An orientation each year includes presentations by key individuals within the department. The chair of the department gives a historical overview of the department, the Cincinnati Children’s 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.

Postdoctoral fellows can obtain training and experience in teaching through the Preparing Future Faculty Program at the UC College of Medicine. This program provides valuable training in teaching, the academic job search, portfolio design and many other topics applicable to postdocs who are interested in a teaching career.

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.

This day-long regional meeting will address diverse career opportunities for biomedical scientists with PhDs and will allow for them to interact with speakers and panel participants in an informal setting. The importance of networking and involvement in professional organizations, such as American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, will be addressed. Our keynote speaker will give a seminar focused on choosing a career pathway and how to be prepared for that pathway. Panel discussions and talks are organized into specific career fields (academia, industry. science writing and technology transfer/intellectual property). Panel members will participate in a networking lunch session. This networking session allows the attendees to network with each other and develop the contacts needed for potential future endeavors. Workshops will be presented at the end of the day on how to write a teaching philosophy, individual development plans and mentoring, CV/resume review and negotiation.

View the 2013 ASBMB Special Science Career Symposium flyer

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. A keynote address by an internationally recognized scientist is part of this event. Postdoctoral fellows present their work as part of a poster presentation.

Monthly lunch meetings for postdocs and research associates are run by Susanne Wells, PhD, assistant director. The meetings include either research seminars by fellows, special presentations on alternative career paths, or discussions of Cincinnati Children’s policies and programs. These meetings are also an opportunity for fellows to voice concerns and to network.

We partner with the University of Cincinnati Postdoctoral Fellowship Association for a professional career development seminar series including an annual Graduate Poster Forum in February, special events on National Postdoc Day and an annual spring ethics in research lecture series.  

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center is a sustaining member of the National Postdoctoral Association. All Cincinnati Children’s postdocs and mentors can join as affiliate members at no cost. The NPA website is a great resource for both American and international postdocs.