2016 ASPIRE Cafe for Postdoctoral Fellows

Orientation to BRET Resources for Postdocs
​Tuesday, January 12, 2016
306 A&B Light Hall

“Writing a Better Cover Letter”
*Tuesday, January 19, 2016
306 A&B Light Hall
Learn cover letter basics such as general cover letter structure, what should be/should not be included, & what it means to tailor your letter to the position.  We will explore tips for polishing your cover letter, look at some examples of good and not-so-good cover letters, and discuss strategies for making your cover letter stand out.  If you dare (!), feel free to bring along your own cover letter, and accompanying job description, to share with the group.

Orientation to BRET Resources for Postdocs
Tuesday, February 9, 2016
306 A&B Light Hall

“Recognizing and Overcoming the Imposter Syndrome”
Tuesday, February 23, 2016
306 A&B Light Hall
Maureen Gannon, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Dept. of Medicine, Vanderbilt University
You will learn to recognize Imposter Syndrome in yourself and others and how to deal with this issue. Impostor syndrome describes people who are unable to internalize their accomplishments despite external evidence of their competence. Impostor syndrome is particularly common among high-achieving women. Those exhibiting the syndrome remain convinced that they are frauds and do not deserve the success they have achieved. Instead success is dismissed as luck, timing, quotas, or as a result of deceiving others into thinking they are more intelligent and competent than they believe themselves to be. 

Orientation to BRET Resources for Postdocs
Tuesday, March 8, 2016
306 A&B Light Hall

“Strategies for Developing a Strong NIH Biosketch”
*Tuesday, March 29, 2016
350 Light Hall
Please join faculty members, Danny Winder, Ph.D., Prof of Mol Phys and Biophysics and Jin Chen, M.D., Ph.D., Prof of Medicine, Cancer Biology and Cell & Developmental Biology to learn effective strategies for developing your NIH biosketch according to the new 2015 format.  Both faculty members have served on review committee that have considered applications from trainees and can provide a reviewer’s perspective on what works best and what doesn’t.  We will discuss the changes ot the new format, review some examples together and they will be available to answer all of your questions.
Handouts: Biosketch Template/Example
Galter Health Sciences Library, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine

ASPIRE to Plan: Ready, Set, Goal Series, Part I: “Ready”
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
350 Light Hall
Kim Petrie, Ph.D., BRET Director of Career Development, will present Part I of her three part series: Ready, Set, Goal!
Ready: A critical step to career advancement is identifying careers that are a good fit for you. In this first session of the Ready, Set, Goal series, postdocs will identify their work-related skills, values, and interests so they can focus on pursuing career options that “fit.”  While each of these three sessions is designed to stand alone, maximum benefit can be obtained by attending all three.

“Setting up and Running a New Lab”
Tuesday, April 26, 2016
412 Light Hall
Come hear from a panel of new faculty about their experiences getting their new lab up and running.  Brad Grueter Ph.D., Asst Prof of Anesthesiology, Lauren Jackson, Ph.D., Asst. Prof of Biological Sciences and Ken Lau, Ph.D., Asst Prof of Cell and Developmental Bio will share their tips regarding what has worked for them, what were the greatest challenges, what they wish they had known beforehand, and maybe even where they really messed up. You will have the opportunity to learn from them by asking all the questions you ever wondered about that big transition from postdoc to PI.

ASPIRE to Plan: Ready, Set, Goal Series, Part II: “Set”
Tuesday, May 10, 2016
350 Light Hall
Kim Petrie, Ph.D., BRET Director of Career Development, will present Part II of her three part series: Ready, Set, Goal!
Set: The second session of the Ready, Set, Goal series will help postdocs set the stage for career success. We will present a framework for career planning, discuss career decision-making, and identify useful resources for career development. While each of these three sessions is designed to stand alone, maximum benefit can be obtained by attending all three.

“Workplace Workstyles”
Tuesday, May 24, 2016
350 Light Hall
Alyssa Hasty, Ph.D., Professor, Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University
We’ve all heard the phrase, “They just weren’t a good fit for the lab”.  But does it have to be that way? People behave in somewhat predictable ways, and if we can learn what our own – and others – workstyles are, we might be able to convert our working relationships into win-win situations.  During this hour, we will discuss 4 different workstyles, the strengths and weaknesses of each, and what that means for working relationships within the laboratory setting.

ASPIRE to Plan: Ready, Set, Goal Series, Part III: “Goal”
Tuesday, June 14, 2016
350 Light Hall
Kim Petrie, Ph.D., BRET Director of Career Development, will present Part III of her three part series: Ready, Set, Goal
Goal: In the third session of the Ready, Set, Goal series, postdocs will set SMART goals for their career development. Please bring your most recent IDP to this session. While each of these three sessions is designed to stand alone, maximum benefit can be obtained by attending all three.

“Informational Interviewing-your most powerful networking tool”
Tuesday, June 28, 2016
306 A&B Light Hall
Have you ever heard of an informational interview?  Come learn about one the most powerful, yet underutilized, networking tools available to you.  Find out what an informational interview entails, how to set one up, what questions you should be asking, and how this type of activity can help you explore career options while also growing your professional network.  (Led by Ashley Brady)
Handouts: 200 Questions: Quintessential Live Career 
                 Example Emails

Orientation to BRET Resources for Postdocs
*Tuesday, July 19, 2016
306 A&B Light Hall

“Crafting a Compelling Elevator Pitch”
Tuesday, July 26, 2016
306 A&B Light Hall
What’s an elevator pitch and why would I need one anyway?  In this session we will discuss the fundamentals of the elevator pitch, identify places where you would use one and explore ideas about how you might tailor it to specific situations.  We will look at examples, craft our own, and take some time to practice them and provide feedback to one another. (Led by Ashley Brady)
Handouts:  Two Minutes to Impress, Kwok, R.  Nature Vol 494, 7 Feb 2013
                  The Elevator Pitch, Gaffey, A. Psychological Science Agenda, June 2014
                   Elevator Pitches for Scientists: What, When, Where and How, Uyen, August 2013.

“NIH Career Development K Awards: Which One is Right for You?”
Tuesday, Aug 9, 2016
306 A&B Light Hall
Abby Brown, Ph.D., BRET, Director, Outcomes Research
Learn the basics about the different types of K awards, from institutional (K12) to K99 awards.

“Preparing a Faculty Position Application Package”
Tuesday, Aug 23, 2016
407 A-D Light Hall
Please join us as we welcome James Dewar, Ph.D., Asst Professor of Biochemistry, and Chris Wright, D. Phil, Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology and Louise B. McGavock Chair, to share their tips and strategies for preparing a faculty position application package that will make you stand out in a positive way. They will share their perspective as a newly hired faculty member (Dr. Dewar) who has recently been on the job search and a full professor (Dr. Wright) who has served on multiple search committees and has reviewed many application packages over his tenure at Vanderbilt.

“Grant Resources at Vanderbilt” ​Abby Brown Ph.D., BRET, Director, Outcomes Research
Tuesday, Sept 13, 2016
306 A&B Light Hall
Learn how Vanderbilt can help you write your grant: a focus on resources for writing career development or R grants.  Will cover the many grant writing resources available to Vanderbilt researchers to help produce strong grant applications.

The K99/R00 Experience: The Grant Application, Job Search & Negotiation; An Awardee Tells All.
Tuesday, Sept 27, 2016
306 A&B Light Hall
Please join us as we welcome Magda Grabowska, Ph.D. to share her experience of applying for and receiving a K99/R00 award in 2015 followed by her job search and subsequent negotiation for a faculty position as she embarks on the transition from the K99 to the R00 portion of her award.  Dr. Grabowska was a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Robert Matusik, Ph.D, in the Department of Urologic Surgery before being promoted to Research Assistant Professor.  Her work is focused on identifying mechanisms that drive therapeutic failure of androgen deprivation therapy in prostate cancer patients. She looks forward to answering all of your questions.

Orientation to BRET Resources for Postdocs
Tuesday, Oct 11, 2016
306 A&B Light Hall

“Behind the Curtain: An inside look at Peer Review of F32 NRSAs”
Kim Petrie, Ph.D., BRET Dir. Career Development 
*Tuesday, Nov 1, 2016
306 A&B Light Hall
“Think like a reviewer” is advice commonly given to new grant writers.  But if you’ve never sat in on a peer review session, how do you do that?  In this session, we will watch a video of a mock review of a real F32 NRSA application and discuss how F32 proposals are reviewed.  You, too, can learn to “think like a reviewer”.

“What to Expect from a Faculty Position Interview” 
Tuesday, Nov 8, 2016
206 PRB
Bring your questions and hear from a panel of faculty members: Todd Graham, PhD, Richard O’Brien, PhD, and Melanie Ohi, PhD

Orientation to BRET Resources for Postdocs
*Tuesday, Nov 29, 2016
306 A&B Light Hall

“How to Give A Chalk Talk”
Tuesday, Dec 13, 2016
206 PRB
Bring your questions and hear from a panel of faculty members: Anne Kenworthy, PhD, Chuck Sanders, PhD, and Chris Wright, D. Phil.

NO Session
*Tuesday, Dec 20, 2016
306 A&B Light Hall

* Not regular 2nd and 4th Tuesday schedule