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The Postdoc Academy: Succeeding as a Postdoc

Create a rewarding postdoc experience that will launch you into your chosen career path by developing strategies and skills to successfully navigate your time as a postdoc.

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The Postdoc Academy: Succeeding as a Postdoc
This course is archived

The Postdoc Academy: Succeeding as a Postdoc

Create a rewarding postdoc experience that will launch you into your chosen career path by developing strategies and skills to successfully navigate your time as a postdoc.

The Postdoc Academy: Succeeding as a Postdoc
6 weeks
2–4 hours per week
Instructor-paced
Instructor-led on a course schedule
Free
Optional upgrade available
This course is archived
The Postdoc Academy: Succeeding as a Postdoc

About this course

Skip About this course

The Postdoc Academy is the first professional development online course built specifically for and created with postdocs. This course provides skill development for postdocs from orientation to their next career step. Using inclusive, active-learning approaches, participants in this course will build skills to (1) find success as a postdoc, (2) draft an actionable career plan, (3) develop resilience, and (4) work effectively in an intercultural environment. This course explores the research related to postdoc success and guides participants in applying it to their environments. Connect to experiences of the postdoc community through the Postdoc Academy!

This course was created with funding from the National Institutes of Health grant number R25GM121257.

At a glance

  • Language: English
  • Video Transcripts: English, Español

What you'll learn

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  • Explore identities and roles you hold and how they impact your work environment;
  • Identify strategies to transition into your new postdoc community and align your expectations with those of your mentor;
  • Apply career planning tools effectively and create an actionable plan that can both guide and be integrated into day-to-day practice;
  • Develop and implement an action plan to support progress on personal or professional goals that effectively build and sustain resilience;
  • Reflect on your own professional and personal identities and explore how to cultivate and support an inclusive research environment.

About the instructors

Frequently Asked Questions

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How much does it cost to take this course?

All Postdoc Academy programming is available for free! There is an option to purchase a Verified Certificate from edX, but the content of the online course is the same either way. Please note that edX frequently will advertise to upgrade your learning experience, but all features and archival access are provided in the audit track.

What's the difference between the Audit (free) and Verified (paid) tracks of this course?

First and foremost, the content in the course is identical – whether you are in the Audit track or the Verified track. If you complete the course in the Verified track, you will receive a Verified Certificate from edX. If you complete the course in audit track, you’ll receive a Certificate of Completion from the Postdoc Academy directly. All learners can access their course materials indefinitely!

Why might I want a Verified Certificate?

We've asked this question to postdocs who have already received a Verified Certificate in this course. Some use the paid certificate as a way to stay motivated to complete the course. Many want to include it on their CV or LinkedIn. Some reported that their fellowships required it. Others wanted to support the program financially.

I'm interested in meeting other postdocs. How can I use the Postdoc Academy to do that?

The Postdoc Academy supports learning communities, called Postdoc Academy Learning Sessions (PALS). These are small groups of postdocs who meet weekly while taking the course. You can dive deeper into the course and connect with other postdocs. Once you register for the course, you will be directed to our website to sign-up for a PALS or check our course discussion forum for a PALS near you!

Are there any opportunities to meet the instructors?

Yes! On the first day of the course, join the Postdoc Academy for an Orientation & Launch Party on Zoom. Details can be found on our website and in the discussion forum.

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