Welcome to the UC Santa Cruz Postdocs Association webpage!

The USPA is a postdoctoral-led organization that aims to provide career training and resources to postdoctoral scholars here at UC Santa Cruz. Each year the USPA organizes a symposium, and a series of workshops to highlight postdoctoral research, provides postdocs with career planning support, and build a stronger postdoc community.  Our goal is to create a welcoming environment for new postdocs and a supportive group of peers to navigate this pivotal career stage together.

The USPA is part of the larger network of Bay Area Postdocs.

Activities of USPA include:

  • postdoc science and social hour
  • career development workshops
  • annual symposium

Check out our upcoming events and:

Latest from USPA

Accelerating Science with Dr. Cori Bargmann

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Dr. Cori Bargmann, Head of Science at the Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative will be giving a seminar  in Biomed 200 at 11:00 am next week Thursday August 29  on “Accelerating Science”.

After her talk, we will hold three sessions with Dr. Bargmann as well as student/postdoc speakers open to the entire UCSC community  around the following themes:

2 – 3 pm                   Session 1: Accelerating Research Training & Outreach

3:15 – 4:15 pm         Session 2: Interdisciplinary & Team Science

4:30 – 5:30pm          Session 3: Publishing, Funding, & the Future of Science

Location for discussion sessions: Biomed 300

Each discussion session will feature 30 minutes of presentation by UCSC trainees followed by 30 minutes of open discussion from the community (all are welcome to attend) about these topics.

Registration is appreciated to gauge the attendance for this event: https://forms.gle/mZABrSFCaMzzPdj9A

 

Bargmann_Lecture_2019-flyer

Grant Writing Workshop

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Material

See an updated list of resources in the Funding Opportunities and Professional Development pages.

Access through your UCSC email Google account:

Contact Carrie or David to get access to examples of NIH/NSF grants.

When: July 11th (Thursday) 9:30am-3pm
Where: Biomed 200

Register here before July 5th.

Postdocs, grad students and staff scientists are all welcome!

Instructors

David States, Biomedical Research Development Specialist, Office of Research

David has decades of experience with research funding. Currently he works with UCSC faculty on federal grant proposals, especially on biomedical research topics.

Carrie Partch, Associate Professor, Chemistry & Biochemistry Department

Carrie has extensive experience with NIH on both sides: she has received multiple R01 grants, and has sit on the review panels. She also teaches a grant-writing course.

Tentative agenda

  • 9:30am Check in
  • 9:45-10:00am Introduction
  • 10am-12pm David States: basic principles of grant writing, going over examples, how to write NSF grants
  • 12-1pm Lunch and networking
  • 1-3pm Carrie Partch: NIH funding mechanisms and review process, going over examples.

Second session

If there is interest for it, a shorter session will be organized two weeks later, on July 25th 10am-noon (Biomed 300), to give you feedback on your specific aims page. You will have the opportunity to send your specific aim page to the instructors a week before.

Feel free to contact us if you have any questions!

– UCSC STEM Postdoc Association (USPA)

Intellectual Property Workshop

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Dear postdocs, graduate students, and staff researchers,
The UCSC STEM Postdoc Association (USPA) and UCSC’s Director of Intellectual Property Management, Jeff Jackson, are hosting a workshop on Intellectual Property, and when you should consider patenting your research.
Topics we will discuss include:
– inventions at the university
– how to recognize inventions
– the patent and commercialization process
– careers in technology transfer or patent prosecution
Also, UCSC’s IP Management Officer specializing in software and electrical engineering, Chris Reed, will accompany Jeff (who specializes in biotechnology and chemistry) to help answer your questions.
When: Wednesday, May 22nd, 2019 noon – 1 pm
Where: Sinsheimer 123
Lunch will be served!
Please register here or email us at uspa@ucsc.edu if you have any questions.

Bay Area Postdoc Event at the Buck! How to be Competitive for the Industry Job Market!

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Dear Bay Area Postdocs,

The Postdoc Association from the Buck Institute will be hosting the next Bay Area Postdoc Association (BAPA) event. We will go for a one-day excursion on Saturday, May 11th.

Join your fellow Bay Area postdocs for a fun-filled day of networking and learning how to best prepare yourselves for transitioning into industry. This event will be held at the Buck Institute located at the foothills of Mount Burdell in Novato, CA approximately 22 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge. We will start with a networking session in the morning, followed by lunch and a seminar from Lauren Celano of Propel Career Services. Her talk titled “How to be Competitive for the Industry Job Market” is aimed at helping postdocs identify, build, and highlight skills during their training in order to be competitive for industry positions. Following the seminar (for those interested) we will go on a short hike (less than 2 miles) up Mount Burdell so please bring some athletic gear and proper footwear. Given all the recent rainfall the views are quite impressive!

Please register as space is limited. Register here: https://forms.gle/WKdvPFn7T4FG9tmE9

This event is free: Parking at the Institute is free and does not require a permit.

Family and interested friends are also welcomed to join this day! Please be aware that the first part of the day will be about networking with postdocs, so you may want to schedule alternative activities for children for this time.

Itinerary:

10:30-11:00AM Arrive at Buck, Coffee and Networking

11:00-11:30AM Institute Tour

11:30-12:00PM Lunch (provided)

12:00- 1:30PM Seminar by Lauren Celano “How to be Competitive for the Industry

Job Market”

1:30- 3:30PM Mount Burdell hike

3:30-5:00PM BBQ & Drinks (provided)