5-Minute Research (5MR) Competition - Preliminary Rounds

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN  -  Required Practice Round to become one of 10 finalists (deadline to register - August 1, 2024)

We are excited to announce the opening of the 5MR competition that will be held on Friday, September 27, 2024 as part of the National Postdoctoral Appreciation Week (NPAW24) at Florida State.  Are you able to explain your postdoctoral research to an educated lay audience in 5 minutes or less - using any creative platform you like (no rules except the time constraint)?!  If so, then this event is for you!  It also serves as a mentored structure to prepare you for that elevator speach during your future job interviewing process.  In order to be a speaker in the 5MR competition, you need to give a practice round to a group of judges and your peers - that will give you feedback on your presentation.  Practice rounds are on the following dates and times - August 7, 3 to 5 pm; August 14, 1 to 3 pm; August 21, 1 to 3 pm, or August 28th, 3 to 5 pm.  Follow the registration link above to sign up for one of the practice rounds before August 1, 2024.

Please see here for judges rubric/scoring sheet as a guideline in preparing your 5MR presentation.

You may aso view videos from the 2023 competition on YouTube by following this link and selecting the previous presenter's name. 

Download 2024 advertisement flyer here.

New Postdoctoral Orientation

THURSDAY, AUGUST 15th - NANCY MARCUS GREAT HALL, HONORS SCHOLARS AND FELLOWS (HSF) BUILDING

9:30 - 11:30 AM Session 1 - General Orientation

(Lunch) for Postdoctoral Scholars and their Advisors

1:00 - 2:30 pm Session 2 - Mentor/Trainee, Individual Development Plan (IDP) 

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN

If you are a new postdoctoral scholar on campus, you are required to attend the new postdoctoral orientation session.  This summer orientation is the full orientation that allows you an opportunity to fully plan your Individual Development Plan (IDP) with your advisor. Lunch is provided and new postdocs will have the opportunity to meet fellow Postdoctoral Scholar Officers of the Postdoctoral Association (PDA).  Copies of the textbook "Making the Right Moves", a helpful text on your career advancement developed by HHMI and the National Academy, along with other professional development resources are distributed on memory jump drives.  

If you are a new faculty member or new postdoctoral mentor, we highly encourage you to attend Session 1 with your postdoctoral trainee to learn more about the postdoctoral community and training opportunities supported by the OPDA.  If you are a postdoctoral mentor with ANY level of experience, please join your trainee for lunch and then stay for Session 2 to prepare the IDP as a team.

There is typically an evening social hosted by the PDA on the evening of the New Postdoctoral Orientation - request to join the "FSU Postdocs" WhatsApp Channel to be fully connected to your postdoc peers.

The following information is presented by directors and coordinators of these topics -

• Expectations, Policies, Resources, Research Opportunities Animal and Human Subjects
• Individual Development Plan
• Funding your Research 
• Award Information for Professional Development Travel, Oral Speaking, Grants and Fellowship Preparation
• Teaching Opportunities and Guidelines
• Interfacing with Professional Development at the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs and the Graduate School
• Canvas and Omni Software Introduction (Payroll, Reimbursements)
• Human Resources (Minimum Salary, Health Insurance, Leave Policy, Retirement, Florida Prepaid College)
• Data Management Plans
• Career Center
• Postdoctoral Association (Events, Professional Development, and Networking)
• International Scholar VISA and Global Community
• Center for Intensive English Studies

Parental Leave Survey - We want your input!

The PDA and OPDA invite faculty and postdocs to follow a survey 

FACULTY SURVEY - HERE

POSTDOC SURVEY - HERE

A literature review conducted in 2017 found that paid parental leave was associated with improved infant and maternal health outcomes (Heymann et al., 2017). In 2018, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics found that 17% of all civilian workers had access to paid family leave, and 89% had access to unpaid family leave (inclusive of maternity and paternity leave, adoption leave and caring for a sick relative) (Statistics, 2019). Under federal law, postdoc fathers and/or mothers who have worked at FSU for at least 12 months have the right to 12 weeks of unpaid leave in accordance with the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Currently, tenure-track faculty at FSU have access to 16 weeks of paid parental leave. However, there is currently no paid parental leave policy in place for FSU postdocs.  

We are interested in learning more about the thoughts and opinions of faculty members regarding a proposal for paid parental leave for postdocs. Please answer several questions to allow us to better understand the opinions of faculty.  Your answers will help us in formulating a proposal for postdoctoral parental leave tailored to the needs of our institution.  We will share the results of the survey with the Postdoc Advisory Board that governs postdoctoral scholars at FSU.

Please note that this survey is anonymous and you will not be able to be identified.

This survey should take approximately 5 minutes of your time.

Thank you!

Shannon Montgomery, PDA President

References

Heymann, J. et al. (2017) ‘Paid parental leave and family wellbeing in the sustainable development era’, Public Health Reviews, 38(1), p. 21. doi: 10.1186/s40985-017-0067-2.

Statistics, U. S. B. of L. (2019) Access to paid and unpaid family leave in 2018. Available at: https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2019/access-to-paid-and-unpaid-family-leave-in-2018.htm (Accessed: 24 March 2021).