MEMORANDUM
TO: All
University of Minnesota Postdoctoral Scholars
FROM: The University of Minnesota
Postdoctoral Association (PDA)
SUBJECT: Call
for Nominations: Award for Outstanding Mentors of Postdoctoral Scholars
DEADLINE: August 26, 2015
We seek your nominations for candidates for the
University of Minnesota Award for Outstanding Mentors of Postdoctoral Scholars.
The award recognizes extraordinary performance and achievement in mentoring
postdoctoral fellows, postdoctoral associates, and research associates within
five years of obtaining their PhDs at the University of Minnesota. Outstanding
mentoring is a critical element contributing to success during the postdoctoral
training period. While faculty mentors play a key role in guiding postdoctoral
scholars, this award recognizes a range of possible outstanding mentoring
relationships.[1] Up to two awards will be
made. Each recipient will
receive a commemorative award certificate and be recognized during Postdoctoral
Appreciation Week in September 2015.
Eligibility
The nominee must have mentored one or more
postdoctoral scholars. The nominator must have been mentored by the nominee (although
it is not necessary that the nominee be the nominator’s principal research
advisor) for a period of at least six months. Postdoctoral scholars may
nominate only one mentor; however, mentors may be nominated by one or more
individuals. In the case of nominations by more than one individual, a single
letter of nomination may be submitted on behalf of the nominating group.
Selection
Criteria
Although mentoring can take many forms,
award recipients will be selected based on the criteria below, which exemplify
the qualities and practices that characterize an outstanding mentor.
- Leadership: The mentor should
provide resources and support to aid in their postdoc’s research and help in accomplishing significant intellectual and leadership goals in the
scholar’s field of expertise. He or she
should push the postdoc to write grant applications and publications. The nominee should demonstrate overall support for the scholar in
establishing a framework for professional success, guiding the scholar in
such activities as making significant contributions to research,
scholarship and/or creative activities, securing external funding to
support their work, and/or establishing a strong early publishing record.
- Placement: The mentor should
introduce the post-doc to their network.
There could be evidence or collaborations or other advancement from
these introductions. The mentor should have a track record of job
placement for postdocs and be supportive of postdoctoral scholar’s
application to independent positions.
- Advocacy: The
mentor should promote their postdocs within the field by allowing and
supporting attendance and participation in scientific conferences.
Nominees should also encourage their postdocs to
take on service or leadership roles within the department or institution.
The mentor should support efforts by the postdoctoral
scholar to build and engage in a significant intellectual community in
order to enhance the overall scholarly, intellectual, and creative
development of the postdoctoral community at the University of Minnesota
and/or at the national level, such as through involvement in a
professional organization.
- Training: The mentor should encourage and guide the postdoctoral scholar in making optimal use of
the postdoctoral appointment for professional development and training.
They should
provide opportunities for the postdoc to learn new techniques and/or
technologies directly benefiting their research. The mentor should also provide
training for professional development directly or support participation in
workshops, webinars, classes, etc to obtain these skills, such as grant
writing, lab management, institutional review, committee work, teaching,
mentorship/leadership, networking, and/or presentation skills.
How to Nominate a
Candidate
To nominate your mentor, submit a nomination letter of no more than 2 pages
(single–spaced) electronically as a Word or PDF file to pda@umn.edu. Your nomination letter should:
- Address the characteristics of
effective mentors described above. While you are encouraged to keep your
comments brief, make sure to provide appropriate and relevant details
about your chosen mentor; and
- Include the nominee’s contact
information, and your contact information (name, campus address, email),
as well as the contact information for any co-nominators. In cases where
there is more than one nominator, a primary contact should be identified.
Please direct questions to pda@umn.edu.
DEADLINE: August 26, 2015
The PDA is supported by the
Graduate School
321 Johnston Hall 101 Pleasant Street SE Minneapolis, MN 5545
612-625-2809
gsdean@umn.edu
[1]
Individuals
eligible for nomination for the Award for Outstanding Mentors of Postdoctoral
Scholars include all
faculty (full- or part-time,
affiliated, adjunct, tenure-track or tenured faculty), research associates, and
all other
individuals who meet the
selection criteria above. Eligible individuals must have a Human Resources
appointment
at the University of Minnesota.
