National Postdoc Appreciation Week (NPAW) was established by the National Postdoctoral Association to annually celebrate the substantial contributions that postdocs make to academic research and scholarship. Universities and research institutes all over the country hold special events in recognition of postdocs during NPAW. This year, NPAW will take place September 15 – 19.
Take a break from your rigorous academic pursuits to join the in-person and virtual events happening across our campus, the city of Columbus, and from our institutional peers across the country that have been organized to celebrate the postdoc community and to thank you all for your immense contributions to Ohio State’s research, service, and teaching missions.
Our planned events focus on career or professional development, professional headshots, and networking with peers. Additionally, we have several 2025 postdoc recognition competitions that will start accepting nominations in September (deadline to nominate someone is January 4, 2026).
Below we have included a mix of events occurring here at Ohio State and virtually at peer institutions across the country before, during, and after NPAW. We look forward to seeing you!
Events happening during NPAW (September 15-19)
Monday, September 15
9:00 AM (Zoom): Discover Research Opportunities in Germany: Info Session on the Research Explorer Ruhr Program by Research Academy Ruhr
Are you a postdoc interested in expanding your international research network? Join the Ruhr Research Academy for an information session on the Research Explorer Ruhr (RER) Program, a fully funded opportunity that supports international postdocs to spend two weeks in Ruhr, Germany, during Summer 2026. This information session will provide a program overview, including eligibility, application tips, and what to expect during your stay.
Register for this virtual event
12:00 PM (virtual): National Postdoc Appreciation Week Kickoff Event
Hosted by the National Postdoctoral Association (NPA). The 2025 kickoff will include remarks from leaders across the postdoc community, with a brief keynote by Gretchen Goldman, PhD, president of the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), a long-standing partner organization of the NPA. This event is free to attend and open to the full community.
Register for this virtual event
12:00 PM (virtual): Building and Developing Career Relevant Skills
Hosted by the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Research Institute Trainee Association (NCH RITA). Speaker: Lauren Celano.
1:00 PM (Zoom): Science with Impact: Communicating Your Research Webinar with Epigeum
Join us for a thought-provoking webinar inspired by the work of Dr. Anne Toomey, social scientist and author of the award-winning book Science with Impact: How to Engage People, Change Practice, and Influence Policy, as she explores how research can truly make a difference for the real world. Drawing on real-world stories, this session reveals how trust, social networks, and storytelling shape the way scientific knowledge is received and acted upon. Whether you're a researcher, educator, or science communicator, this webinar will help you rethink your approach to sharing knowledge, moving from information delivery to meaningful dialogue. Register to receive the recording if you are unable to attend.
Register for this virtual event
2:00 - 3:00 PM (University Hall 250Q): How to Make Good Talks Great!
Beyond good graphs, big fonts, and a loud voice, what makes a merely good talk truly excellent? In this talk, Dr. Todd Thompson (professor and chair, Department of Astronomy, Ohio State) will discuss some key elements of great seminars, lectures, and colloquia taken from his experience in astrophysics research and teaching. He presents strategies for improving technical seminars, job talks, and public outreach talks, including the art of responding to questions and the trick of knowing what not to say. This talk is applicable to many STEM fields and beyond. Light refreshments will be provided. Location: Graduate School Seminar Space (University Hall Room 250Q, 230 N. Oval Mall).
Tuesday, September 16
3:00 - 5:00 PM (DHLRI 159): PDA Meet & Greet
Join the Postdoctoral Association (PDA) and come network with fellow Ohio State postdocs in a casual setting. Coffee, hot chocolate, and donuts will be provided. Location: Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute (DHLRI) Room 159 (473 W. 12th Ave.).
Wednesday, September 17
9:00 AM - 1:00 PM (BRT 880): Professional Headshots Session 1
Get a professional headshot taken to use for professional profiles and in the job seeking process. Location: Biomedical Research Tower (BRT) Room 880 (460 W. 12th Ave.).
Not sure what to wear for a headshot?
12:00 PM (virtual): What I Learned Leaving Academia (and Why I Came Back)
Hosted by the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Research Institute Trainee Association (NCH RITA). Speaker: Dr. Tracy Bedrosian, Principal Investigator, Steve and Cindy Rasmussen Institute for Genomic Medicine.
12:00 PM (virtual): Is a Faculty Job Right For You?
Hosted by Beyond the Professoriate. Most doctoral students and postdocs pursue a PhD with the goal of becoming a university professor. But today’s academic job market is highly competitive and a tenure-track role may not be the right fit for everyone. As your values, life circumstances, and career goals evolve, it’s important to reassess what career paths align with your personal and professional needs. In today’s creative economy, PhDs are thriving in a wide range of roles — both within and beyond academia. So how do you decide if a faculty job is right for you? How do you make a confident, informed decision about what career path to pursue?
Register for this virtual event
1:00 PM (virtual): Financial Literacy for Postdocs: Understanding Your Paycheck
Hosted by the National Postdoctoral Association (NPA) International Committee.
Register for this virtual event
Thursday, September 18
9:00 AM - 1:00 PM (University Hall 250Q): Professional Headshots Session 2
Get a professional headshot taken to use for professional profiles and in the job seeking process. Location: Graduate School Seminar Space (University Hall Room 250Q, 230 N. Oval Mall).
Not sure what to wear for a headshot?
1:00 PM (virtual): “Ask the Postdoc Council” Office Hours
Hosted by the National Postdoctoral Association (NPA). Join the Postdoc Council (PDC) to ask their leadership about topics of interest or concern and learn about serving on the PDC next year!
Register for this virtual event
2:00 - 3:30 PM (Zoom): Alternative Career Paths for Postdocs Panel
This panel will explore career paths for postdocs to consider in government and industry as well as non-faculty roles in academia. Our guests will be Seth Faith (former civilian senior staff at the U.S. Air Force Research Labs, senior researcher at Battelle Memorial Institute and at Ohio State's Infectious Diseases Institute, and faculty at NC State), Preethi Raghavan (vice president of AI at Fidelity Investments and a former research lead at IBM), and Matt Teegarden (regulatory affairs manager at Abbott Nutrition and former senior staff in Ohio State's Foods for Health Initiative).
5:00 - 7:00 PM (The Bottle Shop): PDA Happy Hour
Join the Postdoc Association (PDA) to relax and socialize with other postdocs at The Bottle Shop (237 King Avenue). Pizza will be provided.
Friday, September 19
10:00 - 11:30 AM (Zoom): New Postdoc Orientation Meet & Greet with OPA
Join Office of Postdoctoral Affairs (OPA) staff James Gentry and Katie McAfee on Zoom to learn more about postdoc policies and resources on campus and ask any questions you have. This virtual office hour will be informal with no set presentation or agenda, feel free to come and go as you please.
Events happening after NPAW
Tuesday, September 23
12:00 - 4:00 PM (BRT 134): Professional Headshots Session 3
Get a professional headshot taken to use for professional profiles and in the job seeking process. Location: Biomedical Research Tower (BRT) Room 134 (460 W. 12th Ave.).
Not sure what to wear for a headshot?
2:00 - 4:00 PM (Zoom): Writing a Standout Research Story
An effectively communicated research story is the most critical piece of any funding application. But most researchers find it challenging to write clearly - much less, persuasively - about complex, not-yet-completed projects for a reviewer audience. Drawing on example abstracts, aims, and approaches, this session will break down the must-haves of a compelling proposal and your path to get there. This workshop will be presented by Alicia Williams, PhD, Science Editor at the Morgridge Institute for Research in Madison, WI.
3:00 (virtual): Science Advocacy for Early-Career Scientists
Hosted by the National Postdoctoral Association (NPA). Speakers from the Union of Concerned Scientists will discuss how independent science and analysis can and should inform public policy to secure equitable and impactful policy outcomes for people and the planet. They’ll share their experience in engaging scientists, engineers, public health professionals, social scientists in science advocacy.
Register for this virtual event
Tuesday, October 7
10:30 AM - 1:30 PM (BRT 115): Postdoc Association VWR Vendor Show
Come learn about cutting edge tools and technologies from over 34 R&D vendors in the biological, biomedical, and clinical sciences. Lunch and refreshments will be provided as supplies permit. Location: Biomedical Research Tower (BRT) Room 115 (460 W. 12th Ave.).
Tuesday, October 21
12:00 - 3:00 PM (virtual): BIG10 Academia Postdoc Hiring Fair
Open to PhD students and postdocs only. Explore and find postdoctoral research and teaching positions nationwide. Note: All attendees will need to use the Handshake platform for this event. Postdocs must request access to this platform. If you are interested in attending, please request access to Handshake here. RSVP by September 29th.
Wednesday, October 22
12:00 - 4:00 PM (virtual): BIG10 Academia Faculty Hiring Fair
Open to PhD students and postdocs only. Explore and find tenure-track and non-tenure-track faculty positions nationwide. Note: All attendees will need to use the Handshake platform for this event. Postdocs must request access to this platform. If you are interested in attending, please request access to Handshake here. RSVP by September 29th.
Thursday, October 23
12:00 - 4:00 PM (virtual): BIG10 Graduate Student & Postdoc Industry Recruitment Event (GSPIRE)
Open to MS and PhD students and postdocs from all disciplines. Explore and find internships (MS/PhDs) and careers in industry and government. Note: All attendees will need to use the Handshake platform for this event. Postdocs must request access to this platform. If you are interested in attending, please request access to Handshake here. RSVP by September 29th.
2025 OPA professional development award raffle
Enter your name to win a professional development award raffle! The deadline to enter the competition is Sunday, September 21, 11:59 PM. We will give out four $750 awards. Winners will be announced in early October.
2025 OPA mentor and service awards
The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs is pleased to announce the call for nominations for the 2025 OPA Mentor and Service of the Year Awards. Nominations are due Sunday, January 4, 2026, 11:59 PM. Awardees will be announced in early Spring 2026.
Faculty Mentor of the Year Award
This award recognizes a faculty member who has engaged in exceptional mentoring of postdocs by creating a supportive environment for research among other notable qualities.
Postdoc Mentor of the Year Award
This award is presented to a postdoc who has demonstrated their outstanding mentoring and advising skills while training undergraduate or graduate students.
Postdoc Scholar Service Award
This award is presented to a postdoc who has demonstrated profound sustained leadership contribution to improving the postdoc experience at Ohio State.
For more information about any of the events or recognition programs you see listed above, please reach out to the Ohio State Office of Postdoctoral Affairs (osupostdocs@osu.edu) or Postdoctoral Association (postdocassociation@osu.edu).