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Postdoc Resource on Campus

The Ohio State University Office of Postdoctoral Affairs has compiled a list of resources across the University and beyond that are available to postdoctoral scholars at Ohio State.

These resources have been organized under the following headers:

  • Resources for prospective postdocs
  • Resources for new postdocs onboarding to Ohio State
  • Resources for international scholars
  • Resources to support research, study design, and scholarship
  • Resources for Teaching Experience, Instructional Training, Curriculum Assistance
  • Resources for finding collaborators, networking, and leading and managing teams
  • Resources for mentorship
  • Resources for seeking internal and extramural funding and proposal development
  • Resources for career seeking

Resources for Prospective Postdocs

The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs has compiled a list of resources to help prospective postdocs determine if Ohio State University and the city of Columbus will be a good fit for them as a next step in their career. 

Resources for New Postdocs Onboarding to Ohio State

New Postdoc Orientation

All recently hired postdoctoral scholars are invited to this special orientation program. This is an opportunity to:

  • Learn about how the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs and the Postdoc Association can help and support postdocs at Ohio State.
  • Get introduced to important things you’ll need to know as you pursue your postdoctoral training.
  • Meet other postdocs.
  • Ask questions.
New Postdoc Guide and Campus Map
Individualized Development Plan (IDP)

Creating an Individualized Development Plan (IDP)

An IDP is a tool to help support, plan, and track your career development and learning opportunities. In this half of the orientation, you will learn how to build and use an IDP based on your greatest strengths, address areas for growth, and confidently discuss your IDP with your supervisor.

Why Should You Draft an IDP?

Mentees are strongly encouraged to generate an IDP before completing the mentoring plan with their mentor. For tips on how to get started, check out this article. Other tools for generating IDPs can be found at:

The IDP will identify the areas of development for the mentee and annual goals to achieve progress. Participation in programs or structured mentoring activities in areas of professional development will contribute to the postdoctoral scholar’s progress towards their goals.

Examples of mentoring activities include:

  • Career counseling
  • Training in preparation of grant proposals, publications, and presentations
  • Guidance on ways to improve teaching and mentoring skills.
  • Guidance on how to effectively collaborate with researchers from diverse backgrounds and disciplinary areas. 
  • Training in responsible professional practices

Individual Development Plan Examples, Tools, and Templates: The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs has templates that can support your individual development plan. Email us and we can send you the templates to use with your mentor. For alternatives visit the National Postdoc Association Resources website.

  • National Postdoc Association (NPA) Resources: NPA has established six core competencies to offer guidance to individual postdoctoral scholars who must seek out relevant training experiences, in collaboration with mentors, institutions, and other advisors who provide this training.

Resources for International Scholars

Resources for international postdocs, including visa processing, healthcare, and learning English, can be found by visiting the resources for International postdocs page.

Ohio State Shared Services for Research Support, Study Design, and Scholarship

Ohio State has a substantial infrastructure of shared service units and core facilities to support researchers across all fields of scholarship. A small selection of these groups and services is included below by research discipline. The end of the list also includes general support services important to all fields of study.

Arts and Humanities
Biological, Environmental, Animal, and Life Science
Biomedical, Clinical, and Translational Research Support

The OSU Medical Center includes more than 20 core research labs and facilities for shared use by faculty, staff, and trainees.

Examples of shared services who provide fee-for-service and collaboration to support your research include:

Cancer-specific

The OSUCCC – James Shared Resources provide specialized services to cancer researchers. They offer cost-effective, state-of-the-art technology and instrumentation; expert guidance and training; and clinical, administrative and technical support. (Note: These support services might require that you and/or your faculty mentor are members of the CCC).

Comprehensive Cancer Center Shared Resources:

Engineering

Center for Design and Manufacturing Excellence

Institute for Materials and Manufacturing Research

Nanotech West – micro- and nanotechnology, lithography, material deposition and epitaxy, etching, metrology and materials analysis

Social, Education, Policy, and Behavioral Sciences

CHRR tools for labor and human resources research

HOPES: Center for Health Outcomes, Policy, and Evaluation Studies – study design, program evaluation, community engagement, policy analysis, research dissemination.

Institute for Population Research data and computing services

EHE Quantitative Methodology Center – for quantitative social science project support.

EHE QualLab – for qualitative social science project support.

Psychology Research Groups

Computer resources for large scale data analysis and computation needs.

Ohio Supercomputer Center Services include:

  • High-performance research computing compliant with various cybersecurity related mandates and regulations.
  • Large capacity data storage, including data curation, publication, and archiving, to help promote scientific reproducibility and public transparency.
  • Actively maintained and supported scientific software packages that ensure clients can use OSC’s resources productively.
  • Technical education and expertise in the form of workshops, classes, and web-based training and materials, as well as processes and tools for university faculty to incorporate cyberinfrastructure resources into courses.

Deep expertise in developing and deploying software and web interfaces that run efficiently on powerful supercomputers.

Research Compliance, Ethics, Safety, and Post-Award Support

ERIK/Office of Research: Assists investigators on human subjects and animal research, research compliance, responsible conduct of research, pre/post-award grants submission, management and compliance. Specific offices within OR include:

Curriculum focused on reproducibility and responsible conduct of research.

Technology Commercialization, Intellectual Property, and Entrepreneurship

Technology commercialization – help evaluate, protect, and ultimately find the right market for intellectual property through licensing and/or creating start-up companies.

Keenan Center for Entrepreneurship – provides a campus-wide hub for collaboration and engagement with early-stage capital, startup talent and robust programming resources related to entrepreneurship.

General academic writing

Center for the Study and Teaching of Writing – this group of trainees and staff who are experts in narrative theory will assist with formulating strong arguments and narrative structures in many academic manuscript types.

Research Compliance, Ethics, Safety, and Post-Award Support

ERIK/Office of Research: Assists investigators on human subjects and animal research, research compliance, responsible conduct of research, pre/post-award grants submission, management and compliance. Specific offices within OR include:

Curriculum focused on reproducibility and responsible conduct of research.

 

Resources for Teaching Experience, Instructional Training, Curriculum Assistance

Teaching is a critical element of being a successful faculty member. Many postdocs do not have formal training or opportunities to learn these skills, which detrimentally impacts their abilities to pursue faculty positions. In this section of this section of the onboarding document, you will find information about campus resources related to teaching and curricular training and opportunities to gain vital teaching experience as a postdoctoral scholar.

  • Michael V. Drake Institute for Teaching and Learning. The Michael V. Drake Institute for Teaching and Learning advances at-scale professional learning, evidence-based instructional strategies, and research and policy that elevate, across the university, the work of all who teach. Services the Drake Institute provides include:
    • Toolkits of resources focused on instructional design and effective teaching.
    • 1:1 consultations to assist with instructional design and to develop better teaching habits.
    • Sessions focused on preparing for the academic job search.
    • Workshops focused on curriculum design and redesign, inclusive teaching, and effective mentorship.
  • Teaching and Learning Resource Center. Provides support and training for Ohio State’s teaching community pertaining to the university’s eLearning toolset.
  • Guidance for international scholars interested in teaching. As a postdoc on a J1, H1B, F1 OPT, or other visa type, there may be restrictions on the types of teaching you are able to pursue while at Ohio State. If you are interested in gaining teaching experience but are not sure if you are eligible given your visa status, please reach out to the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs (osupostdocs@osu.edu).
  • Opportunities to gain teaching experience at Ohio State:
    • Destination Ohio State University – Researcher, Mentor, Teacher (DOSU-RMT) The DOSU-RMT program is a joint effort between the Ohio State Office of Postdoctoral Affairs and the Columbus State Community College. One element of this program allows for Ohio State postdocs to gain teaching experience at Columbus State, by serving as an instructor of record for undergraduate coursework they offer. Postdocs are matched to Columbus State faculty who align with their area of research expertise and are provided structured training and mentorship focused on developing teaching expertise. Once you have completed the training, you are eligible to serve as paid, adjunct faculty (and instructor of record) at Columbus State. Many postdocs have gone on to be hired on a permanent adjunct basis at Columbus State. If you are interested in this program, please reach out to the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs (osupostdocs@osu.edu).

Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning (CIRTL) seeks to enhance excellence in STEM undergraduate education by preparing future faculty for careers teaching in STEM fields at institutes of higher learning. Ohio State is a member of the CIRTL network, and membership is FREE for all postdoctoral scholars. Visit the CIRTL website to register with an Ohio State email address.

 

Resources to find Collaborators, Network, and Lead and Manage Teams

Postdocs have several resources to help identify collaborators across all research disciplines and informational resources, that helps participants learn effective strategies to manage and participate in large-scale, interdisciplinary research teams. Click the links below for more information about each resource.

  • Find Collaborators:
    • Ohio Innovation Exchange (OIEx): Ohio's universities have a wealth of faculty researchers, equipment/instruments, laboratories, technologies, and other resources available to businesses across Ohio and around the globe. The OIEx connects you by consolidating information from multiple universities into a powerful collaboration web portal. Find experts who can help you solve challenges and capitalize on opportunities - from research partnerships, licensable IP, to business development and even student internships. OIEx also provides access to the facilities, equipment, and instrumentation you may need to conduct your own research.
    • Academic Analytics: the university has partnered with Academic Analytics to provide an aggregated search portal to members of our community. Through this resource, you can search for investigators at Ohio State and from across the United States in a diverse array of scholarly fields and review their scholarly publications, research funding, job history, and their professional networks.
  • How to Effectively Lead Teams and Manage Interdisciplinary Team Projects
    • Team Science Resources: Team science is a collaborative effort to address a scientific challenge that leverages the strengths and expertise of interdisciplinary teams.
    • Free Team Science Training: Learn how to perform team-based translational research through a series of free, on-demand learning modules recorded by Northwestern University.

Groups and Organizations that Provide Networking Opportunities:

  • Office of Postdoctoral Affairs (OPA)
  • Postdoctoral Association (PDA)
  • STEAM Factory (an interdisciplinary effort that links science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics, and medicine across campus and which provides many opportunities to engage with external organizations and members of the Ohio State and Columbus communities.)
  • Nationwide Children’s Hospital Research Institute Trainee Association (RITA) (composed of NCH graduate students, postdocs, and fellows working in pediatric clinical, biomedical, and translational sciences)
  • Ohio State Student Organizations ( many student organizations that are region or culture-specific offer events that are open to the broader public.)
  • Many interdisciplinary institutes across Ohio State (see below)

Interdisciplinary research institutes

Ohio State has several interdisciplinary institutes, whose primary function is to facilitate connections across campuses and research fields that lead to novel educational and research pursuits. These institutes facilitate these connections through organizing scientific workshops, seminar series, and social events, regular newsletters, and through providing annual seed grant and pilot award funding competitions to aid in the collection of preliminary data and findings that can be used to pursue additional extramural support. Below is a short list of interdisciplinary centers on campus, and how you can get involved. A full listing of interdisciplinary institutes and centers across Ohio State’s campus can be found on the Office of Academic Affairs website.

Additional resources related to networking:

Professional Development and Other Trainings for Postdocs

Ohio State University has a robust training and professional development environment that spans all colleges and scholarly disciplines with opportunities for individuals at every career stage. In this section of the onboarding document, you will find a selection of institutional units with professional development, mentorship, and other training offerings available to postdocs.

For additional resources about Professional Development and Other Trainings for Postdocs, please visit the Postdoc Workshops and Trainings page.

Resources for Seeking Funding for Research, Scholarship, Professional Development, and Travel

The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs has collated a list of internal and external funding opportunities as well as funds to support postdoc travel to conferences, etc. Click on the links below for specific information on how to request permission to apply for grants, various support units available at Ohio State to support you in your grant pursuits, resources to find grant funding, and toolkits/narrative examples to assist in the preparation of grant applications.

Applying for research funding awards (internal and externally-funded grants and fellowships):

Principal Investigator (PI) Status: Postdocs must have PI Status to be eligible to apply for extramural funding. Postdocs can submit an application and begin the PI Status eligibility process, which is primarily about obtaining approval from their mentor/department chair.

How to request PI status: postdocs are eligible to seek and apply for grants as lead principal investigator (PI) or as other key personnel. If you are interested in applying for a grant as lead PI, the steps for this process can be found on the EHE Proposals Resources page.

Training for being a Principal Investigator: Roles, Responsibilities, and Resources: This online course, designed by the Office of Research, provides guidance for Principal Investigators (PI) and their staff.  “Being a PI: Roles, Responsibilities, and Resources” benefits all members of the research community and enhances Ohio State’s efforts towards supporting the responsible conduct of research.

The course content covers research administration/compliance processes & tools, explores the lifecycle of sponsored project, and provides access to additional resources. This session is open to all members of the research team.

Instructions to register:

  1. Login to http://buckeyelearn.osu.edu
  2. Search for “Being a Principal Investigator…” to register.
  3. Click [Request] then select course from transcript to launch this course.
  4. This course will take approximately 45 minutes to complete.

Finding internal and extramural funding: OPA has developed an informational resource for how to find internal and extramural funding to support research, scholarship, professional development and travel, while training at Ohio State. Please visit the Postdoc Funding and Fellowships page.

University Grant Development and Submission Support Units: some units on campus have dedicated grant seeking support units, who, in addition to proposal submission, assist with the creation of budgets, development of supplementary and administrative documentation, and potentially with review of your proposal narrative. A selection of these services is listed below.

Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences

Grants Development Support Unit (GDSU)

Budget and document preparation, document collection, proof reading, red and pink team narrative reviews, sub-contract documentation, biosketch collection, proposal submission

Ohio State Medical Center, including all health sciences colleges

Grants Management Office (GMO)

Budget and document preparation, compliance review, sub-contract documentation, biosketch collection, proposal submission

College of Public Health

Office of Research

Budget preparation, proposal submission, IRB protocol review

College of Social Work

Budget and document preparation, proof reading/copyediting, proposal submission

College of Veterinary Medicine

Grant Support Office

Budget and document preparation, compliance review, sub-contract documentation, biosketch collection, proposal submission

Comprehensive Cancer Center

Grant Support Center

Budget and document preparation, compliance review, sub-contract documentation, clinical trials preparation, cancer-focused limited submissions processes, and proposal submission.

University Advancement

Office of Corporate Relations (OCR)

This team assists with the relationship management, proposal development and submission, and post-award stewardship of grants from corporations and corporate foundations.

Office of Foundation Relations (OFR)

This team assists with the relationship management, proposal development and submission, and post-award stewardship of grants from private foundations.

ERIK – Office of Knowledge Enterprise

Research Development Office (RDO)

Pre-award for large-scale, strategic, and/or complex projects: early-stage project concept development, strategies for engaging with program officers;  proposal management and development, red and pink team narrative reviews, compliance review, template creation, developing win themes. Post-award: reverse site visit preparation, team and project implementation, resubmissions.

University-wide

Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP)

Proposal submission, compliance review, contract negotiations, grant preparation and submission trainings, research compliance, responsible conduct of research, animal care and use programs.

If you do not see your unit here, but have questions about grant seeking or submissions, please reach out to the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs -osupostdocs@osu.edu!

Resources to assist with grant writing (trainings, toolkits, example proposals):

Research Development Office (RDO) Toolkits

Requires OSU login credentials to access. - RDO Toolkit

The RDO has compiled a list of resources to aid in grant writing to the most common federal funders (NIH, NSF, DOE) as well as example materials from previously awarded proposals (e.g., broader impact statements, team management narrative, data sharing plans, biosketches, etc.).

Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences

CCTS Resources

The CCTS has compiled a list of helpful resources for Ohio State investigators interested in pursuing standard NIH funding mechanisms (e.g., K01, R01).

CCTS also offers a workshop, Launch to K Grant Writing Workshop, to assist those interested in applying for NIH early career investigator funding opportunities.

Institute for Population Research

Successful Grant Writing Resources

IPR has compiled a list of external trainings and resource guides to aid with the development of grants to federal agencies.

IPR also runs a grant writing workshop, focused on NIH & CDC grant writing, every summer, with applications to participate normally due in April.

Office of Foundation Relations

Office of Foundation Relations

OFR has compiled a list of resources on how to identify and apply for private foundation grants and the differences between federal and private funders

 

External Resources

University of Alabama at Birmingham
NIH Resources

NIH VideoCast: K99/R00 Grants: The K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award offers a unique opportunity for postdocs to be supported during the completion of their mentored position as well as during the first 3 years of a tenure-track position.

NIH VideoCast: K99-R00 Grants / Pathway to Independence Award Program: This workshop will provide guidance to NIH postdocs, both U.S. citizens and international scholars, who would like to submit applications to this grant program.

NIH Grant-Writing Course Library

Chronicles of Higher Education

Training: How to Engage with Program Officers – What to Say and Not to Say

National Organization of Research Development Professionals (NORDP)
Candid Learning

 

Still Have Questions?

Office of Postdoctoral Affairs
214D University Hall 230 North Oval Mall, Columbus, OH 43210
osupostdocs@osu.edu