The Emory University Office of Postdoctoral Education (OPE) has been the home for the formation and enforcement of Postdoc policies since 1999. Although established to oversee and serve the needs of the nearly 700 PhD postdoctoral fellows working across the entire Emory University Campus, OPE programs and resources are available to everyone at Emory. https://med.emory.edu/postdoc/

OPE Coursework:Working with faculty, OPE directs courses specifically designed for Postdocs, Junior Faculty and medical research fellows and addresses the requirements outlined for mentored trainees funded by NIH.  These courses address the following areas: Responsible Conduct of Research; Laboratory Management; and Rigor and Reproducibility.  

 

OPE Career Development Programs and Services: OPE provides tools for IDP’s and develops and offers workshops and programs throughout the year for grant writing and other research relevant career development activities, including but not limited to: 

The Responsible Conduct of Research Ethics course is offered twice each year and is specifically designed for PhD and MD trainees conducting basic, translational and clinical research. Using a case study and faculty-led approach, discussions on conflict of interest, authorship, research misconduct, data acquisition and management, collaborative and team science, human subjects, animal use, and mentor/mentee relationships provide a broad appreciation for the ethical issues of research. A separate two-hour workshop on Rigor and Reproducibility is offered twice each year.

 

F and K grant writing tutorial series are offered six times a year for trainees preparing federal and private grant applications. Focused on F32 and K award scholarships, each series is composed of three didactic sessions followed by individual revising sessions guided by a grants writer working with the Postdoctoral Fellows, Medical Research Fellows, or junior faculty. They have a proven track record with a success rate of funding upwards of 50% for applications submitted from postdoctoral fellows and junior faculty. Over 90% of Postdoctoral Fellows who receive K career development awards move to tenure-track faculty positions.  

 

The F32 Bootcamp is a 12-week series designed to help the Postdoctoral Fellow and their sponsor develop a mature and well-reviewed application. Each session addresses the specifics of a particular grant section and strategies that strengthen or weaken that section. Webinars are also created for each section so that attendees can re-review the material as they write their own section. A grant editor reviews each section and provides appropriate feedback, guidance, and editing. 

 

The Leadership and Management Certificate Program is comprised of nine workshops and is designed to encourage the development of other professional skills. These sessions are taught by the Emory University Goizueta Business School faculty and cover essential topics in executive education. The skills covered are designed to help Postdoctoral Fellows become better leaders and managers whether they are planning on running an academic laboratory or are moving to a corporate or non-profit environment.