The National Postdoctoral Association (NPA) has announced its call for nominations for the 2018 NPA Garnett-Powers & Associates, Inc. Mentor Award. The award recognizes a faculty member or advisor who has engaged in exceptional mentoring of postdoctoral scholars.
The award recognizes a faculty member or advisor who has engaged in exceptional mentoring of postdoctoral scholars as exhibited by the following:
- Has advocated for postdoctoral scholars.
- Has been accessible and provided open lines of communication to postdoctoral scholars.
- Has created a supportive environment for research; has shown respect for the postdoctoral scholars' goals and assisted them in fulfilling those goals.
- Has provided them guidance in professional development, including, for example, encouraging the use of the Core Competencies for self-assessment and guidance, completing an individual development plan, and assisting the postdoctoral scholars in building a professional network through generous sharing of contacts.
- Has demonstrated a sustained commitment to creating a productive working environment that enhances the overall postdoctoral experience.
The recipient of the NPA Garnett-Powers & Associates, Inc. Mentor Award will receive a plaque, an honorarium of $500, complimentary registration to the 2018 Annual Meeting, and a $1,000 travel stipend. The award will be presented at the 16th NPA Annual Conference, April 6-8, 2018.
Nomination Process
Deadline for submission: Tuesday, November 21, 2017
To submit a nomination, please provide the following:
- Brief description of the nominee. Please include the nominee's full name, title, institution, and academic credentials.
- Essay describing why you believe that your nominee should receive the 2018 NPA Garnett-Powers & Associates, Inc. Mentor Award (1200-word limit). Consider addressing the following points:
- How your nominee provides "hands-on" professional development experiences for postdocs, such as writing papers or reviews and applying for grants/fellowships.
- How your nominee provides postdocs with guidance on networking and planning for their future careers.
- How your nominee maintains accessibility with postdoctoral scholars by consistently providing open lines of communication and helping them to become competent in communication.
- What are the philosophy, activities, characteristics, or traits of your nominee that make this person a truly outstanding mentor? Be sure to give specific examples.
- How the nominee's mentoring has benefited you personally (if applicable).
- A summary of the nominee's mentoring efforts, including, for example, the length of time that she or he has served as a mentor; the number of postdocs that the nominee has mentored; and examples of the success that these postdocs have had under the mentor's guidance, especially regarding increased proficiency in any of the six NPA Core Competencies.
- How the nominee has influenced the quality of the postdoctoral experience on a local, regional, or national level.
- Up to three (3) supporting documents (e.g. letters of support from former postdocs within five years from completing their postdoctoral training and/or current postdoctoral scholars; newspaper, magazine, or journal articles).
Nominations will be accepted from postdoctoral scholars (anyone who is currently a postdoc or within five years of having completed postdoctoral training). Only postdocs are eligible to make nominations. Submit the nomination package electronically by emailing it to nominations@nationalpostdoc.org.
The official selection committee will be responsible for reviewing nominations and making a recommendation to the NPA Board of Directors, who will give final approval to the selection. The recipient will be notified in December 2017.
