As the current NICHD Basic Sciences Institutes and Centers (IC) Representative, I represent NICHD postdoctoral fellows at the NIH Fellows Committee (FelCom) meeting every month and share the latest news with you here. Do you have a concern or question that you want brought up at the next meeting? Contact me, Dr. Hyo Won Ahn, at hyowon.ahn@nih.gov.
FARE2024 is here!
Abstracts due by March 15
The Fellows Award for Research Excellence (FARE) recognizes the outstanding scientific research performed by intramural postdoctoral fellows. Winners of FARE awards will each receive a $1500 stipend to attend a scientific meeting at which they will present their abstract, either as a poster or an oral presentation.
Register for the FARE application seminar: “Tips for Successful Abstracts,” led by FARE co-chairs, on March 2, from 1 to 2 p.m.
The Visiting Fellows Committee is planning an online Division of International Services/Visiting Fellows Committee Immigration Symposium event later this month. Join the Visiting Fellows listserv to stay updated on exact dates and times. Symposium topics will include:
- Immigration updates and international travel
- J-1 to H-1B – including a focus on J-2 dependents
- G-7 Program Overview
- A Q&A session
There were two important updates from the NIH Child Care Board. There is ongoing work to include fellows in childcare subsidy support. Importantly, new enrollments to the NIH Northwest Child Care Center are paused during a management transition. More information can be found on the Child and Family Programs website.
The Women Scientist Advisors Committee (WSA) reported on issues that were discussed during the listening session hosted by WSA in January, including:
- Lactation room availability and conditions across campus
- Loan repayment program (LRP) eligibility policy for intramural fellows on an IRTA or CRTA and General Research-LRP eligibility policy for research fellows.
- Questions about potential variability in parental leave for research fellows.
- Current policy on childcare subsidy eligibility for IRTAs, CRTAs, and visiting fellows.
- Potential discrepancies in the pursuit of research-intensive careers between women and men, specifically the need for resources and training focused on the unique barriers that women face when navigating the job market after NIH.
Did you know that there are several ways to stay informed on postdoc activities and events?
- Fellows listserv is the main source of FelCom event advertisements, so don’t forget to sign up.
- Visiting fellows can also sign up for the Visiting Fellows listserv.
- There is an NIH postdoc Slack channel to connect with other postdocs and join social events (sign up with a non-NIH email).
March 2023
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