MU Postdoc Association

---

MU Postdoctoral Association (MUPA)

MUPA’s mission is to foster professional development and social interaction to provide community and a collective voice; and to liaison between postdoctoral fellows, faculty, and administration.

---

MUPA Board Members

MUPA Bill of Rights

The MU Postdoctoral Association created a Bill of Rights to outline how the condition of Postdoctoral Fellows can be maintained and improved.

---

MU Postdoctoral Association’s Travel Grant Application

MUPA Travel Awards – Call for Applications

Every year the MU Postdoctoral Association allocates special funds to help support postdoc attendance at conferences during their time at MU. We strongly encourage all postdocs to apply for this award. Postdocs may receive up to $500 towards costs, limited to membership or registration fees, flights, lodging, poster printing, and childcare (please see note below), for any Meeting/Conference and/or training program taking place within the specified funding period to be considered for that funding round. We particularly encourage postdocs who have not yet received an award from MU Postdoctoral Association, as well as those who are presenting work done whilst at Mizzou.

Note that awards are paid directly to the postdoctoral scholar once proof of payment by the postdoctoral scholar is provided via receipt.

Travel Award funding cycle:

The MU Postdoctoral Association Travel Award follows a three-round funding cycle per year. The application deadlines for each funding round are described below:

• Fall: Deadline November 1^st
  • Conference/training attended from September 1^st to December 31^st
• Spring: Deadline March 1^st
  • Conference/training attended from January 1^st to April 30^th
• Summer: Deadline July 1^st
  • Conference/training attended from May 1^st to August 31^st

Only conferences attended in the specified date range for each funding round are eligible for the award. Funds may be used for the costs of membership or registration, flights, lodging, poster printing, and/or childcare expenses.

Starting with the Spring 2024 cycle, postdocs awarded in the most recent two funding cycles are not eligible to be awarded.

• For example, postdocs awarded in Fall 2023 are not eligible to be awarded in Spring 2024 or Summer 2024 but can apply for the Fall 2024 funding cycle.

If you wish to apply, please review the Travel Award Instructions, complete the application package, and return it to mupatravel@missouri.edu. An updated application form is provided for cycles starting with Fall 2024. Please ensure you are submitting the correct application form and have carefully read all statements concerning the reimbursement process before submitting.

Note: There is now an option to apply the travel grant award towards childcare expenses incurred while attending a meeting/conference.

---

National Postdoc Appreciation Week

National Postdoc Appreciation Week 2024 is September 15-20!

This week gives the MU postdoc community an opportunity to come together for professional development talks, social events, and some fun competition to show off our research in visual ways. We look forward to showing appreciation for all the MU postdocs and spending time together!

Visual Research Competitions

All artwork and graphical abstracts will be shown on MUPA’s social media pages! A great opportunity to show other postdocs the research going on at Mizzou! All submissions for the art and graphical abstract competition are due by Monday September 16th at 5pm to eandres@health.missouri.edu.

Art competition: submit any scientific imaging or illustrations to represent your research! We will send out all the photos for voting by the MU postdoc community and the top submissions will receive small prizes!

Graphical abstract competition: submit a visually appealing and engaging abstract that provides pertinent information and main findings in a visual form. The MUPA board will score the submissions and the top submissions will receive small prizes!

Social Events

• NPAW Kickoff Picnic (Family-friendly; sponsored by Proteintech) at Happy Hollow Shelter
  • Happy Hollow Shelter, Columbia, MO 65201
  • 12 – 2:30 pm; Sun Sept 15^th 
• Trivia at iTap
  • 308 S 9th St, Columbia, MO 65201
  • 7 – 8:30 pm; Wed Sept 18^th 
• Social on Logboat Brewery Lawn
  • 504 Fay St, Columbia, MO 65201
  • 5:30 – 7:30 pm; Fri Sept 20^th 

Professional Development Events (all on Zoom – Zoom links will be sent out via email)

• Humanities and Social Sciences Academic Book Publishing 101
  • In this session, I will talk about how to publish a monograph in the humanities and social sciences. I’ll discuss how to get the proposal or monograph ready for submission, identifying the best publisher for your work, understanding the time frame of publishing, understanding your contract, and collaborating with your press. My hope is that you have a stronger understanding of the process and what editors are looking for in projects.
  • Presenter: Dr. Ana Maria Jimenez-Moreno, Editor, Ohio State Press
  • 10 – 11 am;  Mon Sept 16^th
  • Meeting ID: 916 1932 7547; Passcode: 317462
• An Engaged University
  • This presentation will briefly explain the origin of Mizzou as the state’s Land Grant University, the Grand Challenges that Missourians themselves have identified, and how MU Extension is structured to address these challenges on a community and statewide level.
  • Presenter: Chad Higgens, Vice Chancellor for MU Extension
  • 2 – 3 pm; Tues Sept 17^th
  • Meeting ID: 979 6083 9836
• How to Design an Effective Chalk Talk
  • Chalk talks are a critical component of academic job searches. Yet, few postdocs have experienced or even observed a chalk talk. In this seminar, you will learn about the structure of a chalk talk, common mistakes, typical questions asked by search committees, and more generally how to communicate your science more effectively for grants, elevator pitches, and poster sessions.
  • Presenter: Dr. Erik Snapp, Director of Student and Postdoctoral Programs, Howard Hughes Medical Institute Jamelia Research Campus
  • 1:30 – 3 pm; Wed Sept 18^th
  • Zoom Meeting ID: 917 2857 3949; Passcode: 549640
• Financial Wellness – Fostering Financial Security as a Post-Doc
  • Join the Office for Financial Success to learn money management tools and systems that you can use to foster financial security through your postdoctoral period and beyond.
  • Presenter: Alex Embree, Program Manager, Student Support Services, Student Financial Aid
  • 1-2 pm; Fri Sept 20^th
  • https://umsystem.zoom.us/j/5738822524