The US Experience: doctoral research and post doc 2012 Mission - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Commission for Educational Exchange Between the United States of America and Belgium The US Experience: doctoral research and post doc 2012

Mission Research Website Language Education Fulbright Resource Email - Teaching Journalism Advising Grants Library Phone Assistant Center European Outreach Union

Why go to the US • Wide array of options • Flexibility • Internationalize your CV • Opportunity to travel to the US

Commission for Educational Exchange Between the United States of America and Belgium The US Experience: post doc

Purpose of a Post Doc/Research

Purpose of a Post Doc/Research 1. Further training 2. Broaden research experience 3. Enhance teaching effectiveness 4. Make contacts with peers in field 5. Gain experience in grant writing 6. Opportunity to publish and position yourself for a full-time position

Types of Post doc positions 1. Research Associate – Usually in sciences – Employment not training – Tax implications 2. Fellowships (sciences vs. humanities)  Specifically for training or research  Training grant can come from university, federal agency, or foundation or association 1. Internships/Apprentinceships 2. Jobs in the industry 3. Instructor positions 4. Assistant professor

Research Associate  Usually in sciences  Employment not training  Tax implications

Fellowships  Specifically for training or research  Fellowships (sciences vs. humanities)  More $ for sciences  Science duration can be longer  In sciences can be skill acquisition  Training grant can come from:  university  federal agency  foundation  association

Searching for a postdoc advisor?  Network with your own contacts first  Whose direction/scope appeals to you?  What impact does this individual have in this field?  Speak with present or past students/postdocs  Is this field growing?  What next?

Contacting potential advisors  Contact a year before you will finish your degree  More funding resources, number of positions with that adviser, incentive to finish!  Write them a cover letter stating your interest in them as an adviser and how you are a good match  Show them how you will help find funding

Once you have an advisor  Keep them informed of your progress  Be realistic about when you can actually arrive  Duration of training?  Goals during training?  Salary? Health care?  Visa? Family status? Student or professor?  What can you ‘take with you’  Are you working on their project or your original works?  Collaboration with others?

Tips about Post Docs  Take your exams early in case you need to re-take  Make a chart comparing programs  Look at articles to see who is publishing + where  Describe your academic fit with institution  Take time to reflect

3 Simultanious Actions 1. Choose 4-6 universities & contact each one. 2. Determine if any tests are needed to apply & take them (TOEFL/IELTS or GRE/GMAT). 3. Look for financial support.

Commission for Educational Exchange Between the United States of America and Belgium Funding: doctoral research and post doc March 19, 2012

How to finance your studies 1. Personal funding 2. Loan o From a bank o From Lazard Foundation in Belgium 3. Fellowship from U.S. university o Research assistantship o Teaching assistantship o Work Study (20 hrs/wk) 4. Scholarship from other organizations ◦ Fulbright ◦ BAEF ◦ Rotary ◦ Etc.

Does the Econ Crisis effect you? • Shrinking endowements – Less money available to fund Ph.Ds + post docs • Poor employment prospects • Find your perfect match!

Thoughts on Financial support  Write your own grant: autonomy, goals, ownership  Look for as many funding sources as possible but check the conditions of the award?  Visa restrictions??  Can you combine the grant with other awards?

Funding • Tuition or Fee Waivers – Tuition could cost up to 45,000USD – Are there fee waivers or teaching assistantships for Ph.D candidates? • Health insurance coverage?(avg 1500USD) • Support to attend conferences?

Funding Post Docs: Science • Federal Science – NRC Reseaerch associateship programs (scence, engineering, atmospheric, aeronautic, OSHA, Energy, NOAA – National Science Foundation – National Labs (ex. Lawrence-Livermore, Los Alamos) – National Academy of Engineering – American Western Universities (AWU)

Funding Post Docs: Biomedical • NIH • NSF • HHMI • Foundations for disease research: American Cancer Society, Parkinson’s Disease Foundation, Leukemia Society, March of Dimes • Industry: Pharma companies like Pfizer, DuPont, Amgen, Genentech, SAIC, Merck, etc • General med research: Damon Runyon, Helen Hay Whitney, Charles King Trust, Jane Coffin Childs, Markey, Life Sciences

Funding Post Docs: Humanities • Woodrow Wilson Post Doc Fellowships in Humanities • Social Sciences Research Council • American Philosophical Society • University fellowships: Uchicago, University of California, Cornell (Mellon), Stanford Humanities Fellows, Woodson (African and African American Studies) • Arts (Ahmanson, Getty)

Mission Research Website Language Education Fulbright Resource Email - Teaching Journalism Advising Grants Library Phone Assistant Center European Outreach Union

established in 1946 Commission for Educational Exchange Between the US +Belgium “ to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and people of other countries " former Senator J. William Fulbright Be an ambassador of Belgium to the US

For Fulbright Grant • ‘Study’: – No Phd yet • ‘Conduct Research’: – PhD by time of departure

Benefits? • Cash award of a travel grant up to 30,000 USD • Sickness and accident insurance • Visa sponsorship • Prestigious title

Conditions? • Belgian citizen • Distinction every year or big distinction in the last year of study • Must return to Belgium/EU for 2 years following grant

How to apply? Preliminary Provide letter of Final Online Application affiliation Application Print + Send Interview Notification 3 letters of rec

Who can receive a scholarship? o Students, Researchers, Lecturers o Mid-career journalists o Language teaching assistants o Secondary school teachers

Deadlines for Fulbright Grant October 31 Foreign Language Teaching Assistants Program October 31 Frank Boas Scholarships for Harvard October 31 Fulbright - Hays Journalism Grant October 31 Summer Seminar in American Studies March 1 Fulbright Awards for Research Scholars & Lecturers March 1 Fulbright - Schuman Grants March 1 Fulbright Awards for Graduate Study

Education USA – State Dept website

Other Fulbright Commissions Austria www.fulbright.at Italy www.fulbright.it Belgium and Luxembourg www.fulbright.be Netherlands www.fulbright.nl Bulgaria www.fulbright-bg.org Norway www.fulbright.no Cyprus: www.fulbright.org.cy Poland www.fulbright.edu.pl Czech Republic www.fulbright.cz Portugal www.ccla.pt Denmark www.daf-fulb.dk Romania www.fulbright.ro Finland www.fulbright.fi France www.fulbright-france.org Slovak Republic www.fulbright.sk Germany www.fulbright.de Spain www.fulbright.es Greece www.fulbright.gr Sweden www.fulbright.se Hungary www.fulbright.hu Turkey www.fulbright.org.tr Iceland www.fulbright.is United Kingdom www.fulbright.co.uk Ireland www.fulbright.ie Russia http://fulbright.ru Ukraine www.fulbright.org.ua Visit the Commission’s website in your home country for more information

EducationUSA New FB application

Special Event on Post Docs: Nov 14 Dr. Peter S. Fiske is a scientist, author, lecturer and entrepreneur. He is the author of Put Your Science to WORK! A Take-Charge Career Guide for Scientists and a nationally-renowned writer and lecturer on the subject of careers and career development for PhD scientists and engineers. “Put Your Science to WORK! Practical career Advice for Early Career” Wednesday, November 14 th 2012 4 – 6 p.m. KU Leuven Law Faculty room DVI 91.56 Tiensestraat 41 3000 Leuven Kindly register by Nov 12 th to secretary@fulbright.be

Special thanks to… Judy Garner, Ph.D., Fellow, USC

Commission for Educational Exchange Between the United States of America and Belgium  Opening hours: Monday - Thursday 10:00 – 13:00  Closed to the public on Fridays  Phone calls: 14:00 – 16:00 Royal Library Albert I Boulevard de L’Empereur, 4, Keizerslaan B-1000 Brussels, Belgium Tel: +32 (0)2 519.57.72 Fax: +32 (0)2 519.57.73 adviser@fulbright.be www.fulbright.be