Purdue Workshops and Opportunities

We offer various mentoring workshops through our Go Sign Me Up platform. Just type in “Mentor” into the search field to see which ones are hosted for the current semester.

National Postdoctoral Association Resources

A Postdoc’s Guide to Mentorship

This resource has been created to help postdocs:

• Recognize that effective mentoring is not just about mentors guiding mentees, but also about mentees guiding mentors – mentoring up
• Think and assess prospectively about what they are seeking from mentors
• Shift from thinking about good and bad mentors to the core attributes of effective mentoring relationships
• Learn more about recent theoretical, practical and research advances to guide their development of effective mentoring relationships
• Become familiar with key resources to continue building their skills as mentees and mentors

Note: You must first request your free NPA Affiliate Membership before you can access their resources. Click on this link and follow the registration process. Sign up as an “Affiliate Individual Member, Postdoc.” Once you click Submit, the NPA Membership Director will review your affiliate membership within 10 working days, and you will receive an email when it has been approved.

Empowering Your Postdoc Journey: Strategies for Effective Communication (2025) (Recorded Webinar)

Speakers: Wendy Crone, Ph.D., professor, engineering physics and mechanical engineering, University of Wisconsin – Madison; Ellen Dobson, Ph.D., Morgridge Institute for Research; Wesley Marner, Ph.D., Morgridge Institute for Research.

This session is designed to help postdoctoral researchers build strong, collaborative relationships with their mentors. Participants will receive practical advice for setting expectations, aligning goals, and advocating for their professional growth. We will cover communication skills that postdocs can use to navigate potential challenges with their advisor.

How to Find, Utilize and Be a Great Mentor (2022) (Recorded Webinar)

Speaker: Joanne Kamens, Ph.D., senior consultant, The Impact Seat

We all hear the buzzword of “mentoring” in relation to career success but most of us don’t know how to get the most out of these relationships. This presentation will give practical advice about finding, utilizing and being a mentor in a fun, interactive format.

AAMC Compact between Postdoc Appointees and their Mentors

A framework for aligning the postdoctoral mentor-mentee relationship.

The Compact Between Postdoctoral Appointees and Their Mentors is intended to initiate discussions at the local and national levels about the postdoctoral appointee-mentor relationship and the commitments necessary for a high quality postdoctoral training experience. The first version of the Compact was disseminated in 2006. It served as a model for the AAMC Compact Between Biomedical Graduate Students and their Research Advisors. In 2016, a team consisting of representatives from the AAMC Group on Graduate Research, Education, and Training (GREAT Group) and AAMC Council of Faculty and Academic Societies (CFAS) reviewed and updated the document. Input on the revised draft was received from the GREAT Group, CFAS, and AAMC staff leadership. We encourage members of the postdoctoral community to utilize and share this document.

Download the Compact (PDF)