Career Development

Postdoc Travel Awards

The Office for Postdoctoral Scholars offers three annual award cycles to supplement career-building travel expenses. To be eligible, you must have already applied (or been invited) to present at an event taking place within the cycle’s targeted travel months.

Award Cycle	Travel Months	Portal Opens	Portal Closes	Notified
Summer	Aug to Nov	July 1	July 15	Aug 1
Fall	Dec to Mar	Nov 1	Nov 15	Dec 1
Spring	Apr to July	Mar 1	Mar 15	Apr 1

Awards average $550. Awards are merit-based; postdocs can apply each cycle. Applicants with the greatest professional investment in event attendance are prioritized. Funds are distributed to the postdoc's Concur account. To apply during an open-portal period, click here. For more information, email ops@purdue.edu

Office of Professional Development Workshops

The Office of Professional Development hosted in Purdue's Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars coordinates hundreds of workshops and webinars annually for postdocs and graduate students. Session categories include Research Tools, Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR), Wellness, Communication, and Grant Writing.

Click here to view and register for upcoming workshops, including fellowship and grant-writing office hours!

Postdoc Academy: Free Online Professional Development Classes for Postdocs

Website: https://www.postdocacademy.org/

Postdoc Academy offers two free online classes for postdocs that focus on postdoc success and career preparation. The link above provides information on the lecture content from EdX and the seasonal availability of online discussion groups.

Internal Development Plans (IDPs)

IDPs are online systems or documents that help you strategize your next career step. They contain information on different career paths and provide goal-setting tools.

Check out these online IDPs:

Toastmasters at Purdue

Website: https://4685166.toastmastersclubs.org

Toastmasters can help you practice oral presentations. Toastmasters meet weekly to develop speaking and leadership skills. Being a Toastmaster gives you the courage to:

Speak with confidence
Improve communication with family and friends
Give and get constructive feedback
Thrive in a supportive learning environment