Dear Fellow Postdocs,
The Harvard Medical Postdoc Association (HMPA) would like to invite you to run for leadership positions on our governing board for the upcoming year, from August 2023 until July 2024. All positions are open to quad-based HMS Postdocs and Postdocs from HMS-affiliated hospitals, with the exception of the Chair position, for which only quad-based postdocs are eligible. Below is a brief description of each position. Beyond the officer and committee chair roles, we also warmly welcome you to join us as a member of a committee, for which no formal application process is required.
Application process
To run for a position on the HMPA governing board, your application should include the following:
1. Full name and email address
2. Affiliation (HMS affiliated school or institution)
3. The position that you are applying for
4. A short description (250 words max.) of your motivation and relevant previous experience
Applications should be sent by email to the current HMPA Chair: mayank_chugh@hms.harvard.edu before May 20, 2023. For questions, please contact us at hmpa@hms.harvard.edu
Candidates will be invited for an interview over zoom during the month of June.
We look forward to receiving your application!
Best,
HMPA Election Committee
HMS/HSDM Postdoctoral Association (Harvard Medical Postdoctoral Association)
Committee chair positions
Chair of Professional Development Committee
Responsibilities - organize programs to support career development by providing workshops/forums to address career-related issues such as grant writing, scientific writing, job searching, and networking. Past event examples: Grant writing workshop, starting a lab, and nailing the job interview etc.
Chair of Entrepreneurship Committee
Responsibilities – foster and support interest in biomedical venture creation across the postdoc community. Organize events and programs that will promote the exchange of knowledge and action with the entrepreneurial and business communities, with the ultimate goal of empowering Postdocs to unlock their own innovative potential. Past events: Coffee with CEO; Business Crash Course, and seminar series.
Chair of Advocacy Committee
Responsibilities - collect and analyze information on employment conditions and benefits of postdocs; seek adequate benefits for members commensurate with level of education and skills, including health plan, parental leave, childcare, disability insurance and retirement plan; seek recognition for postdocs as members of the campus community with a distinct set of contributions and needs. Past events: Visa/immigration support, benefits support, and postdoc compensation survey.
Chair of Outreach Committee (1-2 co-chair positions)
Responsibilities – engage the broader scientific community to foster a supportive environment for all scientists to find mentors specific to their interests. We engage students, postdocs, and faculty of the Greater Boston Area to improve scientific training at every stage, both inside and outside of the laboratory. For the upcoming year, we are looking to expand our outreach efforts towards the general public. Past event: Joint Mentorship Program and Pathways to Science and Medicine Program.
Chairs of Social Committee – 2 co-chair positions
Responsibilities - foster a sense of community amongst postdocs by organizing socials events and activities to provide opportunities for social, professional and academic networking. Past events: Holiday parties, movie nights, karaoke, and city walks.
Officer Positions
Chair (quad-based HMS postdoc only)
Responsibilities - making appointments and delegating responsibilities subject to the advice and consent of the Governing Board; presiding over all Board meetings; meeting with members of the faculty and administration as the representative of the HMPA; reporting HMPA business conducted by the Board to the members at general meetings; coordinating interactions with postdoctoral associations at other institutions as well as national organizations.
Vice-Chair of Liaisons
Responsibilities - liaising with the HMS/HSDM Office of Postdoctoral Fellows to coordinate policies and planning; maintaining an up-to-date calendar of events for HMPA activities; managing the email listserv and advertising HMPA activities via the listserv as needed; acting in the Chair’s stead in individual instances when the Chair is unable to perform his or her duty.
Vice Chair of Web Communications
Responsibilities - managing and updating the HMPA website; overseeing management of social media accounts; acting in the Chair’s stead in individual instances when the Chair is unable to perform his or her duty.
Secretary
Responsibilities - recording the minutes of all Board meetings; distributing meeting minutes to all Board members within one week of the meeting; archiving meeting minutes (e.g., using Dropbox or other file-sharing system), acting in the Chair’s stead in individual instances when the Chair is unable to perform his or her duty.
Treasurer
Responsibilities - supervising the receipt and disbursement of all moneys, properties, securities and other evidence of financial worth of the HMPA; authorizing, subject to Board approval, financial transactions on behalf of the HMPA; maintaining records of all financial activities of the HMPA; preparing an annual financial statement; proposing a budget for approval of the Board committee; submitting the approved version of the budget to related offices; maintaining budget records for the HMPA; reporting regularly to the Governing Board and members on the financial status of the HMPA; overseeing fundraising efforts by the organization.
