Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Postdoctoral Scholar Mentoring

The Excellence in Postdoctoral Scholar Mentoring Award honors faculty who serve as effective advisors, advocates, role models, and colleagues for UC San Diego Postdoctoral Scholars. Postdoctoral scholars are individuals who have recently completed a doctoral degree and, under the oversight of a faculty mentor, continue research training in preparation for a career in academia, industry, government, or the nonprofit sector. Faculty mentors who provide guidance, support, and inspiration to research and career excellence are essential to the success of the postdoctoral scholar. This award recognizes faculty who consistently promote and actively engage in the many forms of mentorship.

Nomination period for 2019 opens on September 3, 2019 and closes on September 30, 2019

Award recipients will be notified by October 28, 2019

Awardees will be honored at the Chancellor’s Awards Reception following the Annual Postdoctoral Scholar Research Symposium on Wednesday, December 4, 2019.

Goal

The award recognizes faculty who:

Provide intellectual leadership and model excellence in research/creative work.
Create a supportive environment for research and scholarship, assist in attaining goals, and provide resources necessary to be successful while clearly articulating expectations and hold the postdoctoral scholars to high standards of intellectual excellence, ethical conduct, and professional behavior.
Ensure the postdoctoral scholar is trained in the skills and knowledge necessary for the discipline. Provide the postdoctoral scholar opportunities to take a leadership role in the preparation of proposals, organizing workshops or conferences, preparing edited volumes, and advising graduate and undergraduate students.
Provide opportunities to network with colleagues in the department, and in the profession by allowing the postdoctoral scholar to attend professional society meetings or conferences, and/or working as active collaborators.
Serve as an advocate by nominating the postdoctoral scholar for awards, promoting successful and timely completion of postdoctoral scholar projects, and is proactive in post-training placement in academic positions or other employment.

Eligibility

To be eligible for nomination, the mentor must be a UC San Diego Faculty or Research Scientist.
The nominator must be a UC San Diego postdoctoral scholar with a postdoctoral titlecode and at least 6 months of UC San Diego postdoctoral experience (at time of nomination) under the mentorship of the faculty being nominated.
The nomination must have two endorsements. Endorsements must be from current or previous postdoctoral scholars who trained under the mentor. However, for young mentors or small research groups, endorsements may be from other trainees (e.g. graduate students, undergraduate or residents). Endorsement letters (one page limit/endorser) may be submitted in the nomination PDF. Three total endorsements are allowed per nomination.
The nomination must be endorsed by the Department Chair. There is no limit as to how many mentors can be nominated per department.
Narrative statement should be 1-2 pages.
Abridged curriculum vitae for faculty nominee with a list of current and past postdoctoral scholars and their placement/position upon leaving UC San Diego.

Application Process

A complete application will include:

Online application form completed by the Principal Postdoctoral Nominator, which includes the following information:
- Name, department, payroll title and email address of:
  - Principal Postdoctoral Nominator
  - Postdoctoral Co-Nominator (if applicable)
  - Up to three Endorsers (two required)
  - Department Chair
  - Note that all email addresses will receive a confirmation email of the completed nomination.
- Narrative statement completed by the Principal Postdoctoral Scholar Nominator(s) (up to 900 words) demonstrating how and why the nominee is an excellent faculty mentor.
Documents to be uploaded for a complete online submission:
- Nomination signature form with the signatures of the Principal Postdoctoral Nominator, Postdoctoral Co-Nominator (if applicable); up to three Endorsers (two required) and Department Chair
- Up to three endorsement letters for the nomination (one page limit/Endorser), if applicable. Limit of three total endorsements per nomination.
- Abridged curriculum vitae for faculty nominee with a highlighted list of current and past postdoctoral scholars and their placement/position upon leaving UC San Diego.

If you submit the form outside of the current nomination period, your application will not be reviewed.

Selection Process and Criteria

Nominations will be reviewed by an internal selection committee composed of Associate Vice Chancellor for Research, faculty, representative from the Postdoctoral Association and member of the Office of Postdoctoral and Research Scholar Affairs. Awardees will be selected by the Vice Chancellor for Research based upon recommendation of this committee.

Awardees will be notified by October 28, 2019.

Ceremony and Award

The Excellence in Postdoctoral Scholar Mentoring Award recipient will receive $1000 to directly support mentorship for his/her postdoctoral scholars, an engraved plaque and congratulatory letter from Chancellor Khosla for inclusion in future Academic Review File. Also, the recipient will be honored on additional plaque that will reside in the Office of Postdoctoral and Research Scholar Affairs. Examples of supporting postdoctoral mentorship include, but are not limited to: postdoctoral scholar attendance a at a professional association or society meeting that relates to his/her research interest, postdoctoral scholar enrollment fees in a course that will advance his/her career development, speaker visits that will directly aid in postdoctoral training. This award may not be used for indirect support to postdocs, such as equipment (e.g. desktop/laptop computers) or laboratory supplies.

The principal nominating postdoctoral scholar will receive a cash award of $500 to use towards attendance at a professional association or society meeting that relates to his/her research interest or to enroll in a course that will advance his/her career development. Only UC San Diego postdoctoral scholars with a postdoctoral titlecode are eligible to nominate and receive the cash award.

The recipients will be recognized at an Awards Ceremony on Wednesday, December 4, 2019, in Price Center Ballroom B, following the Postdoctoral Research Symposium in Price Center Ballroom A and B. The mentor and postdoctoral nominator(s) are expected to attend the ceremony.