National Postdoc Appreciation Week
While we always appreciate our postdocs, Dartmouth also celebrates postdocs during National Postdoc Appreciation Week (NPAW) established by the National Postdoc Association.
“Since 2009, the NPA has sponsored National Postdoc Appreciation Day/Week to recognize the significant contributions that postdoctoral scholars make to U.S. research and discovery. Organizations from across the world participate by holding special events. In 2010, this week was officially recognized by the U.S. House of Representatives. Events will be held throughout the week and across the country to create awareness of postdocs.” -NPA website
NPAW is typically the third week of September. The Dartmouth Postdoc Association (DPA) plans and advertises NPAW events in collaboration with the Director of Postdoc Affairs.
2025 Postdoc Appreciation Week at Dartmouth
Monday, September 15 – Dartmouth Community Lunch, 11:30 – 2:00 pm, The Green, (rain location:
Class of 1953 Commons). This event is open for everyone and doesn’t require RSVP.
Tuesday, September 16 – DCAL & Guarini Postdoc reception, 4:00 – 6:00 pm, DOC by Occom Pond
You can access the form here.
Wednesday, September 17 – Letterpress Orientation for Postdocs, 5:00 – 6:00 pm, Baker-Berry Library Room 23
You can access the form here.
Thursday, September 18 – The Cable Makerspace for Postdocs, 1 – 2 PM, Engineering and Computer Science Center, Suite 003. You can access the form here.
Friday, September 19 (two events):
– Postdoc Mindful Eating Lunch, 12:00 – 1:30 PM, Guarini Commons (Basement of Anonymous). You can access the form here.
– Kayaking with Postdocs, 3:30 – 5 PM, Ledyard Canoe Club. You can access the form here.
More Ways to Celebrate National Postdoc Appreciation Week
Postdoc Bingo – Download our Postdoc bingo card. Spend National Postdoc Appreciation Week (September 16-20) meeting as many postdocs as you can and find a different person for each category. Send in your completed card to be entered in a drawing to win a prize!
Many virtual events will be hosted by member institutions in the National Postdoctoral Association website, including:
- Monday, September 15
- 12-1pm ET [NPA] 2025 NPAW National Kickoff Event – The 2025 kickoff will include remarks provided by leaders across the postdoc community, with a brief keynote by Gretchen Goldman, Ph.D., president of the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) More info
- ***1-2pm ET [Epigeum] Science with Impact – Communicating Your Research – Join us for a thought-provoking webinar inspired by the work of Dr. Anne Toomey, social scientist and author of the award-winning book Science with Impact: How to Engage People, Change Practice, and Influence Policy, as she explores how research can truly make a difference for the real world. Note: Registrants will also have two weeks’ free access to our new Research with Impact: Creating Meaning and Value program, which is our program that teaches postdocs and early career researchers the fundamentals of societal impact and how to embed it in every step of the research lifecycle. More Info
- Tuesday, September 16
- 12-1 ET [Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education] Building a Culture of Safety and Trust in Team Science – Dr. Iversen will discuss more than a decade of experiences in developing a culture of ‘team science’ within a large Arctic project that encompasses more than 100 scientists with a range of experience levels, backgrounds, and scientific interests. More info
- Wednesday, September 17
- 1pm ET [NPA] Financial Literacy for Postdocs: Understanding Your Paycheck – Speakers will break down your paycheck and/or pay stub. The session will help you understand income tax, Social Security/Medicare tax, insurance premiums, retirement account deductions, and more. This session is for all postdocs, both international and domestic, whether they are employees, non-employees, or both. More into
- Thursday, September 18
- 12pm ET [U of Utah] Third Annual Career Panel for Social Science Postdocs – This online panel of speakers from throughout the country will discuss diverse, non-academic career paths for PhDs and postdocs in the social sciences. More info
- 1pm ET [NPA] “Ask the Postdoc Council” Office Hours – Join the Postdoc Council (PDC) to ask the PDC leadership about topics of interest or concern, and learn about serving on the PDC next year! More info
- 2pm ET [SPHERE: Engineering Group] On the Tenure Track: New Faculty Reflections on Interviewing – Hear from former postdocs that have recently landed tenure-track positions at Ohio State University, Rice University, University of Michigan, and University of Minnesota. More info
Don’t forget to claim your National Postdoc Association membership if you haven’t already!
Discover the Upper Valley
Watch for upcoming opportunities from the DPA to join in local events other postdocs are involved with or like to do, such as the Upper Valley Running Club, visiting the Montshire Museum, picking apples at Poverty Lane Orchards, and more! If you have a favorite Upper Valley activity or location, email the DPA or post in the #localevents Slack channel and invite your fellow postdocs to join you!
