The President’s report on the 2016 CAPS AGM and CAPA Conference

Executive, Newsletter, Professional Development

CAPS-ACSPCAPA logo

Thanks to the UBC PDFO, I recently had the opportunity to attend the Canadian Association of Postdoctoral Scholars (CAPS) annual general meeting in Toronto on October 31st, and the Canadian Association of Postdoctoral Administrators (CAPA) Conference from November 1st – 2nd, to represent the UBC PDA.

The CAPS AGM (October 31st)
CAPS MeetingCAPS is the national association for postdoctoral scholars in Canada, and works to clarify the role of postdocs in Canada, advocate for equitable treatment of postdocs, and represent the interests of postdocs at Federal and Provincial levels. It does this by acting as a liaison between postdocs, institutions, funding agencies, professional organizations, and provincial and national governments. It is also active in advocating for postdocs and providing resources for professional development.

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CAPS-ACSP Executive Positions Available

Newsletter, Professional Development

CAPS-ACSP

CAPS (the Canadian Association of Postdoctoral Scholars) is looking to fill some vacancies in their executive council, specifically the Vice-Chair Communications and the Vice-Chair Operations positions. Descriptions of these positions can be found in this document [PDF]. Any postdoc that is a) associated with a Canadian institution (regardless of citizenship), or b) a Canadian citizen (regardless of location) is eligible to apply.

If you wish to apply for either of these positions, or you would like additional information, please send an email to operations@caps-acsp.ca indicating:

  • Your name
  • Your email address
  • The institution where you work as a postdoc
  • The position you wish to run for
  • A short (< 250 words) candidate statement.

Thank you for your interest in the future of CAPS-ACSP!

UBC PDA winning prizes at Mahony’s Trivia Tuesdays!

Socials

Mahony's Trivia Tuesday Oct 25

Last week, our team from the UBC Postdoctoral Association came 3rd in our Tuesday Night Pub Quiz at Mahony’s (we were beaten to second place by only a half point)! As a reward, we won more ballots for the grand prize, and 2 collectible goal-synced light-up beer glasses from Budweiser. After syncing to your phone, they light up each time its’ users preferred team scores a goal, which sounds pretty fun. In the previous week, we came second. Our prizes were a long-sleeved T-shirt and two baseball caps.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EumCd6su0ZA

The Pub Quiz is on weekly at Tuesday evenings until Nov 29. We meet at 7:30 pm at Mahony’s at 5990 University Blvd near the UBC Bus Loop (map). Pub quiz to start at 8:00 pm (continues until about 9.30 pm). Join us for some fun, food and trivia at next week’s Trivia night Nov 1!

UBC PDA to join Parade of Lost Souls – the biggest Halloween party in Vancouver!

Socials

When and Where: Saturday, October 29. Meet at Stateside Craft (map) for a beer at 7 pm. We head to the parade by 8:00 pm. Optional after-party from 9pm-2am.
Please be at Stateside Craft before we depart at 8:00pm. This event will be very crowded and we will not find each other if we don’t all meet up first.

Details: A description of the Parade of Lost Souls can be found here. Basically it’s a Halloween-themed parade/party through the arts district on Commercial Drive followed by an after-party. Everyone who wishes to attend the after-party will be responsible for obtaining their own tickets, so don’t miss out! Please RSVP to justin.hart@mech.ubc.ca.

Tuesday Night Pub Quiz at Mahony’s is back! Starting Oct 4

Socials

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Is your head crammed with useless information that is waiting to be freed? Then this evening is for you! Join us for Pub Quiz nights in the fall every Tuesday at 7:30 pm at Mahony and Sons, UBC. It’s taco Tuesday and there are drink specials available.

We are looking to repeat our win of the summer series this fall! Please contact us if you have any questions.

You can add this event to your Google Calendar by clicking on the button below. Alternatively, you can subscribe to the entire calendar, with all our events, here!



Celebrate National Postdoc Appreciation Week with UBC PDA!

Socials

npaw-thank-youThere will be an annual BBQ on Thursday, September 22 from 12 noon at St John’s College. This will be followed by a dinner this Friday (details below).

National Postdoc Appreciation Week Dinner

When: Friday, September 23, @ 7:00pm                                                               Where: The Eatery – 3431 W Broadway, Vancouver, BC V6R 2B4 (map)
Details: The Eatery is probably the coolest sushi place in Kitsilano. It’s known for its creative sushi rolls and its artsy atmosphere. Appetizers will be covered by the PDA, then we’ll walk down the street for a beer. RSVP to Justin Hart.

Catch you there!

What is National Postdoc Appreciation week? National Postdoc Appreciation Week (NPAW), sponsored by the National Postdoctoral Association, takes place September 19-23, 2016. Now in its seventh year, NPAW will be celebrated across Canada and the U.S. to create awareness of and recognize the contributions that postdocs make to research.

 

PDA Research Day 2016

Events, Professional Development, Seminars

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We are excited to announce that we are holding our annual Research Day on Thursday November 24, 2016! This half-day mini conference is our flagship event every year. This is a great opportunity to showcase your research and network with individuals from diverse departments at UBC and industry.

Presentations (2:15 – 4PM LSC3 Theatre)
Posters and reception after the oral presentations (LSC Atrium)

If you are a UBC affiliated postdoc or research associate and would like to make a 10 minute oral presentation or a poster presentation, please submit your abstract here (oral presentation deadline: 1st November, poster presentation deadline: 18th November).

Attendance is free and open to all interested parties. Please RSVP here, by 23 November. Space is limited (last year we had a wait list), so please sign up early to avoid disappointment! Cash prizes to be won and drinks and refreshments will be served.

Make your voice heard: UBC Federal Research and Innovation Initiatives Consultation

Policy

Members of the UBC research community across every discipline, including postdocs, are invited to participate in a campus-wide consultation to share their advice and perspective on the input UBC provides to the federal government on its Review of Fundamental Science in Canada. UBC is seeking input on the questions pertaining to scientific research in Canada, such as:

  • How do we develop, recruit, and retain talent?
  • What is the best structure of granting councils and peer review?
  • How should Canada participate in international research?

If these issues resonate with you, please attend the roundtable meetings, planned as follows:

  1. Tuesday, September 6, 1.00-3.00 pm
    UBC Vancouver Campus
    Seminar Room,
    Sage Bistro
    6331 Crescent Road, Vancouver
  2. Wednesday, September 7, 2:00-4:00pm
    Blusson Lecture Hall,
    ICORD
    818, West 10th Avenue, Vancouver

Please express your interest in participating in one of these roundtable sessions via the form here.

Alternatively, you can contribute through a direct written response to the Fundamental Science Review here through the Government of Canada.

PDA Socials for August

Events, Socials

Join one today! If you’re nervous about finding us, or have any other questions about our socials, please e-mail Justin Hart, at justin.hart@mech.ubc.ca.

Dinner & Bar Night at Storm Crow Alehouse
Stormcrow alehouse v2
When: Aug 19, 2016 @ 6:00pm
Where: Storm Crow Alehouse, 1619 W Broadway (map)
Details: Storm Crow Alehouse is Vancouver’s premier fandom & geekdom themed bar. Drink shots randomly assigned by the roll of a D20, or randomly generate a dungeon burger! Play board games from Storm Crow’s extensive menu. Bond with your fellow postdocs in the closest approximation to our natural habitat outside the laboratory. RSVP to justin.hart@mech.ubc.ca

Movie-night clipartMovie Night at Justin’s
When: Aug 27, 2016 @ 6:00pm
Where: Justin’s House – RSVP for address
Details: This spring, members of the postdoctoral association helped Justin build massive projection home theater in his home. Unfortunately, this will be the last hurrah of the home theater, as he is moving to a new residence. We’ll vote on 2 Blu-Ray movies and watch them in style. BYOB RSVP to justin.hart@mech.ubc.ca
See you there!