CAPS/ACSP

CAPS Annual General Meeting

CAPS/ACSP, Events

Dear fellows,

Do you feel that postdocs are still an underappreciated part of academia and were hit especially hard by this ongoing pandemic? The Canadian Association of Postdoctoral Scholars(CAPS) has conducted a recent survey to gauge the impact of COVID-19 related shutdowns and other restrictions on postdocs in Canada and based on these findings has developed and send out these “Top 5 Asks” (listed below) to national decision makers. If you are interested in how official representatives from the Tricouncil (CIHR, NSERC, SSHRC) are responding to these demands and/or want to take part in this discussion yourself – you are invited to attend the

CAPS annual general meeting on Nov 5 from 10:00 to 15:30 Vancouver time.

More information, a preliminary agenda and the link to register (for free) at https://caps-acsp.ca/agm2020

Taking part in this event is also a good opportunity to network with other postdocs, learn more about CAPS, the results of the CAPS COVID19 survey, and about PDA’s and postdoc unions in Canada.

CAPS Top 5 Asks from the Tricouncil to relieve pressure from postdocs:

  1. “Stop-the-clock” for postdoc fellowship applications (recognizing that postdocs are evolving Early Career Researchers).
  2. Automatic 1 year extensions of fellowships (to buffer financial impacts, administrative interruptions to work permits and benefits plans), with opt-out option if not beneficial for the postdoc.
  3. Provide clear criteria for reviewers to account for COVID-19 interruptions, and enable better feedback in fellowship review.
  4. Create new funding opportunities for senior postdocs to support those who are close to being competitive for (or in the process of transitioning to) faculty positions, which may be impacted by a national shift to COVID-19 research prioritization.
  5. Ensure external postdocs are eligible for institutional benefits, including basic protections like Employment Insurance and Canadian Pension Plan/Québec Pension Plan contributions (without a stipend reduction).

Canadian National Postdoc Survey

CAPS/ACSP, Events, Policy, Uncategorized
Have your say in the fourth edition of the Canadian National Postdoctoral Scholars Survey!
The Canadian Association of Postdoctoral Scholars (CAPS) invites all current and former Canadian postdocs, including international postdocs working in Canada and Canadian postdocs working abroad, to complete the fourth edition of the Canadian National Postdoctoral Scholars Survey. It is the largest and most comprehensive assessment of Canadian postdocs in all fields of study, and its findings are used by funders, universities, and others.

The survey covers a wide range of topics, including demographics, salary and benefits, training needs, and career goals of current or former Canadian postdocs. In addition to collecting valuable longitudinal data, this edition of the survey tackles issues such as discrimination and harassment in the workplace, and working remotely.

Please complete the survey by 14 February, 2020.
The results of the survey will be published later this year.

Canadian Association of Postdoctoral Scholars (CAPS/ACSP) 2019 Executive Council Election

CAPS/ACSP

Canadian Association of Postdoctoral Scholars (CAPS/ACSP) is a Canada-wide organization with a mandate to improve the lives, training, and work experience of all Canadian Postdocs (yes, you included). Recently they are offering Health/Dental insurance plan, as well as Discount Home & Auto Insurance for contributing members. Although these benefits are very similar to what have been offered through UBC HR, it may make sense for those who aren’t eligible for the policies through UBC HR to look into what they offer.

Also, if you are interested in paticipating their actibities, they are currently seeking nominees for the 2019 Executive Council Election. The detail is as follows:

CAPS/ACSP is currently seeking nominees for the 2019 Executive Council Election. The term for these positions is January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2019.

The deadline for nominations is Friday November 16, 2018 at midnight Pacific Time. Voting will take place during the last week of November.

The following positions are open to nominees:

  • Chair
  • Vice-Chair External
  • Vice-Chair Operations
  • Vice-Chair Communications
  • Vice-Chair Finance
  • Vice-Chair International
  • Vice-Chair Membership
  • Vice-Chair Website Management
  • Vice-Chair Communications (French)
  • Vice-Chair Data Management
  • Vice-Chair Career Development

Please see CAPS Executive Position Descriptions _ 2019 Elections  for a brief description of each position.

Eligibility:

To be eligible for nomination, an individual must be registered as an ‘Active Member’ of CAPS/ACSP. Alumni members of CAPS/ACSP (i.e., former postdocs) may also be nominated if approved by the Executive Council.

To register as an Active Member, please complete the form found here.

To register as an Alumni Member, please complete the form found here.

If you wish to run or nominate someone for any of these positions, please respond by email to chair@caps-acsp.ca with the following information:

  1.  Full name of nominee
  2.  Email address of nominee
  3.  Institutional affiliation of nominee
  4.  Desired/selected position

Candidate Statements:

Nominees are required to submit a short (maximum 250 words) candidate statement describing their interest and any relevant experience for the position they are nominated for prior to the election. Candidates who are self-nominating are encouraged to provide that statement at the time of nomination.

If you have any questions about this process, please contact Joseph Sparling, Chair at chair@caps-acsp.ca.