Events

The programming will be held virtually on Friday, November 7, 2025. Sessions will include:

• "Demystifying the Postdoc Search: From Finding a Position to Negotiating an Offer to Making the Most of Your Postdoc Experience"
• Overviews of the postdoc programs at Northwestern, UIC, and UChicago
• "AI and Your Job Search"
• "Ask a Postdoc" panel discussion  

You are invited to register for a 12-week series to build effective grant writing habits. Participants will learn the fundamentals of preparing an NIH-style grant, identify key features and resources for major sections of the grant, and begin writing a grant application. This series is designed for researchers who are currently developing a grant application and who have not had independent NIH funding. Each session will include a brief lesson plus approximately an hour devoted to writing. To achieve these objectives, we ask that you commit to participating in the entire series.

We all need feedback to grow and learn but we often become defensive and are unable to learn from the feedback we receive, even if it is delivered well. In this webinar, we will talk about why receiving feedback is so difficult and explore ways to stay calm and engaged when receiving feedback. We will also talk about giving feedback in a calm and assertive way so that our voice can be heard.

This is a 90-minute lecture followed by 30 minutes of Q&A.

As the use of AI in academic publishing grows, many researchers are unsure how to approach it confidently and responsibly. Questions remain about what is acceptable, what should be disclosed and how to balance efficiency with authenticity in research communication. 

Join senior Nature Portfolio editor Sadra Bakhshandeh (Nature Reviews Bioengineering, Nature Biomedical Engineering), Springer Nature Head of Journals Policy, Ellie Gendle and experienced researchers Kamar Ameen-Ali (Teesside University) and Wynand Lambrechts (University of Johannesburg) as they discuss current attitudes, evolving policies and practical approaches to engaging with AI in your own work, whether you are an early adopter, a cautious observer or somewhere in between. 

We all need mentors to support and encourage us throughout our educational and career journey. In this webinar, we will talk about the mentoring relationship in research environments with a focus on improving your relationship with your PI, finding mentors and on improving communication and interpersonal interactions. The webinar will help clarify what you need from your supervisors and mentors and address how to get what you need from these important interactions.

This is a 90-minute lecture followed by 30 minutes of Q&A.