Sculpting Tomorrow: Crafting a Purpose-Driven Future

10th Annual Conference

May 9, 2024

The objective of our conference this year is to foster a holistic approach to postdoctoral life and career development, to create a supportive community committed to overall well-being and success of postdoctoral fellows at Hopkins. We want to empower postdocs with resources for crafting meaningful career paths, promote work-life balance, address diverse aspects of well-being and emphasize resilience for personal and professional growth.

The conference this year is in-person!
Venue: Johns Hopkins University, Turner Concourse, 720 Rutland Ave, Baltimore, MD 21205

Registration is now closed.
Registration Deadline: April 18, 2024

Keynote speaker:

Dr. Ebony McGee

Dr. Ebony McGee of Johns Hopkins University is a Professor of Innovation and Inclusion in the STEM Ecosystem in the School of Education and the Department of Mental Health under the School of Public Health. Dr. McGee is an electrical engineer by training and an 11-time NSF investigator awardee. She is the leading expert on race and structural racism in STEM, with all its toxic consequences and the growing resistance to the traditional STEM ecosystem. This includes the experiences and mental health consequences of seeking STEM training and occupations for Black and other minoritized students and professionals. She also investigates the limits of resiliency, wellness, and career embeddedness in the STEM ecosystem. She founded Racial Revolutionary and Inclusive Guidance for Health Throughout STEM (R-RIGHTS) and co-founded the Explorations in Diversifying Engineering Faculty Initiative (EDEFI), as well as the Institute in Critical Quantitative and Mixed Methodologies Training for Underrepresented Scholars (ICQCM), with support from the National Science Foundation, the Spencer Foundation, and the WT Grant Foundation.

Links to learn more about Dr. McGee’s work:

Personal Website: https://www.ebonymcgeephd.com/
Visit the R-RIGHTS website at https://r-rights.org/
Visit the ICQCM website at https://www.icqcm.org/
LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ebony-mcgee-b0328211/
X (Formerly Twitter): @RelationshipGAP

Conference Schedule:
Coming soon!

Abstract submission guidelines:

Deadline: April 18th, 2024, by midnight EST

One first-author abstract submission per postdoc allowed. All submissions are FINAL. To retract your abstract, please

email postdoc@jhmi.edu.

Abstracts may have been previously submitted to another conference.
Authors: Enter all abstract authors.
Co-author Approval: Ensure that all co-authors approve of the abstract submission.
Author Disclosure: The submitting author is required to submit their disclosure.
Word Limit: The abstract word limit is 350. This includes abstract titles, structure, tables, and figures. Author names and references are not included in the word count.
Abstract Style: Please check your abstract carefully for typographical errors, misspellings, poor hyphens, etc. These errors will be glaringly apparent while presenting. No edits can be made to abstract text after the abstract is submitted.
Title: The title should be brief but long enough to identify the study's nature clearly. Submit the abstract title in all title cases.
Abstract Structure: The body of the abstract should be organized as follows with sections labeled accordingly: A) Introduction B) Methods C) Results D) Conclusion.
Tables and Graphs: Tables and graphs may be included if they fit within the size constraints of the abstract. Please ensure your image is clear when presenting.
Abstract file size: Abstracts can be submitted as either Microsoft Word documents or as PDFs. Abstract files must be no larger than 10 MB.

Poster presenters are required to attend the judging session from 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm. Prizes of $150 will be awarded to the top posters in each category, such as basic science, clinical science, humanities, etc.

Slam Competition
Deadline: April 18th, 2024, by midnight EST

What is the Postdoc Slam?

The postdoc slam competition challenges postdocs to present a compelling presentation of their research in 3 minutes or less, using language that not only their peers but also non-specialists will understand. The postdoc slam intends to encourage postdocs to clarify their ideas and help others understand and appreciate the significance of their work. Its main goal is to foster a culture of intellectual exchange by encouraging postdocs to present their research clearly and engagingly.

Check out this inspiring postdoc slam example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkJV7WE-KRU. It showcases how researchers can make their research accessible and engaging to a broader audience, making it easier for others to appreciate their work's value.

At the competition, postdocs will have 3 minutes to present their work with no limitations on slides, style, or visual aids.

The application process for the Postdoc Slam requires the submission of a 1 min. presentation pitch, which must be uploaded as a video. Not all registrants for the postdoc slam will be selected for the competition. All presenting slammers will be informed if they were chosen to present or not by April 18th, 2024.

If you are chosen as a finalist, you must give your research presentation at the conference on May 9, 2024. The winner will be awarded with a prize of $500.

Presentation Guidelines:

Your presentation must be your own, original research.
Postdocs who entered the contest or who were finalists in previous years are eligible to enter again.
The sample video should be submitted as an MP4 file if possible. An MOV file is also acceptable.
The sample video can be a simple Zoom presentation. The final presentation on the day of the conference will be live, in-person and in front of an audience with the presentation projected on a large screen.
Your final, live presentation may differ slightly from your sample video presentation; however, the subject matter should be the same.
At the beginning of your video, please state your full name and the presentation title. The time it takes to do this will not be counted against the 3 minutes you may take to present your research.
You will not be judged on your skills as a videographer, and you do not need to use professional video or editing equipment. If the judges can see your image, and the audio is clear and understandable, that is sufficient.
You are not required to memorize your talk for the video submission. However, if you do read your talk (off a screen or paper), remember that you are also being judged on your presentation skills and your ability to engage an audience!