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Postdocs for Diversity in Science
Published on Apr 01, 2021 · Last Updated 2 months 1 week ago
Postdocs for Diversity in Science (PDS) is a group of diverse postdocs from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and University of Pennsylvania. This group was created to promote diversity and inclusion at the Research Institute. PDS strives to build community and provide support for successful navigation of the postdoc and transition to the next career stage. PDS also partners with students from schools in the Tri-State area through programming to educate, cultivate relationships, and to enhance the development of future scientists. This programming provides students with mentorship as well as career exposure.
CHOP's Commitment to Diversity
Inclusion and diversity are critical drivers for creating the ideal experience for every patient, family, employee and member of the communities we serve. CHOP's Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) empowers and supports our diverse workforce, patient population and community to advance CHOP's mission of excellent patient care, innovative research and quality professional education.
Watch CHOP employees share why they enjoy having a diverse research team!
Our Mission
PDS is a community of postdocs at CHOP, committed to making science more representative, inclusive, and accessible to all. PDS aims to create an inclusive and welcoming environment at CHOP so that ALL trainees can reach their fullest potential. Additionally, the group is involved in giving back to the community and increasing diversity and inclusion through mentoring and exposing students from marginalized and historically underrepresented groups to STEM fields.
Who We Are
PDS is a group of postdocs at CHOP who are specifically aligned with the needs of historically underrepresented groups and works to build community within CHOP and beyond to support current, past, and future trainees.
What We Do
PDS's actions are two-fold:
- We actively promote a diverse and inclusive community across CHOP focused on personal and professional development of postdocs. Additionally, we develop programing for the CHOP and Penn community to address the needs of a diverse STEM workforce and increase diversity and inclusion.
- We work to build a diverse pipeline through partnering with students from schools in the Tri-State area through programming to educate, cultivate relationships, and to enhance the development of future scientists. This programming provides students with mentorship as well as career exposure.
What We've Accomplished
- How to Combat Racial Inequality, Social Injustice, and Health Disparities: A Panel Discussion with Philly-Based Organizations
- Picture a Scientist viewing and panel discussion for Women's History Month
- Co-sponsor the CHOP Diversity Symposium and Rising Stars Lecture Series
- Mentoring CHOP-RISES high school students over the summer
- Job shadowing with Young Men and Women in Charge high school students
- Social gatherings- i.e., summer picnic and end of the year winter luncheon
- Professional Development Opportunities
Learn More?
Interested in learning more, please visit the Postdocs for Diversity in Science (login required) @CHOP page, or contact academicdiversity@chop.edu.
Learn more about our PDS Featured Trainees.
The Bridge to Faculty Program was developed to support CHOP based PhD or MD/PhD postdoctoral fellows and early-stage scientists prepare for a successful transition into a tenure track faculty position. The goal is to support diverse trainees from historically underrepresented groups by 1) positioning program participants to be competitive for tenure track positions 2) supporting them during the application and interview process and 3) preparing them for the rigorous expectations of a tenure track faculty position driving advancement and promotion. This is a 1–3-year individualized training program. The length of the program is determined by the stage of training the participants are in at the time of application. The program is funded by the CHOP Research Institute and is similar in structure to the K99 portion of the K99/R00.
Learn More (login required)
The CHOP Building Excellence in STEM Together (BEST) Program is a new funding opportunity to support events, projects, or programs that have the potential to enhance diversity, promote equity, and foster inclusion in STEM across the Research Institute and among trainees, faculty, staff, and administrators, and the surrounding community. The grants provide - resources, with a preference for projects with the most significant potential for impact.
Grants are awarded to CHOP-based trainees, faculty, staff, and administrators interested in leading an activity or developing a program or project to foster diversity, equity, and/or inclusion within the Research Institute and surrounding community.
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Diversity Symposium Lecture Series
Manu Platt, PhD | Apr 2021
Associate Professor, Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University
Deputy Director, Interdisciplinary Bioengineering Graduate Program
Talk Title: Gaslighting in the Academy: Actually Making Black Lives Matter
Katrina Caldwell, PhD | Sept 2021
Vice Provost for Diversity and Inclusion
Chief Diversity Officer
Johns Hopkins University
Talk Title: Diversity Matters, But It's Not Enough: Breaking the Cycle of Feast and Famine in Academia
Gilda Barabino, PhD | Dec 2021
President, Olin College of Engineering
Professor of Biomedical and Chemical Engineering
President-elect of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
Talk Title: Engineering for Everyone: Centering Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Corinne Moss-Racusin, PhD | Mar 2022
Associate Professor in Psychology, Skidmore College
Talk Title: Unconscious Bias in STEM
*Note: View all recordings (login required) as they become available.
Co-sponsored Events with the CHOP Postdoctoral Alliance
Nii Addy, PhD | Sept 2021
Associate Professor in Psychiatry and Cellular & Molecular Physiology and Director of Scientist Diversity and Inclusion, Yale School of Medicine
Talk Title: Imposter to Influencer: A Personal Journey Beyond the Bench
Movie Night featuring Temple Grandin | Sept 2021
Philabundance Volunteer Opportunity | Sept 2021
Women in Industry Discussion Panel | Mar 2022
iSTEM LGBTQ+ Visibility in STEM | April 2022
CHOP views diversity as the key driver of achievement, particularly when innovation is critical. The Postdoctoral Research Fellowship for Academic Diversity at CHOP partners with the University of Pennsylvania's (Penn's) Provost Fellowship Program, which are competitive programs with a common goal of increasing the diversity of the scholar community at both CHOP and Penn. Both organizations, though independent entities, partner to fund these Fellowship programs to attract promising researchers and educators from different backgrounds, races, ethnic groups, and other diverse populations whose life experience, research experience, and employment background will contribute significantly to their academic missions.
To learn more about CHOP's diversity and inclusion efforts, visit the Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI).
