Professional Development Events

The PDFO is dedicated to providing a wide variety of quality professional development opportunities to UBC’s postdoc community.

The PDFO is proud to offer four flagship professional development programs in addition to regularly-scheduled professional development workshops:

  • Foundations of Career Planning Program: A three-part workshop program designed to introduce postdocs to the support and resources required to establish the foundations of a post-PDF career in academia or with a primary focus on industry. By the end of the
  • Postdoctoral Fellows Teaching Internship (PDTI): In collaboration with the Centre for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning (CIRTL), the Postdoc Teaching Internship is comprised of a three-day Instructional Skills Workshop (ISW) and opportunities to work with a mentor.
  • Summer Institute in Project Management: A program designed to provide a comprehensive overview of topics in research project management, including an introduction to the principles, and key elements of scope, time, cost, quality, stakeholder and risk management for projects in research. Participants attend six two-hour sessions over a two-month period, and modules are supplemented by online readings and videos.
  • Winter Institute in Advanced Project Management: A follow-up to the PDFO's Summer Institute in Project Management, the Winter Institute in Project Management covers intermediate and advanced topics in project management and leadership. Building on the learning outcomes of the Summer Institute, this pilot program will provide participants the opportunity to apply these learnings by working on a group project. Participants will also learn about essential elements of leadership and management.

Additional professional development resources that are available to UBC-appointed Postdoctoral Fellows can be found on the Professional Development Resources page.

Upcoming Workshops and Events

UBC offers and administers programs that provide professional development to PDFs. Events offered by the PDFO will open for registration approximately two weeks in advance of each session. Registration is required for all PDFO events. Participants who are successfully registered in a professional development session will receive a confirmation email from the PDFO within a week of the session.

The PDFO reserves the right to cancel, postpone, or reschedule a course due to low enrollment or other unforeseen circumstances. If this occurs registrants will be contacted via email as soon as possible.

PDFO Workshops and Seminars

Event Title Event Date Sort descending Organizer
The Six Leadership Conversations - Postdoctoral Fellows Office
How to Keep Your Cash: Tax Info Session with KPMG - Postdoctoral Fellows Office
How to Keep Your Cash: Tax Info Session with KPMG - Postdoctoral Fellows Office
Postdoc Instructional Skills Workshop - Summer 2024 - Postdoctoral Fellows Office
Postdoc Instructional Skills Workshop - Winter 2024 - Postdoctoral Fellows Office

Other Workshops and Seminars

Event Title Event Date Sort descending Organizer
Building Your Project Network Map - Mitacs Training
Refined project communication plan - Mitacs Training
Teaching Panel: Q&A - McCall MacBain Postdoctoral Fellows Teaching and Leadership Program at McGill University
Framing your project in a masterful presentation - Mitacs Training
Applying the principles of sound leadership and team building - Mitacs Training
UBC Postdoctoral Association Annual General Meeting and Elections - UBC Postdoctoral Association
UBC Postdoctoral Association Annual General Meeting and Elections - UBC Postdoctoral Association
Incorporating Reconciliation, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion into your project - Mitacs Training
Project and Time Management - Mitacs Training
CIRTL SoTL Workshop - May 2024 - CIRTL @ UBC

Previous Events

Event Title Event Date Sort ascending Organizer
Mastering the elevator pitch - Mitacs Training
Framing your project in a masterful presentation - Mitacs Training
Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) - EURAXESS
Creating Effective Multiple Choice Questions - McMaster University - McCall McBain Postdoctoral Fellows Teaching and Leadership Program
Project and Time Management - Mitacs Training
Applying the principles of sound leadership and team building - Mitacs
Incorporating Reconciliation, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion into your project - Mitacs Training
Building Your Project Network Map - Mitacs Training
Postdoc Career Fair - UBC Postdoctoral Association
Postdoc Career Fair - UBC Postdoctoral Association

Privacy Notification: Your personal information is collected under the authority of section 26(c) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA). This information will be used for the purpose of planning and administering each professional development workshop and event offered by the Postdoctoral Fellows Office (PDFO). Questions about the collection of this information may be directed to the PDFO at postdoctoral.fellows@ubc.ca.