Postdoctoral Affairs
The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs (OPA) at Drexel University serves as a resource for prospective and current postdocs.
What is a postdoc?
A postdoctoral appointment at Drexel University:
- Is a temporary training position (generally 5 years or less)
- Involves substantial full-time research or scholarship
- Prepares the trainee for a full-time career
- Is not part of a clinical training program
- Is performed under the supervision of one or more senior scholars or a department
- Allows and encourages the postdoc to publish the results of his/her research or scholarship
What can the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs help me with?
The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs at Drexel University will:
- Connect you with faculty, professional staff, and the Drexel Postdoctoral Association (DPA)
- Assist you in navigating campus resources, policies and procedures
- Provide opportunities for continued training and professional development
- Offer career guidance and support for next steps
National Postdoctoral Association
Drexel Unversity is a Sustaining Member of the National Postdoctoral Association (NPA). Therefore, our postdocs receive free Affiliate Membership. By becoming a member, you will get opportunities to network with individuals in the postdoc community and gain access to members-only resources, such as the NPA Institutional Policy Database, and myPostdoc Monthly, a webinar offering support to postdocs. To learn more about NPA free resources, events and opportunities, please visit the National Postdoctoral Association's website.
National Postdoc Appreciation Week
Every year, the National Postdoctoral Appreciation Week (NPAW) is held in the last week of September to thank postdocs and celebrate their contributions. Along with other institutions around the country, Drexel Celebrates its postdoctoral researchers with a series of fun and informative events.
Read more about NPAW on the NPA website!
Meet the Drexel Postdoctoral Association (DPA)
The Drexel Postdoctoral Association (DPA) aims to support postdocs during their journey at Drexel in a professional and social capacity. The DPA works with the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs to build stronger relations and advocate for postdocs in order to enact constructive changes and improve the training experience by engaging with Drexel administration and faculty.
Through the DPA, you can:
- Connect with peers
- Find information and resources
- Gain leadership experience by joining a committee or even joining the executive board - Doc Upload
View the profiles of current DPA leadership.
More Resources for Postdocs
Postdoc News & Announcements
Winter 2025
The winners of the 2025 Cotswold Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship are:
- Nili Gesser, PhD, JD, Criminology and Justice Studies Department, College of Arts and Sciences, supervised by Jordan Hyatt, PhD, JD, project title "Bars or bridges? Weighing Incarceration Against Community Service for Women Committing Low-Level Crimes"
- Meagan Sundstrom, PhD, Physics Department, College of Arts and Sciences, supervised by Eric Brewe, PhD, project title "Network Approaches to Characterizing Active Learning Environments in Physics"
- Candida Da Silva Ferreira Barreto, PhD, School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems, supervised by Hasan Ayaz, PhD, project title "Neurophysiological mechanisms underlying robot-mediated social approaches for
children with and without Autism Spectrum Disorder"
- Partial awardee: Martha Coates, PhD, RN, CRNP, AGPCNP-BC, Nursing Department, College of Nursing and Health Professions, supervised by Rose Anne DiMaria-Ghalili, PhD, RN, FASPEN, FAAN, FGSA, project title "Exploring Deprescribing Acceptance Among Older Adults with Cancer"
The fellowship received a record 17 applications this year. More than 30 faculty and professional staff members engaged in the review process which was chaired by Dr. Rosalind Remer. The fellowship, which is made possible through generous support from the Cotswold Foundation and Mrs. Martha and Mr. Wistar Morris, has supported 19 postdocs from 2019 through 2025. It is intended to foster the career development of Drexel University postdoctoral researchers in formal, physical, life, and applied sciences who are pursuing a career in academic research and are seeking long-term employment at a US educational and/or research institution. The fellowship is intended to subsidize and support postdoctoral training by providing approximately $83K for one year (an increase in donor support from $50K in prior years), which can be utilized for salary, fringe, professional development, or any combination of the three. In addition, fellows are expected to augment instruction at Drexel by providing additional teaching resources in a key scientific, engineering, or clinical field. The fellowship is open to Drexel postdocs who completed at least two full years of postdoctoral fellowship within five years of their doctoral degree completion.
Congratulations to this year's fellows as there was an outstanding pool of applicants!
Fall 2024
The 2025 Cotswold Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship application is now open through Monday, September 30, 2024. Selected fellows will receive $60,000 for one year. Only Drexel postdocs are eligible, including international. Visit the application page to learn more and apply.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Intramural Training and Education (OITE) is pleased to offer the Becoming a Resilient Scientist Series, a FREE series of webinars and small group discussions to help graduate students and postdocs develop the confidence and resilience needed to navigate challenging situations in school, work, the lab, and life. Recordings are also available to view in lieu of live participation. Fall sessions begin September 23, 2024 through November 18, 2024.
Join the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs (OPA) in celebrating the 14th annual National Postdoc Appreciation Week (NPAW) September 16 to 20, 2024 and the significant contributions that postdoctoral scholars make to research and discovery at Drexel! Stay tuned for this year's dates and click on the NPAW website for a complete list of virtual and in-person events, as well as our website for a list of Drexel-specific events.
Hwyda A. Arafat, MD, PhD, MSc. MEdL, has been appointed director of the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs and Professional Development effective Sept. 1. Dr. Arafat has since hosted a town hall meeting and subsequent monthly meetings for Drexel postdocs to hear concerns and areas for improved support. Dr. Arafat is also assisting with review of the 2025 Cotswold Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowships with this year’s review committee chair, Ros Remer, PhD.