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.
  • Fundamentals of Project Management Program (formerly called the 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-and-half hour sessions online via Zoom, and modules are supplemented by online readings and videos.
  • Applied Project Management Program (formerly called the Winter Institute in Advanced Project Management): A follow-up to the PDFO's Fundamentals of Project Management Program, the Applied Project Management Program is designed to equip participants to apply project management principles and practices to their projects and work environments through a series of written assignments and facilitator feedback.The Applied Project Management Program runs concurrently with the Fundamentals of Project Management Program and involves a series of written assignments between class sessions. Assignments will be graded and the facilitator will provide written feedback for each assignment submission. This format will allow participants to apply the learnings of the Fundamentals of Project Management program to a real-world project scenario directly applicable to their field(s).

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 Organizer
NPAW 2025: National Postdoc Appreciation Week Barbecue - Postdoctoral Fellows Office
Developing and Writing your Job Application EDI Statement for Postdoctoral Fellows - Postdoctoral Fellows Office
Immigration for Postdoctoral Fellows - Postdoctoral Fellows Office

Other Workshops and Seminars

Event Title Event Date Organizer
Postdoc Appreciation Week (PAW) Collaborative Offerings - Building a Teaching Dossier or Portfolio - Brock University, Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs Office
Anti-Racism Response Training (ART) - Canadian Association for Graduate Studies (CAGS)
2025 3 Minute Postdoc Slam - UBC Postdoctoral Association

Previous Events

Event Title Event Date Organizer
NPAW 2025: Coffee and Chat with the PDFO - UBC - Point Grey Campus - Postdoctoral Fellows Office
NPAW 2025: Coffee and Chat with the PDFO - BC Children's Hospital Research Institute (BCCHR) - Postdoctoral Fellows Office
Postdoc Appreciation Week (PAW) Collaborative Offerings - Using LinkedIn and ResearchGate for Networking in Academia and Beyond - Western University and Postdoc Association of Western
NPAW 2025: Orientation for Postdoctoral Fellows - Fall 2025 - Postdoctoral Fellows Office
Postdoc Appreciation Week (PAW) Collaborative Offerings - The Science of Focusing on What Really Matters - McCall MacBain Postdoc Program
NPAW 2025: Crafting a Compelling Grant Proposal (Panel) - Postdoctoral Fellows Office
Postdoc Appreciation Week (PAW) Collaborative Offerings - Going Alt-Ac: How to Begin (Panel Discussion) - University of Regina Faculty of Graduate Studies & Research & Office of the VP – Research
NPAW 2025: Demystifying the Academic Job Search: A Fireside Chat with Dr. Shannon Hagerman and Dr. Jacquelyn Cragg - Postdoctoral Fellows Office
2025 National Postdoc Appreciation Week Kickoff - National Postdoc Association
Postdoc Appreciation Week (PAW) Collaborative Offerings - Planning your Postdoc - McMaster University School of Graduate Studies - Office of Postdoctoral Affairs and Research Training

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.