Adapting DEI content from STEM to Humanities Postdocs

Abstract: Supporting DEI initiatives and promoting positive climates within their work environments represent a crucial part of a postdoc’s professional experience. There is a wealth of content that STEM postdocs can access to gain professional development in this area, including the global Postdoc Academy courses. However, content created at scale often needs to be modified to meet the needs of local conversations and the backgrounds of individual postdocs. In particular, the increased disciplinary diversity of postdoctoral training, especially with the expansion of positions in the humanities, now requires different approaches to how to adapt DEI resources for a new group of postdoctoral peers. This workshop models for postdoctoral administrators how to tailor materials on creating inclusive intercultural environments from the Postdoc Academy for a non-STEM postdoc population. Presenters first describe the key milestones that distinguish humanities, engineering, and hard science PhD and then postdoc experiences. Then participants will break into small groups and discuss a comparison of two case studies: one used in the Postdoc Academy’s existing materials, and one adapted from the materials for a humanities Postdoc audience. Participants end by reflecting together on the effectiveness of these adaptations and also how they might adapt their own existing DEI programming in their institutions to a humanities postdoc audience.