Learning Sessions (PALS)
Skill Building for Postdocs
During our course runs on edX, learners can join a regional-, institutional-, or discipline-focused Postdoc Academy Learning Session (PALS). PALS are small groups of postdocs who meet once per week in-person or virtually throughout the six-week course.
Learning Sessions
Postdoc Academy learning communities enhance online learning by connecting content directly to the postdocs’ local context & community and promote deeper reflection of the material.
PALS participants are four times more likely to complete the course! These participants also often feel they have gained a new community of peers and many continue to keep in touch after our Learning Sessions.
This spring 2024, the following PALS will be running during our edX course (please note PALS all run on slightly different schedules):
Global PALS (Open, virtual) – 3-4pm ET, meets Mondays, March 25th–May 6
Biomedical PALS (Discipline, virtual) – Time TBD (will be in afternoon/early evening)
Boston University PALS (Institutional, virtual) – 2:30-3:30pm ET, meets Mondays, March 18th–April 22nd
Central New York PALS (Regional, in person at Syracuse University) – see PALS registration form to decide time
MSU+ PALS (Regional, tentatively hybrid) – 1-2pm ET, meets Wednesday, March 20–May 1
SPHERE Humanities/Social Sciences PALS (Discipline, virtual) – meets Wednesdays, 12-1pm ET, March 20–May 1
Monday, 9-10am CT, March 18–April 29
Southeast Regional PALS (Regional, Hybrid) – Wednesdays, 9-10am ET, start date March 27
St. Jude PALS (Institutional, In-person first and last session at ARC M1101), – 9-10am CT, begins Friday, March 22
Virginia-wide PALS (Regional, virtual) – meets Mondays, 12-1 PM ET, March 25–May 6
Wash U St. Louis: Danforth Campus (Institutional, in person) – meets Monday, 9-10am CT, March 18–April 29
Wash U St. Louis: Medical Campus (Institutional, in person) – Monday, 9-10am CT, March 18–April 29
Check back in the next few weeks as we update this list!
Facilitate a Learning Session
PALS Facilitators agree to uphold the following:
1. Create an environment for learning through reflection and discussion
2. Promote equitable participation of all members
3. Build trust and create a sense of community
PALS can be led by a postdoc, a faculty/staff member with a postdoc, or any leader(s) at an institution(s). If you are interested in facilitating a regional-, discipline-, or institutional-focused PALS, please complete the form linked here. The information collected helps us learn more about your institution and postdocs for reporting and tracking to NIH.
Facilitator Guide
The Facilitator Guides are specific to each online course and contains suggestions for discussion topics, reflection prompts and learning activities designed to explore the content and encourage postdocs to situate the learning within their context. We encourage you to use the guide flexibly to fit the goals, purpose and needs of your community. The guides can be downloaded using the following buttons.