Institutional Memberships

The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs sponsors the following memberships, free to all UNC postdocs. You must use your UNC email address to sign up for your free membership.

National Postdoctoral Association

The National Postdoctoral Association (NPA) is a professional association that provides a unique, national voice for postdoctoral scholars. Founded in 2003, the NPA has an ambitious agenda to enhance the quality of the postdoctoral experience. Since its founding, the NPA has assumed a leadership role in addressing the many issues confronting the postdoctoral community that are national in scope, requiring action beyond the local level. Key alliances are being forged at all levels, and new standards and policies proposed by NPA are being considered and adopted by federal agencies and research institutions throughout the U.S.

The UNC Office of Postdoctoral Affairs holds institutional membership in the National Postdoctoral Association (NPA). As an institutional member of NPA, all UNC postdocs are members of the NPA and enjoy access to programs, services, and resources offered by the association.

Want to become a member of NPA? All postdoctoral scholars at UNC Chapel Hill qualify for a free affiliate membership in the National Postdoctoral Association (NPA). Register for your free affiliate membership today. This offer applies to students and alumni. In effect, anyone who has an email address ending with an institutional e-mail address can join the NPA for free.

• Affiliate membership
• Membership instructions

NPA (National Postdoc Association) Resources

• NPA Core Competencies
• Work-Life Resources addressing topics that range from career planning to diversity to retirement.
• Mentoring Plans for Postdoctoral Scholars – toolkit for mentors
• Diversity Programs & Resources – resources and fellowship opportunities
• Resources for International Postdocs – International Postdoc Survival Guide and other publications and resources
• POSTDOCket — NPA’s quarterly newsletter

The Versatile PhD

The Versatile PhD mission is to help graduate students and postdocs identify, prepare for, and excel in professional careers outside of academia. The Versatile PhD provides unique and instructive content, networks, job analytics and readiness tools.

The site includes:

• PhD Career Finder — Provides information about careers in various disciplines.
• The PhD Pathways Webinar Series – Provides an “outside the academy” perspective on career preparation and opportunities across a range of skills, trends and industries.
• Members Directory — Is searchable and can assist in networking.
• Meetups — Which occur regularly in many cities across North America.
• MyVPhD — Lets you manage your account and sign up for email notifications of forum discussions and/or jobs.

National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity (NCFDD)

NCFDD is an independent faculty development center dedicated to providing external mentoring, professional development, and a supportive community for advanced graduate students, postdocs, and faculty members across institutions. Visit the website and register as an Institutional Sub-Account Member. You must use your UNC email address for registration.

• The Monday Motivator – A weekly message that reinforces core ideas presented in webinars and provides support for individuals making the transition to a faculty position.
• Webinars – Monthly 60-90 minute Guest Expert professional development sessions.
• Multi-Week Courses – Intensive workshop series guided by expert facilitators.
• Discussion Forum – A place for members to connect, share information, peer-mentor, problem solve, and celebrate each others’ success.
• The Library – A resource that provides transcripts, slides, and audio recordings of past webinars.
• Career Center – Search job openings, subscribe to new posting notifications in your field, and learn more about the job search process.
• Resources – Recommended readings, writing clubs, productivity apps, and more.

Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning (CIRTL)

Are you a graduate student or postdoctoral scholar thinking about a career in higher education?

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a member of a network of research universities committed to preparing outstanding future faculty with the ultimate goal of improving undergraduate education. Our membership in this network enables graduate students and postdocs to take advantage of career development courses and workshops offered locally & online by other network member institutions, build your teaching portfolio and gain a competitive edge for the academic job market through teaching-related learning communities.

Learn more about CIRTL.

Beyond the Professoriate

Beyond the Professoriate is the only online professional development training platform for graduate students, postdocs, faculty, and PhDs that helps them successfully transition into academic or nonacademic careers. This research-driven platform is informed by nearly a decade of experience supporting PhDs to launch new careers with their skills and training. Trusted by 60+ institutions (and growing), Beyond Prof’s Career Training Platform helps grad students and PhDs leverage their education into meaningful careers, whether in academia or beyond the professoriate.

Linkedin Learning

With access to over 20,000 expert-led courses, LinkedIn Learning can help you gain new skills and advance your career. You can receive course recommendations tailored to your professional development needs, including essential communication skills, project management, managing a team, persuasive writing, and more. Get unlimited access to their entire course library anywhere, anytime.