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Huntsman Alliance for Postdocs (HAP)

A peer group started by postdoctoral trainees at Huntsman Cancer Institute. It aims to enhance the postdoctoral experience through professional development. HAP serves as a hub for postdocs and connects them to the broader community at the University of Utah.

Learn More about HAP

Clinical Shadowing

The Office of Cancer Research Training and Education Coordination (CRTEC) at Huntsman Cancer Institute will assist trainees in finding opportunities for clinical shadowing in the cancer care arena.

Learn More about Clinical Shadowing

Postdoc-Focused Events

We hold postdoc-focused events, including a fall postdoc showcase, a spring postdoc social featuring lightening talks, and regular luncheons and off-site social events. These events are designed to foster community and career development for Huntsman Cancer Institute postdoctoral trainees and medical fellows. They also provide the opportunity for ongoing peer-mentoring and community building.

Travel Funds

Cancer Research Training and Education Coordination Travel Awards

Our office provides travel fellowships for PhD and MD postdoctoral fellows to attend the annual meetings of the American Association of Cancer Research and American Society of Clinical Oncology. Our office funds several $1,000 travel awards to offset the cost of attendance. Awards are restricted to postdocs, residents, and fellows, with abstracts already accepted at one of the conferences listed below:

If you are interested in taking advantage of these funds contact us. Travel funds will be awarded on a rolling basis.

Postdoctoral Travel Assistance Awards

The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs can provide up to $500 and reimburse airfare, car mileage (in lieu of airfare), ground transportation fares such as shuttle or taxis, lodging, abstract fees, and conference registration fees. Learn more about the postdoctoral travel assistance awards.

Professional Development

Core Competencies

Postdoctoral training experiences, although highly individualized, have elements in common. The National Postdoctoral Association has articulated the core competencies gained during this training period.

Postdoctoral Core Competencies Faculty assess these in:
Discipline-specific conceptual knowledge
  • Project planning
  • Fellowship applications
  • Journal club presentations
  • Contribution to review critiques
  • Contribution to manuscripts
Research skill development
  • Rigor of experimental design
  • Accuracy in data analysis
Communication skills
  • Seminar and symposia presentations
  • Contribution to manuscripts, reviews
  • Communication with mentor
  • Communication with collaborators
  • Communication with peers
Professionalism
  • Project planning
  • Peer mentorship
Leadership and management skills
  • Project management
  • Goal development
  • Service as role model
Responsible conduct of research
  • Rigorous research practices
  • Data management
  • Responsible authorship

Reflecting on these, and how they are assessed, can help you map your training path. An Individual Development Plan, tailored to your specific training objectives, is also strongly encouraged.

Trainee Grant Repository

A collection of funded K & F grant applications written by trainees. If you are a current trainee applying for a K or F award, and want to see writing samples from funded applications, you may request to view them by contacting us.

Individual Development Plan (IDP)

A tool to help trainees reach short and long-term career goals, as well as improve current job performance. An IDP is not a performance evaluation tool or a one-time activity. It should be seen as a partnership between the trainee and the mentor. It involves preparation and continuous feedback.

Learn more about IDPs

Fellowship & Awards

The Susan Cooper Jones Endowed Fellowship in Cancer Research

This fellowship recognizes a talented post-doctoral trainee or medical fellow who has performed exceptional cancer-focused research during their training. The strongest candidate must have produced a significant body of work during their training. However, an early-stage trainee with exceptional promise will also be considered. The award of $1,000, plus $1,500 to use toward research, is made possible by the generosity of the Susan Cooper Jones family, a young mother who lost her life to cancer.

Each year all faculty members are given the opportunity to nominate a CCSG member. Three post-doctoral fellows are selected in the areas of basic, clinical/translational, and population sciences research.

BREO

Biomedical Research Education Office, University of Utah

The Biomedical Research Education Office (BREO) is proud to offer a wealth of institutional training grant knowledge and resources for Students, Faculty, and Staff.  BREO supports the Health Sciences in managing, preparing, and navigating institutional training grants.  If there are additional resources that you think we should include please let us know.

Learn about additional resources for Postdocs