Commission for Educational Exchange

Between the United States of America and Belgium

The US Experience:

doctoral research and post doc

2012

Education Advising Center

Website

Email - Phone

Outreach

Resource Library

Fulbright Grants

Research

Journalism

European Union

Language Teaching Assistant

Mission

• Wide array of options

• Flexibility

• Internationalize your CV

• Opportunity to travel to the US

Why go to the US

Commission for Educational Exchange

Between the United States of America and Belgium

The US Experience:

post doc

Purpose of a Post Doc/Research

1. Further training

2. Broaden research experience

3. Enhance teaching effectiveness

4. Make contacts with peers in field

5. Gain experience in grant writing

6. Opportunity to publish and position yourself for a full-time position

Purpose of a Post Doc/Research

1. Research Associate – Usually in sciences

– Employment not training

– Tax implications

2. Fellowships (sciences vs. humanities) Specifically for training or research

Training grant can come from university, federal agency, or foundation or association

1. Internships/Apprentinceships

2. Jobs in the industry

3. Instructor positions

4. Assistant professor

Types of Post doc positions

Usually in sciences

Employment not training

Tax implications

Research Associate

Specifically for training or research

Fellowships (sciences vs. humanities)

More $ for sciences

Science duration can be longer

In sciences can be skill acquisition

Training grant can come from:

university

federal agency

foundation

association

Fellowships

Network with your own contacts first

Whose direction/scope appeals to you?

What impact does this individual have in this field?

Speak with present or

past students/postdocs

Is this field growing?

What next?

Searching for a postdoc advisor?

Contact a year before you will finish your degree More funding resources, number of positions with that

adviser, incentive to finish!

Write them a cover letter stating your interest in them as an adviser and how you are a good match

Show them how you will help find funding

Contacting potential advisors

Keep them informed of your progress

Be realistic about when you can actually arrive

Duration of training?

Goals during training?

Salary? Health care?

Visa? Family status? Student or professor?

What can you ‘take with you’

Are you working on their project or your original works?

Collaboration with others?

Once you have an advisor

Take your exams early in case you need to re-take

Make a chart comparing programs

Look at articles to see who is publishing + where

Describe your academic fit with institution

Take time to reflect

Tips about Post Docs

1. Choose 4-6 universities & contact each one.

2. Determine if any tests are needed to apply & take them (TOEFL/IELTS or GRE/GMAT).

3. Look for financial support.

3 Simultanious Actions

Commission for Educational Exchange

Between the United States of America and Belgium

Funding:

doctoral research and post doc

March 19, 2012

1. Personal funding

2. Loan

o From a bank

o From Lazard Foundation in Belgium

3. Fellowship from U.S. university

o Research assistantship

o Teaching assistantship

o Work Study (20 hrs/wk)

4. Scholarship from other organizations

◦ Fulbright

◦ BAEF

◦ Rotary

◦ Etc.

How to finance your studies

• Shrinking endowements

– Less money available to fund Ph.Ds + post docs

• Poor employment prospects

• Find your perfect match!

Does the Econ Crisis effect you?

Write your own grant: autonomy, goals, ownership

Look for as many funding sources as possible but check the conditions of the award?

Visa restrictions??

Can you combine the grant with other awards?

Thoughts on Financial support

• Tuition or Fee Waivers

– Tuition could cost up to 45,000USD

– Are there fee waivers or teaching assistantships for Ph.D candidates?

• Health insurance coverage?(avg 1500USD)

• Support to attend conferences?

Funding

• Federal Science

– NRC Reseaerch associateship programs (scence, engineering, atmospheric, aeronautic, OSHA, Energy, NOAA

– National Science Foundation

– National Labs (ex. Lawrence-Livermore, Los Alamos)

– National Academy of Engineering

– American Western Universities (AWU)

Funding Post Docs: Science

• NIH

• NSF

• HHMI

• Foundations for disease research: American Cancer Society, Parkinson’s Disease Foundation, Leukemia Society, March of Dimes

• Industry: Pharma companies like Pfizer, DuPont, Amgen, Genentech, SAIC, Merck, etc

• General med research: Damon Runyon, Helen Hay Whitney, Charles King Trust, Jane Coffin Childs, Markey, Life Sciences

Funding Post Docs: Biomedical

• Woodrow Wilson Post Doc Fellowships in Humanities

• Social Sciences Research Council

• American Philosophical Society

• University fellowships: Uchicago, University of California, Cornell (Mellon), Stanford Humanities Fellows, Woodson (African and African American Studies)

• Arts (Ahmanson, Getty)

Funding Post Docs: Humanities

Education Advising Center

Website

Email - Phone

Outreach

Resource Library

Fulbright Grants

Research

Journalism

European Union

Language Teaching Assistant

Mission

Commission for Educational Exchange Between the US +Belgium

“ to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and people of other countries " former Senator J. William Fulbright

established in 1946

Be an ambassador of Belgium to the US

• ‘Study’:

– No Phd yet

• ‘Conduct Research’:

– PhD by time of departure

For Fulbright Grant

• Cash award of a travel grant up to 30,000 USD

• Sickness and accident insurance

• Visa sponsorship

• Prestigious title

Benefits?

• Belgian citizen

• Distinction every year or big distinction in the last year of study

• Must return to Belgium/EU for 2 years following grant

Conditions?

How to apply?

Preliminary Application

Print + Send 3 letters of rec

Final Online Application

Provide letter of affiliation

Notification Interview

o Students, Researchers, Lecturers

oMid-career journalists

o Language teaching assistants

o Secondary school teachers

Who can receive a scholarship?

October 31 Foreign Language Teaching Assistants Program October 31 Frank Boas Scholarships for Harvard October 31 Fulbright - Hays Journalism Grant October 31 Summer Seminar in American Studies March 1 Fulbright Awards for Research Scholars & Lecturers March 1 Fulbright - Schuman Grants March 1 Fulbright Awards for Graduate Study

Deadlines for Fulbright Grant

Education USA – State Dept website

Other Fulbright Commissions

Visit the Commission’s website in your home country

for more information

Austria www.fulbright.at

Belgium and Luxembourg www.fulbright.be

Bulgaria www.fulbright-bg.org

Cyprus: www.fulbright.org.cy

Czech Republic www.fulbright.cz

Denmark www.daf-fulb.dk

Finland www.fulbright.fi

France www.fulbright-france.org

Germany www.fulbright.de

Greece www.fulbright.gr

Hungary www.fulbright.hu

Iceland www.fulbright.is

Ireland www.fulbright.ie

Italy www.fulbright.it

Netherlands www.fulbright.nl

Norway www.fulbright.no

Poland www.fulbright.edu.pl

Portugal www.ccla.pt

Romania www.fulbright.ro

Slovak Republic www.fulbright.sk

Spain www.fulbright.es

Sweden www.fulbright.se

Turkey www.fulbright.org.tr

United Kingdom www.fulbright.co.uk

Russia http://fulbright.ru

Ukraine www.fulbright.org.ua

EducationUSA New FB application

Special Event on Post Docs: Nov 14

Dr. Peter S. Fiske is a scientist, author, lecturer and entrepreneur. He is the author of Put Your Science to WORK! A Take-Charge Career Guide for Scientists and a nationally-renowned writer and lecturer on the subject of careers and career development for PhD scientists and engineers.

“Put Your Science to WORK! Practical career Advice for Early Career”

Wednesday, November 14th 2012 4 – 6 p.m.

KU Leuven Law Faculty room DVI 91.56 Tiensestraat 41

3000 Leuven

Kindly register by Nov 12th to secretary@fulbright.be

Special thanks to…

Judy Garner, Ph.D., Fellow, USC

Opening hours: Monday - Thursday 10:00 – 13:00

Closed to the public on Fridays

Phone calls: 14:00 – 16:00

Royal Library Albert I

Boulevard de L’Empereur, 4, Keizerslaan B-1000 Brussels, Belgium

Tel: +32 (0)2 519.57.72 Fax: +32 (0)2 519.57.73

adviser@fulbright.be www.fulbright.be

Commission for Educational Exchange Between the United States of America and

Belgium