Distinguished Postdoc Mentor Award

Established by the Office of Postdoctoral Scholars in 2009, the Distinguished Postdoc Mentor Award is awarded on an annual basis to faculty members who excel in the mentoring of postdoctoral scholars. A good mentor not only teaches their mentees but also serves as an advocate, advisor and positive role model during the period of direct training and most often, in the following years.

In previous years, the call for nominations was sent during the spring semester. Starting in fall 2019, the call for nominations will be sent during the fall semester. Award winner(s) will be announced in the spring, during the Postdoctoral Research Symposium.

Nominations must be made by a postdoctoral scholar at UB, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Research Institute on Addictions, or Hauptman-Woodward Institute and are limited to one nomination per postdoc per year. Please note that the nomination process has changed. Nominations will be collected in the fall semester and winners will be selected in the spring semester. For this year only, nominations submitted during the spring 2019 semester will automatically be included in this round of nominations. If you submitted a nomination in the spring 2019 semester, you do not need to submit another nomination form.

A nominee must be a faculty member of the University at Buffalo. However, the nominee does not need to be the direct supervisor/PI of the postdoc who is submitting the nomination. Awardees are not eligible to receive the Distinguished Postdoc Mentor Award in consecutive years.

The following attributes will be considered in the selection of award recipients:

• Represents a positive role model.
• Provides intellectual leadership.
• Articulates expectations clearly.
• Is supportive/encouraging.
• Is enthusiastic.
• Is approachable and understanding with a genuine interest in the welfare (scientific and otherwise) of mentee.
• Provides career guidance to mentee and encourages career development awareness.
• Balances sufficient supervision with freedom for mentee to develop independence.
• Promotes responsible conduct of research.
• Facilitates introduction of mentees to others in their field.
• Advocates for postdoctoral welfare and training.

The recipient of the award will be chosen by the Distinguished Postdoc Mentor Award Selection Committee, chaired by Luis Colón and will also consist of faculty and postdocs. The award recipient will be recognized with a plaque at the Postdoctoral Research Symposium.