Save the date for National Postdoc Appreciation Week (NPAW)! This week will be filled with great events in honor of postdocs. Hosted in partnership with the Careers Pathways Office, come for a full week of networking, connecting and celebrating, as well as a free lunch voucher and the special NPAW gift.
National Laboratories Postdoctoral Leadership Community of Practice NPAW Meeting
Thursday, September 17, 9:00-10:00
Virtual (Microsoft Teams)
The NLPL-CoP is an organization of postdocs across the national lab system with the goal of increasing dialogue and collaboration between labs. This meeting will include a short presentation from the National Postdoctoral Association (NPA), announcements from the NLPL-CoP, and an opportunity for an open discussion between postdocs from our 17 national laboratories. Come join us to network, present ideas, or provide feedback on how NLPL can facilitate collaboration between labs and improve the postdoc experience.
Official NPAW Photo and Trivia Contest
Monday, September 21, 12:00-13:00
Building 91, 3rd floor terrace
Free gift: Building 91, 1st floor, 11:30-13:00
Marking the start of NPAW, we will have an official group photo followed by a friendly trivia contest. Test your knowledge of Berkeley Lab history and science. Additionally, the Career Pathways Office (CPO) is providing all postdocs with a free gift of a Berkeley Lab souvenir and a lunch voucher (to be spent at the food trucks any time this week). But you must collect it in person (from the 1st floor, between 11:30 and 13:00), so make sure to come and join the festivities while you’re here.
National Postdoc Association 2026 NPAW Kickoff Panel
“150 Years of U.S. Postdocs: Issues of Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow”
Tuesday, September 22, 10:00-11:00
Virtual (register here)
Board members of the NPA, national host of NPAW, will dive into issues facing the postdoctoral community today, while keeping one eye toward the past and another toward the future. Leaders at institutions that house postdocs and postdoctoral scholars themselves will honor and celebrate the hard work being conducted today by researchers, explore the adversity faced by many, and imagine positive changes the future can bring through intentional collective efforts.
Games, Cornhole, and Ping-Pong Competition
Tuesday, September 22, 12:00-13:00
Building 91, 3rd floor
Free gift: Building 91, 1st floor, 11:30-13:00
Gather again for further opportunity for fun and competition for the NPAW festivities. Also, if you couldn’t get your lunch voucher and free NPAW gift on Monday, you can also collect it today (1st floor, 11:30-13:00).
Berkeley Lab Research SLAM
Wednesday, September 23, 15:00-17:30
Building 50 Auditorium, followed by Building 91, 3rd floor
Free gift: Building 91, 1st floor, 11:00-12:00
Join us for the main event of NPAW at LBNL, where 12 postdoc finalists will deliver engaging presentations of their research in only 3 minutes. Come to cheer on the postdocs from your area and vote in the People’s Choice awards. Stay around afterwards for the reception, with food, drinks, and the award ceremony.
P.S. Your last chance to collect your NPAW gift is today, Building 91 1st floor, 11:00-12:00.
PoSTDOC Seminar Series – Peter Winegar – Biosynthesis and Synthetic Biology
Thursday, September 24, 10:00-11:00
Building 66 Room 316, or Zoom (link)
We continue to promote the science of postdocs with the Postdoc Science & Technology DoE Outreach & Colloquium (PoSTDOC) Seminar Series. This cross-national-lab initiative showcases the research of postdocs in a friendly seminar format. For NPAW, we are privileged to host Peter Winegar from Berkeley Lab, who will be sharing his research on bioengineering yeast to create new pharmaceuticals.
JBEI NPAW Lunch
Thursday, September 24, 12:00-13:00
Emeryville station East
Not on the main site? No problem. CPO is coming to JBEI to provide an exclusive lunch for the postdocs there. Take a little time to appreciate being a postdoc.
Karaoke
Friday, September 25, 17:00-19:00
Building 91 Room 310
Finally, cap off NPAW with some Friday night karaoke and a pizza dinner. That’s right, free pizza (while supplies last). Get together, have some fun, and bring your favorite songs to celebrate being a postdoc.