Posted on January 22, 2024 by childrenslearninginstitute
UTHealth Houston President’s Excellence in Postdoctoral Research Award
The 2023 President’s Excellence in Postdoctoral Research Symposium recognized Sarah Surrain, PhD, for her award-winning submission and presentation. This annual event, hosted by the Postdoctoral Association, provides an opportunity for current postdoctoral research fellows to hone their skills before a panel of faculty judges.
The event’s competitive application process required the submission of numerous documents detailing the postdoc’s research. A panel of five faculty members from varying departments carefully reviewed and scored each item:
- Signed letter of nomination from faculty mentor summarizing the postdoc’s work and qualifications (25%)
- Current curriculum vitae and additional relevant accomplishments (25%)
- Scientific and lay abstracts written by the nominee (50%):
- Scientific abstract of conducted research, including an introduction, methods, results, and discussion
- Lay summary of the research program, its scientific or scholarly significance, and its relationship to career goals
Five finalists were selected and invited to provide a ten-minute presentation at the annual symposium, followed by a five-minute period of questions and answers. Each finalist was ranked using a matrix designed for the oral presentation competition. Upon receiving the highest score, the UTHealth Houston President’s Excellence in Postdoctoral Research Award first-place honor was awarded to Dr. Surrain, along with a $3,000 cash prize.
