Beyond OPF: External Events
External Events & Professional Development
This page is used to advertise non-OPF Events and Announcements that may be of interest to our community. Please contact us if you wish to have an announcement or event posted here.
Date & Time: Wednesday, August 12, 2026 , 1:00 p.m. ET
Navigating data management, especially for qualitative and multi-method work, can sometimes feel overwhelming — but it doesn't have to be. This webinar offers a practical, postdoc-focused introduction to the Qualitative Data Repository (QDR), housed at Syracuse University. It will cover everything from what kinds of data are a good fit for QDR, to how the deposit and curation process actually works. We'll share concrete tips on what to think about before you begin field or archival data collection, how to keep yourself organized during the project, and how to ensure consistency across a research team. You'll also leave with a clear sense of how to describe your data archiving plans in funding proposals and informed consent scripts. By the end of this session, you'll be equipped to evaluate your data sharing options, know when to bring in your local data librarian or QDR's curation team for assistance, and confidently build qualitative data sharing into your research practice for the rest of your academic career. Whether you're in the planning stages of a new project or already deep in your research, this session will include helpful ideas for all.
Speaker: Dessislava (Dessi) Kirilova, associate director, Qualitative Data Repository
Kirilova is the associate director of the Qualitative Data Repository (QDR) housed at Syracuse University, where she has been a core member of the team since QDR's founding in 2012. Originally trained as a social scientist, she works to educate and assist social, behavioral, and health science researchers interested in making their data shareable in ethical and methodologically sound ways. In her time at QDR, she has contributed to shaping the repository's policies and acquisitions outreach, and has provided ongoing curatorial support for depositors, including on matters involving human participants. She has also been a key researcher on the "Working with Sensitive Research Data" initiative and has co-authored work on epistemically responsible publication and reuse of qualitative data. She presents regularly at conferences and workshops across a wide range of disciplinary fields, helping researchers navigate the practical and ethical dimensions of qualitative data management and sharing. Her work sits at the intersection of research practice, data curation, and open science.
Date & Time: Tuesday, August 25, 2026, 3 p.m. ET
Take the intimidation out of networking and career exploration. This seminar reframes “networking” and “informational interviews” as approachable conversations that help you gather insights, explore career paths, and build meaningful professional relationships. Using a research-minded approach, participants will learn how to treat career exploration like a scientific process: asking questions, gathering information through conversations, and making informed decisions about future opportunities. We will also discuss the importance of building relationships early - long before a job search begins. Participants will leave with practical strategies and greater confidence in exploring careers and connecting with professionals.
Speakers: Ellen Dobson, Ph.D., GCDF, postdoctoral & graduate program manager, Morgridge Institute for Research; Jevin Lortie, Ph.D., career advisor, University of Wisconsin-Madison
The Harvard undergraduate Neuroscience concentration is hiring new instructors to teach our Neuroscience seminar courses for the Spring 2027 semester. Instructors have the opportunity to create and teach a course on a topic in neuroscience of their choosing. The courses meet just once a week (2 hours) and emphasize reading, presenting, and discussing scientific literature (like a journal club but with interspersed lectures to provide background for the articles). The courses are small (<12 students) with a great deal of rewarding, personalized instruction. More details and the official application are attached.
This is an excellent opportunity to gain teaching experience, pilot ideas for future courses, interact with the undergraduate community, and earn extra money along the way (stipend ~$13,150).
Tutors typically take on this teaching responsibility in addition to their own research duties and position responsibilities. If you are interested, please complete the application (see instructions attached) and return it to Dr. Laura Magnotti (magnotti@fas.harvard.edu) by Friday, August 28th, 2026.
Please note:
- If you are supported by a NIH-NIGMS Fellowship, you cannot be paid for teaching.
- If you are on a H-1B visa, you cannot teach.
Feel free to email Dr. Magnotti (magnotti@fas.harvard.edu) with any questions.
More information can be found here.
What if your next research talk was in an art museum?
Science in the Galleries is an experimental science+art communication program at the Harvard Art Museums, culminating in a public event on December 12, 2026. We’re recruiting PhD students and postdocs in the life sciences to give a five‑minute talk for museum visitors, using one artwork from the museum’s collection as both the starting point and the sole visual for their story.
Applications are open until September 20. Learn more and apply here:
https://sites.google.com/g.harvard.edu/scientists-in-the-galleries/home