Postdoctoral scholars working at CCB come from all over the world and bring diverse scientific backgrounds and ideas to our laboratories. Our research community is collegial and collaborative. Together with the broad range of affiliations across the Boston area, this provides our postdocs with unparalleled resources, facilities, and opportunities in chemistry and chemical biology.

Events for postdocs

Seminars

CCB invites distinguished speakers from around the world for our Woodward Departmental Colloquium, Harvard/MIT Inorganic Chemistry Seminar Series, and more to present their work and interact with our scientists. Our trainees participate in the series by engaging with the speakers in small groups as well as speaking in the series.

Graduate Student Symposium

The annual CCB Graduate Student Symposium is a full-day event that includes short seminars, networking opportunities, and poster sessions. CCB postdocs may join the planning committee to help organize and run the event, apply to deliver a research talk, and/or present a poster.

Resources for postdocs

FAS Office for Postdoctoral Affairs

The FAS Office for Postdoctoral Affairs serves postdocs, college fellows, and research associates across all Harvard-affiliated schools, centers, and institutes in Cambridge. They help postdocs to reach their career and professional development goals, and serve as a resource to campus constituents on postdoc life and work.

HMS Office for Postdoctoral Fellows

Through a combination of administrative initiatives and educational activities, the HMS/HSDM Office for Postdoctoral Fellows helps postdoctoral fellows obtain the skills they need to pursue both academic and non-traditional careers in science and beyond. The office provides both career development guidance and ancillary research skills instruction.

CCB Graduate Student & Postdoc Council

The Graduate Student & Postdoc Council is the official representative body for students and postdocs in CCB and ensures all community members, including postdoctoral fellows, have a voice. The GPC advocates for resources and support from departmental leadership, and organizes academic, career, and social events to help participants build networks across labs and beyond the University. 

FAS Postdoctoral Association

CCB postdocs can participate in the FAS Postdoctoral Association, a community run by postdocs that raises awareness of various career options and organizes networking events. Through their activities, they help integrate postdocs into the Boston Postdoc Community and build links with the National Postdoc Association.

Association of Postdoc Fellows at HMS

The Harvard Medical Postdoc Association unites postdocs in their common interests and shared concerns. They connect postdocs with common interests through mailing lists and in-person events, raise awareness of intramural and extramural resources, and create opportunities for career development and networking.

Corporate Recruiting

Every August, CCB hosts 20 to 30 companies for our corporate recruiting program. Postdoctoral scholars who are ready for the next phase of their career may participate in company overview sessions, networking events, and individual interviews for current position openings.

Funding for postdocs

The HMS Office for Postdoctoral Affairs hosts a list of funding opportunities for postdocs.

The Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology hosts a list of organizations that offer funding for postdocs.

The Research Development team compiles notable funding opportunities for postdocs, workshops and trainings, and tools for postdocs to find funding that fits their needs (e.g., Pivot, a searchable funding database, including Federal, private and international sources)

Postdoctoral Awards for Professional Development (PAPD)

CCB postdocs can apply for PAPD to support their professional development needs through Harvard’s FAS Office of Postdoctoral Affairs. These awards provide reimbursement for activities such as courses, or travel to conferences and workshops, that cannot be funded by the individual’s PI.

Administrative support

The CCB Office of Faculty & Academic Affairs supports postdoctoral fellows by providing HR and logistical support, including questions concerning the appointment and reappointment process, visa sponsorship, payroll, taxes, maternal and paternal leave, and health and University benefits.

If you are a CCB postdoc and have questions about visa sponsorship, contact Joe Lavin, Associate Director of Academic Affairs. For general information, check out Harvard Benefits, Special HR Resources for Postdocs, the Harvard Tax Office, and Harvard International Office (HIO) for questions about how to make a home here in the U.S.

Join our department

Individuals interested in a postdoctoral appointment should write directly to the faculty member whose research is of most interest. Each faculty member's contact information and website can be found on our people page. Harvard is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Looking for a specific postdoc? You can find individual profiles on lab websites.