Advocacy Committee
What do we do?
The Advocacy Committee advocates for improved postdoc benefits and policies to administration and the university community. The committee works to identify areas of need for Penn postdocs by conducting surveys and town halls, and through collection of public testimony. For a summary of our recent initiatives, please see pennpostdocs.com/advocacy.
How can you get involved?
Email the Advocacy Committee chair with any great ideas you have or to find out more about what you can do to get more involved! Now is a particularly great time to get involved as this committee currently has an open call for all member roles.
Members
Conflict Navigation and Self-Advocacy
In 2026, the PPA Advocacy Committee expanded its work on postdoc workplace experience by focusing on conflict navigation, power imbalances, and self-advocacy. Previous feedback from Penn postdocs highlighted that workplace conflicts frequently involve PIs or supervisors, where differences in authority can make it difficult for postdocs to raise concerns, communicate needs, or identify appropriate resources.
To help postdocs navigate these situations more effectively, the committee organized a case-based conflict navigation event in collaboration with Penn’s Office of the Ombuds. Rather than focusing only on university policies or formal complaint processes, the event used realistic scenarios to discuss how postdocs can assess difficult situations, communicate across power differences, manage conflict constructively, and decide when and how to seek additional support.
The discussion also introduced postdocs to available university resources and created space for participants to think through practical strategies for common challenges such as managing up, setting boundaries, addressing communication breakdowns, and advocating for themselves while maintaining productive professional relationships.
This event reflects the committee’s broader goal of combining institutional advocacy with practical tools that strengthen postdocs’ ability to navigate their everyday working environment. The committee plans to continue developing programming around workplace conflict, mentorship, and postdoc agency based on community feedback.
This page was adapted from and inspired by the work of the Yale Postdoc Association’s Chairs & Subcommittees pages. We encourage you to explore their website if you are a member of another postdoc association looking for inspiration!