PDA Newsletter January 2026

[Danlei Chen]

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🍕 PIZZA HOUR with the PDA!

Happy 2026, everyone! Let’s kick off the new year with some pizza! Come hang out with fellow postdocs, catch up on updates from PDA officers, and enjoy free pizza courtesy of the PDA. Register<https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfGPdgh08l-lNgvuh3530YjRFrGet1k1msP7YvHrNsvBB-_HA/viewform?usp=header> to help us get a headcount for pizza.

When: 12:30pm-1:30pm, Tuesday, January 27th
Where: In person @ 56-167 *Note the change in location*
Register: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfGPdgh08l-lNgvuh3530YjRFrGet1k1msP7YvHrNsvBB-_HA/viewform?usp=header

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🪩 Welcome Back Party!

To start 2026 with a bang, the PDA will be throwing a welcome back party for all of our postdocs! Featuring MIT's own postdoc D.J., Zach Rogers on the decks, join us for some funky beats and a fun night out!

When: 7-10pm, Thursday, January 22nd  (+ onwards if you like!)
Where: The Lilypad,  Cambridge
Bring: 21+ ID
RSVP to get important event update: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeyVY8GluI91mzGXd8YQeOa0ZJokRSL28nOS-9kAsigiROvWQ/viewform

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📈Postdoc Salary Increase and Mentorship Guidebook

Vice President for Research Ian Waitz recently announced an upcoming increase to MIT’s minimum salary for postdoctoral scholars. Effective July 1, 2026, the new minimum salary will be $73,308. For more details, see: https://orgchart.mit.edu/letters/minimum-salarystipend-postdocs.

Equally exciting, the Office of the Vice President for Research, in collaboration with the PDA and faculty, has developed a Guide for MIT Postdocs and Faculty Advisors. The guide outlines roles and expectations for postdocs and advisors, offers practical mentoring and communication tips, highlights resources and policies, and provides strategies for professional development and navigating challenges or conflicts that may arise during your postdoc. Check it out here: https://postdocs.mit.edu/document/guide-mit-postdocs-and-faculty-advisors

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📖 The European Club presents: book Club — Time Themed

Join the European Club this January and February 2026 to read two internationally acclaimed, award-winning novels that explore the theme of time, one from Bulgaria and one from Denmark. There is a deadline for ordering books through the club, but if you get your own copy, you’re welcome to join at any time.
Book 1: Time Shelter – A novel about a mysterious clinic where each floor meticulously recreates a different decade of the past.
Book 2: On the Calculation of Volume – The story of a woman trapped in a single day, forced to relive it over and over.

Free food will be provided at all book club meetings! RSVP to stay in the loop about details and reminders!

When:   7-8:30pm, Tuesday, January 20th
    11am-12:30pm, Saturday, January 31st
    7-8:30pm, Thursday, February 12th
Where:  TBD (please RSVP)
RSVP: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf0jrDRrzizaF0HF6JJV9ilikszLEHXWJOOSbf-6CM8GsoTLA/viewform?usp=publish-editor

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  🎲 Postdoc Board Games Night!

Need a way to help fight off the January blues and meet new people? Join our monthly Postdoc Board Games Night!

Our next Postdoc Board Games Night will be taking place on Wednesday, January 28th. Our monthly event brings together postdocs from across MIT to relax and have some fun together. We gather after work to eat free food and play some games – everything from Jenga to Risk (you decide how intense an evening you’d like). We have a selection of games, but feel free to bring your own games from home to play!

When : 6-8pm, Wednesday, January 28th
Where : 68-181
What : Board games + pizza

For questions, please reach out to pda-community at mit.edu<mailto:pda-community at mit.edu>.

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 🏃‍♀️ Join the postdoc run club!

It’s that time of year when everyone decides they need to get some more exercise, and what better way to do it than with your fellow postdocs? Come and join us for the weekly postdoc run club!

We meet every weekend (usually Sunday mornings) for a sociable and fun run. Our main aim is to get exercise and make new friends, so every ability is welcome (and no one gets left behind)! We warm up with hot drinks and snacks after the run.

When: 10am Every Sunday (but check our group chats for updates)
Where: ⁠We meet up in front of the main building of MIT (77 Massachusetts Avenue  https://maps.app.goo.gl/vJFb28UffuJw2je8A)
Stay in the loop: You can join our WhatsApp (our most frequently used communication platform) here: https://chat.whatsapp.com/DuVJG7Df7WN4vx6XhCme5e And our slack channel here: https://mit.enterprise.slack.com/archives/C02BH7V8H9D

Our next run will be this Sunday (January 18th) at 10am; come and join us!

See you there 🏃‍♀️💨💨
Bettina & Megan

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 📅 Grad Student Council (GSC) Monthly Events

The Graduate Student Council has kindly put together a monthly event announcement just for postdocs! Many of their events are open to the entire MIT community, and they’ve put a lot of effort into making us feel welcome. It’s a great opportunity to connect with grad students and share interests. Let’s show our appreciation by joining their activities and building stronger ties across our communities!
Check it out here: GSC Event Announcements<http://gsc.mit.edu/current-anno>

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 🎓 New to MIT? Join a Postdoc Orientation!

New postdocs are welcome to sign up for a <https://pda.mit.edu/pins/postdoc-orientation/> Postdoc Orientation<https://pda.mit.edu/pins/postdoc-orientation/>, hosted by the PDA in collaboration with Human Resources and Postdoctoral Services. It will be a great opportunity to meet other new postdocs, learn about postdoc-specific benefits, and ask any questions you may have about Boston MIT.

The orientation sessions are held monthly and you can sign up here<http://web.mit.edu/training/course.html?course=CDT21061c>. Bonus: Lunch and refreshments will be provided! Hope to see you there!

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🌍 Travel Guidance

MIT has prepared travel guidance cards—one version for U.S. citizens and permanent residents, and another for non-citizens and non-residents. We encourage everyone to carry the appropriate version when traveling internationally, as a precaution for the foreseeable future. The reference cards can be found here<https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1YUdTqEYacl5rx8z5EqYXrXGQXm8FHymx?usp=share_link>.
Other resources:
International Travel Guidance – IScho: https://ischo.mit.edu/news/update-international-travel-guidance
Legal Considerations – Office of the General Counsel:
https://ogc.mit.edu/system/files?file=documents/guid_internat_trav_law_enforc_search_leav_enter_mar-2025.pdf&check_logged_in=1
On-Campus Guidance for Interactions with Immigration and Law Enforcement:
https://ogc.mit.edu/system/files/documents/guid_immigr_law_enforc_on_campus_mar-2025_2.pdf
Loaner Laptops for International Travel – IScho:
https://ist.mit.edu/secure-devices-travel

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📢 Reach out to us through slack, email, and instagram!

💬 Join the Slack channel: mit-postdocs.slack.com<https://mit-postdocs.slack.com/>
📧 Email the PDA: contactpda at mit.edu<mailto:contactpda at mit.edu>
📸 Follow us on Instagram: @mitpda<https://www.instagram.com/mitpda/>

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