Jul 9, 2009

Reminder -Entrepreneurial Postdoc Fellow Appointment

This announcement went out to about a dozen LANL TSM's earlier this week. In the interest of ensuring a robust competition to select the very highest-quality postdocs for this new fellowship, I wanted to bring it to the attention of the wider community.
-Anonymous
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From: postdocprogram@lanl.gov
Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:47:02 -0600
Subject: Reminder -Entrepreneurial Postdoc Fellow Appointment

This is a reminder that the deadline to submit a candidate package for the Entrepreneurial Postdoc Fellow appointment is July 21st! We hope to receive a number of submissions!

Thank you!

_____________________________________________________________________________

Good afternoon!

Thank you for your interest in the development of a new Postdoctoral Fellow opportunity, the Entrepreneurial Postdoc Fellow. Many of you attended one of the two informational sessions offered and for those who attended, you were extremely helpful in providing input and suggestions which we have incorporated into our launch materials.

Sponsored by the Postdoc Program Office in coordination with the Technology Transfer (TT) Division, this new postdoc category will provide the opportunity to collaborate with LANL scientists and engineers who are performing research in areas that have strong potential for commercial applications. Special emphasis will be given to projects which could create a new business start-up in Northern New Mexico.

In addition to conducting research with their identified LANL technical PI/mentor, recipients of these fellow appointments will interact with Technology Transfer (TT) Division staff on a regular basis. TT staff and partners will provide the unique training and hands-on experience in complementary components of the selected postdoc’s research regarding the technology commercialization process.

Appointments will be for two years, with the possibility of a third year extension. Current Laboratory postdocs who have been at the Laboratory two years or less are eligible to apply for this opportunity. A complete description of the program is attached.

We are pleased to announce the launch of a pilot of this program, and will be accepting applications for this fellowship opportunity during the August review cycle, with packages due to the Postdoc Office no later than July 21, 2009. As stated in the info sessions, the application package will include all of the information required for all postdoctoral appointment categories with the addition of a memo highlighting the qualifications of the candidate for this particular fellowship. The following is the documentation required:
  • Candidate Summary Form - all packages must be clearly marked as a EPD
  • submission
  • Nomination Memo
  • Additional Memo highlighting qualifications for the Entrepreneurial
  • Postdoc Fellow appointment
  • Research Proposal
  • Three Letters of Recommendations
  • CV
  • Citation Information
  • Transcripts
If you have any additional questions, please do not hesitate to contact either of us.

Thank you!

Mary Anne With, Postdoc Program Office
Belinda Padilla, Technology Transfer Division

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

I had always assumed that one of my responsibilities to my post-docs was to make sure that they were positioned to get a decent job when their appointment expired. To me, that meant giving them assignments that would produce publication in refereed journals so that they might be able to obtain tenure-track positions at decent universities. Along with at, I give them some programmatic work so that they can prove themselves for possible conversion to LANL staff.

This entrepreneural appointment would seem to not lead to the experience and credentials required to obain a tenure-track appointment.

Anonymous said...

No doubt "his majesty" Steve Girrens has his stamp on this one. LANS rehired Girrens back as the Technology Transfer Division Leader back from his 1-year failed attempt an entrepeneurship in industry and his absolute failure as the ESA-Division Leader. It's appalling the we re-hired this guy back at LANS given his track record, but it all fits LANS. It's also obvious Girrens is trying to lure the post-docs into a dead-end track and future in his "empire", I mean division.

Anonymous said...

TT Division at LANL is a sad joke, and an expensive one at that! Some of the people that have worked in this office should be considered to be little more than petty crooks and sleazy confidence men.

Stay far away from these people!

Anonymous said...

I understand that Bernie Madoff has a nephew who might be interested in this PostDoc position in TT.

Anonymous said...

NUTS. This adds another dimension to the commercialization of intellectual property the lab produces. The lab needs to make this process viable...Scripps has an army taking care of IP....we need to create this independant of the mother ship- i.e., DOE. This is clearly (no facts volunteered) a good idea. Don't be short sighted, let's see how this evolves.

Anonymous said...

WHy only send out a reminder to a dozen staff (and the first notice to the rest of the LANL staff) a mere two weeks before the packages would be due? This sounds sketchy and pre-ordained for the friends and family plan. Since Anthony Burrell (MPA-MC) was one of the selected dozen on the original email distribution, my guess is that Caldera Pharmaceuticals is picked and Burrell and Caldera President and Former MPA-MC employee Ben Warner get picked to jointly mentor a postdoc under this program. Please bookmark this to see if my corruption theory turns out to be true. Truth will out!

Anonymous said...

From Thursday's LANL News Bulletin, LANS announces their latest pick for an open AD position.

Retired Navy man? Check.
Ring-Knocker? Check.
Bechtel manager? Check.
Lack of a Phd? Check.
Six Sigma Zealot? Check.

If you work at LANL, you know the routine pretty well by now:

==========
Barth named associate director for Business Services Succeeds Doris Heim - July 9, 2009
==========

Mark Barth, new associate director for Business Services

Mark Barth begins working at the Laboratory Monday (July 13) as the new associate director for Business Services. He succeeds Doris Heim, who has taken a new Bechtel assignment in Frederick, Maryland.

"I am optimistic that Mark's familiarity with the Laboratory and the Department of Energy and National Nuclear Security Administration operating environments will enable him to further the business services efficiency enhancements that we have initiated,” said Director Michael Anastasio.

Prior to joining the Laboratory, Barth held various positions related to nuclear marketing and business development within the Bechtel group of companies. A Six Sigma site champion, Barth directed the Indirect, Capital, and Readiness in Technical Base & Facilities (RTBF) programs at the BWXT, LLC Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. He also managed the RTBF and the U1a Underground Experiment Complex programs and comanaged the Laboratory’s REBOUND Subcritical Nuclear Experiment at Bechtel Nevada Corporation in Las Vegas.

Barth has a master’s degree in business administration from Auburn University and a bachelor’s degree in oceanography from the U.S. Naval Academy. He also is a registered mechanical engineer and a member of the American Nuclear Society and the Project Management Institute.


...............

And then, there was this little nugget of joy from Thursday's Bulletin informing everyone what a terrific job LANS has done improving "work life through continuous process improvement with Lean Six Sigma".

Don't laugh -- LANS really believes they are making things better than ever at LANL:

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Authorities process now streamlined - July 9, 2009
==========

By tightening up the authorities process, the Laboratory successfully completed another of Director Michael Anastasio’s initiatives to improve work life through continuous process improvement with Lean Six Sigma.

Significant changes were made to the authorities process based on findings from a Lean Six Sigma Process Improvement Project, Associate Director for Business Services Doris Heim said significant changes made include:

* Most authorities now can be assigned for two years instead of for one year. This cuts in half the number of times authorities must be reassigned. The only exceptions are authorities that require annual training.

* Divisions will now be able to identify signature authorities, which move with a person when she or he transfers from one group to another or changes job codes within the division. This modification will reduce the amount of work time lost due to internal transfers.

* The grace period during which authorities stay in place for the employees when managers move has been extended from 7 days to 14. A longer transition period ensures that work continues smoothly after the manager leaves. The new manager will be responsible for assigning authorities within 14 days.

Anonymous said...

Did Mikey's precious sports car get any hail damage in this weeks' hail storm? More importantly, did LANS purchase of an executive car insurance policy cover the damage for him?

Anonymous said...

You see these short notice position openings all the time at LANL. Yeah, this one has obviously been hand picked for the "friends and family" plan.

Anonymous said...

More waste associated with G&A at work here. We could save %300M in G&A by getting rid of tech transfer. It doesn't help this institution.

Anonymous said...

12:42 PM, YES, YES, and YES... a new 3.2 TT with that new body styling is just the ticket. Flaming red...err, I mean "Brilliant Red." With a newly designed stainless steel covered parking area with optional siding (just in case).