With tax season at hand, I hope you'll take advantage of the resources we've provided below (and sign up early if you can).
There are also a number of great professional development opportunities afoot this Spring. Join us THIS FRIDAY for a workshop on building our resilience skills for trying times.
1. Workshop: Managing Imposter Fears & Burnout, Fri, Feb 11
The Graduate School, the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs and the Center for Inclusive Education invite you a workshop on
A Resilience Toolkit:
Managing Imposter Fears & Burnout Friday, February 11, 2022
2:00 - 3:30pm
This interactive workshop for postdocs and grad students will help you build up your resilience for managing that burnout we're all feeling. Join us to enhance your skills and connect with other students and postdocs.
2. Workshop: Planning Your Path to a Satisfying Career, Mar 2
You are invited to this semester's Planning Your Path to a Satisfying Career workshop.
Planning Your Path to a Satisfying Career Wed, March 2, 2022
3:00 - 5:00pm
This guided workshop will help postdocs and grad students develop strategies for professional growth by:
Learning strategies to explore a range of careers
Identifying interests and skills relevant to their career goals
Developing an action plan to strengthen skills and pursue their ideal career
Preparing or expanding their Individual Development Plan (IDP)
3. Workshops: US Income Tax for International Scholars, Mar 2 & 9
The Office of Global Affairs, in collaboration with Sprintax, is offering two workshops on US Income taxes for international scholars.
The workshop will cover basic U.S. tax requirements for non-resident international students and scholars and a brief introduction to the Sprintax system (for which postdocs can get a free code -- see below). Topics covered will include: who must file something with the IRS (everyone!), what to file, implications of not filing and where to get help.
Postdocs are invited to this Spring's Tax Clinics, sponsored by the SBU Graduate Student Organization (GSO). As part of the clinics, domestic and international postdocs have the FREE opportunity to sit with a tax expert and receive specific advice in regards to their tax preparation.
This semester the tax clinics will be held once a week from 6 - 9 p.m. via Zoom. GSO will be holding 12 clinics, plus 2 clinics for follow-up questions. The clinics will run from February - mid April.
Check this link regularly as more dates will be added on a rolling basis. If all slots are filled, please email the GSO Speaker at speaker AT sbgso.org to be added to the waitlist.
Questions: Contact GSO Speaker Helena van Nieuwenhuizen speaker AT sbgso.org
5. Free Tax Filing for International Scholars
The Graduate Student Organization (GSO) has arranged free access to Sprintax Tax Preparation for you.
Sprintax will guide you through the tax preparation process, arrange the necessary documents and check if you’re owed a tax refund.
Sprintax was used by over 170,000 international students and scholars last year, and the average Federal refund received by eligible scholars was over $1,185.
All you need to do is:
1. Register here and follow the instructions
2. Complete the online questionnaire
3. Find the code from the email you received from the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs, and enter the code in the box on the ‘Review your order’ page
4. Sprintax will prepare your tax return
Once you complete the preparation process in the Sprintax software, you may need to print, sign and mail your documents to the IRS. Depending on your circumstances, you may be able to electronically file (e-file) your Federal tax return. However, this will depend on certain eligibility criteria. You can learn more about eligibility here.
If you have a state filing requirement, you must also mail this to the tax authorities. Finally, if you only need to file Form 8843, this will also need to be mailed to the IRS.
Download Sprintax flyers for more information and instructions. Questions: Contact GSO Speaker Helena van Nieuwenhuizen speaker AT sbgso.org
External Opportunities
1. NYAS STEM Leadership Training, Apply by TOMORROW, Feb 9
The New York Academy of Sciences invites registrants for its excellent Science Alliance Leadership Training (SALT) program.
This free, 5-day career development program helps STEM PhD students boost their leadership skills, connect with a powerful network, and gain an edge in their career. SALT 2022 will be held in-person in NYC.
2. Earn a Leadership Certificate with Free NPA SmartSkills Program
NPA SmartSkills Programis a new, free professional development training program for NPA member postdocs. These interactive classes are offered monthly, focus on building a variety of critical professional development skills, and are taught by experts from institutions across the country.
SmartSkills classes are scheduled for the fourth Tuesday of each month of 2022 at 12:00 noon ET / 9:00 a.m. PT.
Postdocs who attend ten or more of this year’s live classes will earn an NPA Certificate of Leadership to add to their resume.
You are invited to this semester's Planning Your Path to a Satisfying Career workshop. 
