Research, Writing, & Communication Resources

Center for Academic and Professional Communication (CAPC)

The Center for Academic and Professional Communication serves as the communication support hub of the university for any written, oral, and visual communication projects within and across disciplines. CAPC offers the following writing and professional development services for Postdocs:

One-on-one Consultations
40 minute appointments with a trained communication consultant on any type of written, oral, or visual communication project. This might include (but is not limited to) assistance with course papers, dissertations, cover letters, grant / fellowship applications, class presentations, presentation slide design, and research posters. Postdocs may also request up to one consultation per term with a professional staff member by emailing us at capc@rice.edu.

Specialized Manuscript Support
Specialized support for longer-manuscripts (5,000+ words) above and beyond what is offered through general CAPC consultations, typically available to advanced graduate students and postdocs. All of these consultations will be assigned an advanced graduate consultant or CAPC professional staff who can work with you to provide an individualized support plan.

Examples of support may include (but are not limited to):
- Regularly scheduled meetings with a graduate consultant over several weeks or months
- Personalized manuscript writing plans over the course of a semester
- Ongoing feedback throughout multiple rounds of the revision process

Workshops
Workshops on a variety of communication topics catered specifically to graduate students and Postdocs are offered each semester. Past workshop include Oral Presentation Skills, Self-Editing for Style, Writing an Abstract, Research Poster Design, and Building Your English Vocabulary. The CAPC also offers occasional graduate retreats, which consists of a workshop topic paired with organized writing time.

Grant Proposal Assistance Through the Office of Proposal Development (OPD)

Applying for a grant? OPD supports faculty and postdocs through all stages of the proposal preparation process. OPD can assist with proposal planning, management, and editing and also offers additional training opportunities and resources. Request proposal assistance here, find a more detailed list of the types of services OPD offers here, or contact OPD to explain your proposal needs.

National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCFDD)

Rice has a subscription to NCFDD, which helps to empower faculty (and future faculty) to “achieve extraordinary writing and research productivity while maintaining a full and healthy life off campus.” The platform’s four key areas include support for strategic planning, productivity, healthy relationships, and work-life balance. NCFDD offers 14-day writing challenges, self-paced and live webinars, and more to support professional development and writing productivity.

Responsible Conduct of Research Training

The Office of Research Integrity (ORI) offers training through the CITI platform. Courses are customizable to various disciplines, and you may self-enroll for the online training. Please follow the instructions at https://research.rice.edu/integrity/rcr/CITI-training . To access the course directly, please visit https://www.citiprogram.org. When accessing CITI directly, please use your @Rice.edu email address.

If you are not sure if you are required to take the RCR training, please contact Romel Walker in ORI at rw68@rice.edu. If you need technical support for the CITI training course, you may email citisupport@med.miami.edu.