The annual STEM Postdoc Conference and Career Fair matches Washington, D.C., area postdoctoral fellows with local companies looking for highly qualified science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) talent. The conference provides a contentrich agenda, including keynote addresses by technology leaders and entrepreneurs, panels highlighting traditional and nontraditional career opportunities, and resume consultants to provide feedback on effective resume writing. The centerpiece of the event is always the career fair. At the 2010 conference, attendees met with over 40 companies, and a number of the attendees scored interviews for possible employment.

The Conference Planning Committee is composed of representatives from federal agencies, economic development organizations, and private industry. A number of the committee members have served for multiple years because they believe strongly that the conference serves the valuable educational and economic development function of building strong relationships between the region’s federal laboratories and its private companies, and in sustaining a highly educated and trained workforce through this enrichment and networking opportunity.

In its 5-year history, the conference has attracted 2,250 postdoctoral fellows and 151 recruiting companies. A number of companies have derived enough value from the conference that they have participated in subsequent ones.