The Boston Postdoctoral Association (BPDA) is a 17-member consortium of Boston-area academic postdoctoral associations and industry postdoctoral scholars representing approximately 9,000 postdoctoral scholars. The BPDA was established in 2012 to support the professional development and advocacy needs of these early career researchers and to aid in the retention of highly trained STEM researchers in the fields of life sciences, engineering, mathematics, physics and data science. Our members include the postdoctoral associations of Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston University, Brandeis University, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, the Broad Institute, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Joslin Diabetes Center, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Massachusetts General Hospital, MIT, Tufts University, and the Whitehead Institute and postdoctoral scholars from the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research.Since January 2016, the BPDA has hosted monthly career development, social, and advocacy events. In the last year, we have attracted over 2,000 attendees to workshops, seminars, career panels, and other professional development events. The large number of academic research institutions as well as pharma, biotech, and high-tech companies in the Boston area, provides a unique opportunity for cutting-edge multidisciplinary research and career advancement.