is a research fellow a postdoc

What is a Postdoc?

Most people outside of academia know what a PhD is, but a postdoc is more confusing. Are postdocs students? Do they actually earn a degree? Are they called postdoctoral researchers or fellows or scholars or associates or assistants? Let’s clear up some of that confusion.

So, What is a Postdoc?

In many fields, a postdoc is the de facto next step on the academic career path after earning a PhD (hence the name.) A postdoc is a temporary position that allows a PhD to continue their training as a researcher and gain skills and experience that will prepare them for their academic career. Most postdoc positions are at a university or in industry, but there some postdocs positions at nonprofits and in government. While the vast majority of postdocs work in STEM fields, these types of positions are becoming more common in social sciences and the humanities.  

What Does a Postdoc Do?

A postdoc is primarily a researcher who works under the supervision of a mentor as part of a larger research group. As such, they conduct research, either on a pre-specified project or one of their own design and publish that research. At the same time, a postdoc is meant to prepare young researchers to become principal investigators or junior faculty members, so they also take on senior responsibilities like mentoring, grant writing, and teaching.

How Long Are Postdoc Positions?

There is no set length for a postdoc. It will depend on a number of factors such as the university, country of research, PI, or funding. That being said, most positions are two to three years and some can be extended. It is common to do more than one postdoc before applying for faculty positions. Some countries do limit the total number of years a person can work as a postdoc. For example, in Canada and Sweden, it is only possible to be a postdoc for five years total, while there is no limit on postdoc years in the US.

How Are Postdocs Funded?

Postdoc positions can be funded in several ways. Some postdocs are salaried employees of a university, institution, or company. Other times they are paid a stipend from a grant, fellowship, or scholarship. In some countries, the name of the position indicates the funding source. In the UK for example, a postdoctoral assistant works on a project developed for and funded by a grant awarded to the PI, while a postdoctoral fellow is awarded their own fellowship giving them a larger say in the scope of their project.

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Research Fellow

Key skills:

• A Higher Degree ( PhD / DPhil / MD ) in a relevant field
• Drive to lead and conduct research
• High level subject expertise and research experience
• Good record of published research
• Well-developed communication skills, able to write reports, papers , and funding proposals
• Driven and self-motivated; able to work independently and under pressure

Typical job titles: Research Fellow, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, [named scheme] Research Fellow

A Research Fellow is a position where you get to lead research, in some cases for the first time. Research Fellows propose their own research project and have to secure funding to undertake it, acting as a Principal Investigator (PI) or Co-Investigator for that project. This could be the entire role or it could also include work in another research group too.

It is one of the ways you progress in a university research career from being a postdoctoral researcher who works within a research group. Research Fellows differ from lecturers and many other mid-career positions in universities because the primary role is to conduct research and commitments to teaching or administration are limited.

There is a wide range of titles for these posts, partly dependent on who is funding them. Although most will be employed by a university, an external funder may ultimately pay for this to happen. The Royal Society’s University Research Fellowship scheme is an example, but many other funders, including Research Councils and other Academies , offer similar schemes. It is also possible for a Research Fellow to be funded by the university or research institution itself.

There is also a range in seniority of Research Fellow positions, ranging from Junior Research Fellow, Research Fellow, Senior Research Fellow to Principal Research Fellow (and occasionally even Professorial Research Fellow). What is common is that the researcher is funded mainly to undertake research.

Imogen Gingell

Imogen Gingell finished her PhD in fusion plasma physics at Warwick in 2013, and went on to join space physics groups in London before establishing herself as a research fellow at Southampton in 2019. Her research tackles the interaction between Earth’s magnetic field and the solar wind, especially at shockwaves where the solar wind slows from super-sonic to sub-sonic speeds.

The earlier you can get to grips with the landscape and requirements of STEM careers, the better.

Responsibilities of Postdoctoral Fellows and Faculty Supervisors

(revised 04/14/2021)

The Harvard Chan School of Public Health recognizes that postdoctoral research fellows are trainees working in an apprenticeship mode in preparation for a career as scientific professionals.  The mentoring provided to the postdoctoral fellow by the faculty mentor is critical to the fellow’s career development and advancement.

In addition, postdoctoral fellows are generally expected to function responsibly and autonomously within the school’s complex and decentralized environment.  Independent thinking and action are in fact requisite to successful careers in research.

Responsibilities of postdoctoral fellows include the following:

• Assume primary responsibility for the development of his or her research and career.
• Play an active role in seeking career and research advice, both from the faculty supervisor and from other faculty members as appropriate.
• Perform the research required by the faculty supervisor to a high standard and in accordance with all institutional and federal regulations.
• Participate in the postdoc career development and annual review process .
• Work in a collegial and cooperative manner with the faculty supervisor and other co-workers.

Responsibilities of Harvard Chan School faculty supervisors include the following:

• Ensure that mutually understood expectations and goals are in place at the outset of the postdoctoral training period.  This may be best accomplished during the review of the postdoc’s initial career development plan .
• Meet regularly (for example, once a month) to establish and foster a career development plan and to assess important aspects of the postdoctoral fellow’s progress.  In addition, complete the postdoc annual progress review as part of the postdoc career development and annual review process .
• Strike a reasonable balance between the postdoctoral fellow’s responsibility to participate in research directed by the faculty supervisor and opportunities to develop scholarship reflecting the postdoctoral fellow’s own interests.
• Respect the postdoctoral fellow’s individuality, working style, and career goals and be aware that the rate of progress of postdoctoral fellows will vary.
• Maintain an atmosphere in which the postdoctoral fellow feels free to approach him/her for advice or discussion of differences.
• Encourage each postdoctoral fellow to seek advice and collaborative opportunities from other faculty members, or even to identify a second mentor, since the training experience can only benefit from a variety of perspectives.
• Promote ethical standards for conducting research, including compliance with all institutional and federal regulations.
• Accord full recognition of the postdoctoral fellow’s contributions to scholarship, including appropriate authorship of published work.  (The School’s authorship guidelines provide guidance in this area.)
• Establish clear plans for how projects will be divided when fellows complete their training.
• Support the postdoctoral fellow’s use of the full benefits of his/her employment at Harvard Chan School, including vacation time.

Postdoctoral fellows and faculty supervisors may meet with Jennifer Ivers, Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs, to resolve problems on an informal basis.  Harvard Chan School also provides a formal process for the resolution of issues that may arise between a postdoctoral fellow and his/her supervisor (see grievance policy ).

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Postdoctoral research: the who, what, where, when, why, and how.

As someone interested in research, you may have previously heard the terms “postdoc” or “postdoctoral research” before. But what do these terms really mean, and what does this involve? See below for detailed answers to some basic questions about postdoctoral research, including tips for how you can go about becoming a postdoc.

Who is a postdoc (a.k.a. A postdoctoral researcher or postdoctoral fellow)? The term “postdoc” is short for postdoctoral, which literally means “after earning your Ph.D.”. So, a postdoc generally refers to someone who has already completed their Ph.D. and is continuing to conduct research. However, a postdoc is not yet a professor or Principal Investigator (PI), so they still have a research mentor whose lab they work in.

What does a postdoc do? A postdoc is mostly focused on conducting research. That is, postdocs typically do not spend much time on teaching or other service requirements at their university. Because they already have a Ph.D., a postdoc is usually capable of working relatively independently and conducting studies/writing up research papers. However, a postdoc may also be focused on learning new research skills in this role. For example, if your primary focus in graduate school has been on working with young children, but you’d really like to be able to collect data with babies in the future, you could focus on infant data collection for your postdoc! New research skills could involve working with new populations (e.g., infants versus children), learning new ways of collecting data (e.g., brain scans versus questionnaires), or learning new statistical techniques. If there’s something new that you want to learn, a postdoc is a great time to try to learn it!

Where can a postdoc conduct their research? Postdocs are generally found at universities around the world where most research is conducted. However, some postdocs also may work in research hospitals or other settings. Postdocs can be found where they have a Principal Investigator mentor who they can work with and a lab setting where they can conduct their research. Many postdocs choose to work at a different institution from where they received their Ph.D. in order to work with someone new and gain new skills/experiences. However, some postdocs may also be able to gain new skills and experiences as a postdoc at the same university where they received their Ph.D.

When can you be a postdoc? Essentially any time after completing your Ph.D. you can work as a postdoc. However, typically postdocs are those who have completed their Ph.D. but have not yet received a job as a professor or other more permanent research position.

Why be a postdoc? A postdoc is usually seen as a steppingstone position between completing your Ph.D. and receiving a more permanent position in academia (e.g., as a professor at a university). Working as a postdoc can be a valuable way to expand your research experience in order to become more competitive on the academic job market. As postdocs tend to spend most of their time on research, your postdoc years can help you to efficiently spend your time completing studies and writing up studies for publication so that your application for professor positions is even stronger than before. Often, postdocs also spend this time learning new skills that they believe would be helpful for setting up and running their own research lab in the future, while also hopefully making them more competitive on the job market. Another valuable aspect of being a postdoc is that it can give you an opportunity to work with new people and (potentially) work at a new location to give a broader sense of how different universities and labs work. This can be helpful for people who are on the fence about whether or not they want to stay in academia to decide if it is right for them. It can also be helpful for those who are certain that they do want to stay in academia to learn how other places operate so that they can determine what sort of university they would like to work at or how they would like to run their own lab. Overall, working as a postdoc can be a valuable experience for learning more about academia, gaining skills, and becoming competitive for professor positions.

How does one become a postdoc? Although a potentially beneficial experience, it is often not clear how to become a postdoc in the first place. To be a postdoc necessitates that you have your Ph.D., and that you have a way of being paid for your new work as a postdoctoral researcher. This funding can come in a couple of different forms. In general, there are two main avenues to receiving postdoc funding, which are detailed below:

Applying for Funding: Reach out to potential postdoc advisors/mentors proactively and ask if you can apply for postdoc funding together. If you know that you are interested in working with someone specific, this can be a great option. In short, you can reach out to someone who you know does exciting work in your area that you would love to work with (your potential postdoc mentor) and explain your research experience as well as your goals for experiences you would like to gain in a postdoc. If the potential mentor believes it is a good fit, you can discuss the possibility of applying for funding together. Both the National Science Foundation (NSF) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) have funding options for postdocs. For psychological research, the NSF SBE Postdoctoral Research Fellowship can be a good option to apply for as well as the NIH F32 Postdoctoral Individual National Research Service Award. However, it is important to note that these applications are 1) very time consuming and 2) will require a clear plan for the research that you are hoping to complete in your postdoc as well as how it will help you to achieve your career goals. For these reasons if you are interested in applying for funding, you should start reaching out to a potential postdoc mentor early! I would personally recommend reaching out approximately 18 months prior to when you would like to start your postdoc. This should give you an adequate amount of time to discuss with your potential advisor the idea of working together, to develop a research plan, to complete the lengthy application, and to potentially resubmit the application if needed. It is worth noting that these applications are quite competitive, but just applying can be a valuable experience and also help you to get a sense for your potential mentor’s working style! Additionally, if you happen to receive your own funding, you are being paid directly by your funding source to conduct your postdoc research (i.e., you are not paid through your mentor’s funding), so this tends to free up postdocs to spend their time as they see fit. This might include wrapping up old projects from graduate school as well as working on new projects from their postdoc.

Applying Directly for the Postdoc Job: Apply for postdoctoral positions that principal investigators (PIs) post themselves. Sometimes professors/PIs have their own funding and are looking to hire a postdoc to work on research in their lab. Postdocs can be great for PIs to hire because they already have a Ph.D. and can be very successful at completing and writing up research relatively independently. PIs looking to hire postdocs often post applications for these jobs in winter or spring (although applications can pop up at any time of the year). In these cases, seek out postdoctoral positions that involve research within your area of expertise and skill set. These job calls are often posted on listservs (try finding email listservs for organizations relevant to your research area). You can also look on the Psychology Jobs Wiki page ( http://psychjobsearch.wikidot.com/ ) under the “postdocs” section near the bottom to see any jobs that are posted there. In this situation you do need to apply for the specific job, but do not need to complete a long funding application as with the previous option. If the PI selects you for the job, you will receive your funding directly from the PI. This means that the PI may ask you to work on particular projects or spend your time in a certain way. With this type of postdoc, it is worth having a conversation up front with the PI about how they will expect you to spend your time and make sure that the way your time will be spent is a good fit for you.

Hopefully, these details help to clarify what postdocs are and how you can go about becoming one if it would be beneficial for you! Overall, thinking about skills and experiences that you want to gain after you receive your Ph.D. will be most important for determining if you want a postdoc, and if so for finding the postdoc position that is right for you.

Thumbnail photo credit: @giamboscaro on Unsplash

The Postdoctoral Position

Postdoctoral associates and fellows are valued members of MIT’s community, playing critical roles as trainees and partners in our academic and research enterprise.

Postdoctoral Training Program

Working under the supervision of MIT faculty members, postdoctoral scholars come to MIT to develop their scholarly competence. The postdoctoral period is an integral component of the training necessary for a future, independent research career. A broad training program should be in place, and encompass the following:

• learning techniques and experimental approaches relevant to the research project
• productivity
• feasible career goals
• career development
• discussion of how to choose research questions
• practice in writing papers and research proposals
• development of supervisory skills
• development of a network of peers and contacts
• attendance, and presentation of research, at meetings and seminars
• support with regard to life events, such as childbearing

MIT has an established program for ensuring that postdocs receive  mentoring  and guidance throughout the postdoctoral period, in addition to numerous opportunities for  career development  and more informal mentoring.  Explore MIT postdoctoral demographics and alumni outcomes .

Length of Stay

Postdocs join the MIT community soon after receiving the doctorate, and their length of stay varies depending on area of interest and individual circumstances. Since the postdoctoral position is not intended to be long-term, MIT limits the postdoctoral period to four years, with promotion to the rank of senior postdoctoral associate possible after three years. Extension for a fifth year or promotion to research scientist requires a dean’s or VPR approval.

Associates and Fellows  

See  Defining Postdoctoral Fellows and Associates  for additional information on the postdoctoral position.  Postdoctoral associate  and  postdoctoral fellow  appointments are described in detail in MIT Policies and Procedures.

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National Academy of Sciences (US), National Academy of Engineering (US), Institute of Medicine (US), Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy. Enhancing the Postdoctoral Experience for Scientists and Engineers: A Guide for Postdoctoral Scholars, Advisers, Institutions, Funding Organizations, and Disciplinary Societies. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2000.

Enhancing the Postdoctoral Experience for Scientists and Engineers: A Guide for Postdoctoral Scholars, Advisers, Institutions, Funding Organizations, and Disciplinary Societies.

• Hardcopy Version at National Academies Press

3 Rights, Opportunities, and Responsibilities of the Postdoc

The fundamental purpose of a postdoctoral experience is to extend and deepen the postdoc’s scientific and technical abilities, either in the field of the doctorate or a different field. Because postdoctoral positions seldom require administrative or teaching duties, they provide unique opportunity for researchers to demonstrate originality, creativity, and productivity that will be primary contributors to their future success in research. In particular, postdocs have the opportunity to produce the lead or single author publications by whose quantity and quality they will be judged as they compete for their next professional position.

Responsibility for the postdoctoral experience is shared among the postdoc, adviser, institution, funding organization, and disciplinary societies. This chapter examines the rights, opportunities, and responsibilities of the postdoc, and the importance of postdoctoral activities in shaping a career.

• Rights of a Postdoc

When an adviser and institution accept a postdoc, that postdoc rightfully expects an experience that provides good training, education, and career enhancement. The following topics were discussed extensively by postdocs and advisers during COSEPUP’s focus groups and workshop in an attempt to determine “best practices.”

Clear terms of appointment

Practice description defining the postdoctoral position.

• The appointee has received a PhD or doctorate equivalent. 2
• The appointment is viewed as an apprenticeship—a training or transitional period preparatory to a long-term academic, industrial, governmental, or other full-time research career.
• The appointment involves full-time research or scholarship. 3
• The appointment is temporary.
• The appointee is expected to publish (and receive credit for) the results of research or other activities performed during the period of the appointment.

This definition draws on criteria suggested by the American Association of Universities (AAU, Committee on Postdoctoral Education, Report and Recommendations , Washington, DC, March 31, 1998) and by Vanderbilt University School of Medicine (presented by Roger Chalkey at COSEPUP’s December 1999 workshop on the postdoctoral experience).

E.g., the MD, DDS, DVM, or other professional degrees in science and engineering.

However, in some disciplines, such as mathematics, the postdoctoral experience commonly includes a major teaching element. Also, some postdoctoral experiences, such as the National Academies’ and AAAS Fellowships, introduce the postdoc to the field of public policy.

Once the postdoc is accepted, an appointment letter or contract should state the basic contractual framework, especially the stipend level, source of stipend, what benefits will or will not be provided (particularly medical), and for how long the grant that supports the postdoc is to be funded. (See Box, Appointment Letters .)

Practice Description Preparing for a Postdoctoral Position

The factors that determine a “good” postdoctoral experience are as various as the personalities involved. But certain key steps deserve careful planning.

Choosing a field . Foremost is the selection of the research area. A postdoctoral research project should be more than an extension of thesis research; it should lead to new skills and a broader outlook. The postdoc should understand in advance what portion of the work is likely to be transportable to his or her next position.

Finding a postdoctoral position . Most postdocs in our focus groups 4 found their positions through personal contacts—advisers, friends, and contacts from professional meetings. Many simply approached potential advisers directly with their qualifications and objectives. Few postdocs are hired after a simple response to ads in journals and on web sites, but such sources provide valuable tips about which institutions are hiring in which fields.

Choosing an adviser . Both experienced postdocs and advisers suggest a thorough investigation before signing on. Some postdocs place paramount importance on the prestige of the principal investigator; others emphasize mentoring ability. A researcher of renown has great power to help—or hinder—a career; a newer assistant professor may offer more attention, responsibilities, and a substantial role in building up a lab. In either case, it is desirable to: 1) arrange a personal meeting and 2) talk with current and former postdocs who have worked with that investigator or organization.

Several hundred postdocs, faculty, advisers, administrators, and federal agency staff generously offered their opinions, critiques, and personal experiences at 39 focus groups held around the country.

Higher compensation

Best practices questions to ask in choosing an adviser.

• What are the adviser’s expectations of the postdoc?
• Will the adviser or the postdoc determine the research program?
• How many postdocs has this adviser had? Where did they go afterward?
• What do current and past lab members think about their experience?
• Will the adviser have time for mentoring? Or should I seek out other mentors?
• How many others (grad students, staff, postdocs) now work for this adviser?
• How many papers are being published? Where?
• What is the adviser’s policy on travel to meetings? Authorship? Ownership of ideas?
• Will I have practice in grant writing? Teaching/mentoring? Oral presentations? Review of manuscripts?
• Can I expect to take part of the project away after the postdoc?
• How long is financial support guaranteed? On what does renewal depend?
• Can I count on help in finding a position?
• Will the adviser have adequate research funds to support the proposed research?

Best Practices Appointment Letters

By tradition, postdocs have often been invited to work in a researcher’s lab with no more formality than a phone call or a handshake. Institutions are now beginning the good practice of issuing a formal letter of appointment that contains important contractual elements. The following model is offered to faculty by the postdoctoral office of one university:

Initial Letter of Appointment Outline

• Offer of postdoctoral position, with brief explanation of research project.
• Effective date of appointment, amount of stipend, source (and expiration date) of funding, and payroll information.
• Length of appointment (e.g., annual, with reappointment contingent on satisfactory performance).
• Leave policy.
• Copy of institutional policies attached with letter.
• Health insurance information and requirements and a description of the other benefits provided and (equally important for the postdoc to know) not provided.
• Intellectual property policy and agreement (enclosed for signature).
• Work eligibility requirements for US citizens and foreign nationals.
• Request for proof of doctoral degree (diploma or registrar statement).
• Request for candidate’s signature and return of letter by given date.

In return for working on the adviser’s project and with low monetary compensation, the postdoc has the right to expect good mentoring: oversight, feedback, sympathetic consultation, and periodic evaluations. There should be opportunities to present posters and papers and to learn manuscript writing and grant proposal writing. The mentor-trainee relationship can be crucial in helping the postdoc understand the context of his or her research and the requirements of a career focused on advanced research.

The postdoc shares responsibility for making this relationship work, and should understand the multiple demands on the adviser’s time. Like any personal relationship, the success of mentoring depends on good will and clear communication by both parties.

Practice Description Postdoctoral Stipends

Many postdocs, especially in the life sciences, are dissatisfied with the package of compensation and benefits they receive. Stipends vary by a factor of two or more among institutions, some of which have now begun to experiment with more equitable formulas.

The NIH , because of its dominance in providing support for postdocs, sets a widely used standard with its National Research Service Award (NRSA) scale, whose stipends begin at $26,256 and peak at $41,268 after seven or more years of experience. The scale is not intended to be a model for others, but it has become a de facto benchmark for many institutions and funding organizations.

Amid complaints that the NIH scale is unfairly low for experienced researchers, a number of institutions have designed their own standards. The University of Iowa , for example, decided to set the salaries of postdocs paid from research grants at twice the graduate student stipend, partly on the basis that postdocs spend all their time on research and a student spends half time. This computes to a salary in the mid-to-upper 30s, and is accompanied by full benefits (except retirement and vacation accrual, which the university plans to include in the future).

The National Institute of Standards and Technology has decided on the standard of the average salary of a land-grant-university assistant professor—now about $50,000—plus $5,500 in travel allowance.

Other institutions have adopted different formulas to supplement stipends that are deemed insufficient. At the Massachusetts Institute of Technology , for example, the physics department brings any postdoc stipend up to a minimum of $32,000 to compensate for the cost of living in the Boston area.

The compensation issue has evoked the suggestion that stipends should be increased even if it means reducing the number of postdocs. Officials at the University of Notre Dame adopted this strategy for graduate students at the beginning of the 1990s on the premise that “getting better students was more important than getting more students.” They increased the undergraduate GPA and total general GRE scores of the graduate students accepted. It was not clear that the strategy reduced the number of applicants accepted, between 1992 and 1999.

It is clear that postdoc compensation is low relative to the compensation of others with comparable skills and education. Postdocs are also entitled to non-monetary forms of compensation, specifically, to guidance in furthering research and other career skills and in advancing a professional career. For many, these forms of compensation are necessary to a successful postdoctoral experience. Those who do not feel the need for guidance (e.g., people who have been post-docs for five or more years and function essentially independently believe they are already “junior colleagues” of their adviser) often express the greatest displeasure over low stipend levels. (For further discussion of compensation issues, see Levels of Funding in Chapter 6 .)

COSEPUP Survey Results Does Your Organization Establish Minimum and/or Maximum Stipend Levels for Postdocs? If “Yes,” Please Specify Dollar Values. If “No,” Why Not?

Slightly more than half the organizations answered “yes.” Among universities, minimum levels tended to follow the NIH scale (now $26,256 for the first year); a few were lower. At national laboratories and facilities, most salaries began in the $40,000–50,000 range, with lows between $30,000 and $40,000 and a high of $80,000. Some national labs offered “add-on” amounts for “critical skills,” from $2,000 to $10,000. In industry, stipends beginning between $30,000 and $40,000 were common.

For “no” responses, institutions listed a range of ambiguities that inhibited the establishment of uniform stipend levels, including the wide variety of job titles and policy differences among departments, schools, or laboratories. Several institutions reported that policies were being prepared.

Multiple mentors

Some advisers who are excellent researchers may have insufficient time or ability to be good mentors. For this reason, several institutions encourage and even require postdocs to seek out multiple mentors or “mentoring committees.” The purpose of such committees is not to alter the authority of the PI, but to provide additional perspective and feedback from experienced colleagues. In a broader sense, postdocs can benefit from a diverse community of mentors (representing a range of skills and experience), ranging from peers in the lab to senior investigators in other fields.

Health benefits

Postdocs who are categorized as employees usually have access to insurance and other institutional benefits, such as dental insurance, short-term leave, life insurance, and retirement funds. Problems arise, however, among postdocs who bring their own fellowships, which may or may not include health coverage. This problem is especially troublesome for postdocs with families. Some institutions are setting an example by requiring and/or providing universal access to health insurance for postdocs.

Support in planning a career and finding a job

A postdoc who focuses solely on research may neglect essential steps of career planning. These include acquiring technical and careers skills that will be needed for desired positions, preparing for the next grant or position, publishing results, and building a professional network. Both the adviser and the institution should be sources of assistance in all these areas.

Best Practices Is a ‘Hot Lab’ the Best Lab?

Many graduate students and pre-graduate students assume that a “hot topic” lab is the best lab for postdoctoral work, but hot researchers may or may not provide good mentoring. An indication of effective mentoring may be found in the published record. One mentor advises looking back 10 to 20 years in a major literature database (e.g., Medline for postdocs on the life sciences) and selecting first authors of excellent papers from the lab of the proposed mentor (in most biomedical labs the mentor is the last author). Then fast-forward to the most recent three years and check for citations from the first list of names, especially as first or last author. If the collective first authors of earlier years are producing first-rate, interesting papers today, their previous training may have played an important part. This method is helpful only for evaluating senior mentors; however, for more junior mentors, the best information may come from current and former lab members.

• Opportunities of Postdoctoral Experience

A postdoc is emerging from the world of students to the broader world of professional research. A postdoctoral apprenticeship offers numerous opportunities to make this transition.

Independence

In graduate school, it is common (though not universally so) for students to work within the structure of the adviser’s research program. Many, but not all postdocs work toward greater autonomy and self-direction. Especially in universities and smaller labs outside academia, the goal of the postdoctoral experience may be to become an independent researcher capable of every step of professional research: designing research programs, publishing as senior author, finding grant support for research, and supervising others. These postdocs may have the responsibility for a clearly defined program and work under the supervision of a single adviser. In other kinds of facilities, especially those of industry and government, postdocs may work in teams of dozens or even several hundred researchers. The goal here may not be to achieve independence in a literal sense, but to mature into interactive and effective team members.

Best Source of Job Advice for Postdoctorates: Biochemistry & Mathematics. Source: Science , 1999, Vol. 285, pp. 1518.

Professional meetings

Most postdocs are aware of the importance of attending professional meetings to network, to present the results of research, and to gain experience in the larger research community. Many postdocs, however, must depend for travel funds on their advisers, whose travel policies vary. Some advisers encourage postdocs to attend meetings; others are reluctant to provide travel funds or allow time for extramural activities. Most postdocs feel the need to attend a minimum of one national meeting a year, preferably two. NIH policy, for example, is to support the travel of its on-campus trainees to one meeting a year, with the opportunity for additional competitive travel awards.

Professional meetings provide excellent opportunities to meet colleagues and build a professional network of students, other postdocs, and senior researchers. Research communities are relatively small, and meeting one’s peers can have lasting importance in finding collaborators for joint projects and contacts who may lead to rewarding employment. For example, the American Chemical Society estimates that 75–85 percent of its members find their jobs through networking. 8 Networking is a process where “more is better,” because meeting the right person is often a matter of serendipity.

• Responsibilities of a Postdoc

Postdocs have dual responsibilities: They must acquire the experiences they need to advance their careers and contribute to the program of their adviser through research accomplishments and interaction with others. Meeting both objectives is most likely when the adviser and postdoc communicate well and share similar expectations.

Career development

Postdocs (with the support of their advisers) must take ownership of their professional development. They need to learn not only the use of new research tools, but also ways to access special resources (such as national and international labs, centers, and multi-user facilities) and to keep up with the exploding streams of scientific communication.

The chances for a satisfying career can be increased through regular attendance at seminars, “getting known” through publications and meeting attendance, course work related to the area of research, integrating research into teaching experiences, developing possible collaborations, and developing skills in grant writing, reviewing, and oral and written communication. This “continuing education” can increase versatility and the chance for a rewarding career.

Intrinsic to “taking ownership” of a career is the element of taking control, of making and seizing opportunities. Timidity is not productive. Rather than waiting for invitations or instructions, successful postdocs ask for what they need, find their own new resources, meet new people, and solicit invitations to speak about their work. Developing a proactive mindset hastens the journey from student to professional. Not all advisers will welcome such initiatives. Their negative reactions can often be ameliorated by improved communication. In very difficult situations, the postdoc may need to consider an alternative situation.

Communicating

Good communication is an essential responsibility of both postdoc and adviser. Postdocs must clearly articulate the skills or training they need; advisers must clearly explain the needs of the laboratory or institution. These needs are most likely to be met if the postdoc steps forward with questions and if the adviser takes the time to listen. The postdoc must also communicate with the institution when help is required.

Contributing to the institution

The more postdocs are able to support the program of their adviser, the greater their value as team members. This can lead to a richer research experience, the respect of other group members, and support in developing a career in the future. In addition to getting the work done, good practices include keeping up with the latest advances, communicating them to others (including the adviser), and interacting regularly with others in both the group and the institution. Expectations about the postdoc’s contributions to the immediate community should be discussed carefully with the adviser and other lab members.

Planning for departure

Departure should not be delayed without good reason; the postdoc should neither be pressured to work indefinitely for the adviser, nor become overly comfortable in what should be a finite apprenticeship. If success in the research has proved elusive, the postdoc may be tempted to extend the stay, even indefinitely. This is not always a wise course. These and related issues should be discussed openly between postdoc and adviser from the beginning of the appointment: When should the planning process begin? What are the obligations of adviser and postdoc during and after leaving? Who inherits intellectual property rights—and the project itself—at the point of separation? A good rule of thumb is that the postdoc should begin a systematic job search at least a year before the end of his or her term. In reality, of course, timing is often determined by a job offer. But expectations about departure should be broached and discussed both upon arrival and during periodic evaluations.

• Shaping a Career

Academia, government, or the private sector?

The postdoctoral tradition began in universities. Many faculty still place the highest value on careers in academia, and assume that their postdocs will follow them there.

Nonacademic careers, however, are both more common and more acceptable than in the past. In some fields (such as biotechnology, computer science, and electrical engineering), postdocs value nonacademic positions as highly as academic jobs. Even so, many postdocs lack up-to-date information about research careers. In a 1999 survey of junior scientists at the University of California at Berkeley, 55 percent of respondents said their advisers encouraged them to pursue academic jobs, but fewer than 1 percent were advised to obtain positions in industry, government, or the non-profit sector. 9 A second 1999 survey of post-docs at Berkeley indicated that the number anticipating careers as “a professor with an emphasis on research” had dropped from 69 to 59 percent since the beginning of their postdoctoral experience. Instead, they cited the goals of “research in industry or national lab,” “consultant,” or “start their own company.” The leading reasons given for this change were “difficulty obtaining an academic job” and “money.” 10

The first Berkeley survey noted a wide difference in salaries for academic and nonacademic positions. About half of the cohort of biochemists who earned PhDs in 1982–1985 were working outside academia in 1995. This group earned almost $22,000 more in median annual total salary (including all income sources) than those employed in the academic sector, where the median salary was $57,000.

Developing career skills

Once a postdoc can see the outline of a career, gaining the right skills can be the key to expanding choices and finding the right position. These skills include such general abilities as clear writing, public speaking, leadership, teamwork, teaching, and mentoring. Given the competition for research positions, experience in teaching can be a strong advantage, especially for academic employment. Teaching experience also prepares the postdoc to communicate with people who work outside research or specialize in other fields.

Job hunting

The job search usually begins with help from the adviser, whose professional contacts are invaluable. However, postdocs should also develop their own network of contacts. One adviser suggests: “Let your presence be known in the field; be as public as you can. Departmental meetings, professional meetings—take advantage of those ten minutes in the sun.” The search must be tailored to the desired sector. For example, teaching experience will be more valuable in an academic setting; an industry employer is likely to require evidence of good communication and team skills.

Career expectations and reality

The 1998 AAU study reported that two-thirds of postdocs expected to find a tenure-track position at a research university, but that only about one-fourth of “recent postdocs” had done so. (An additional one-fourth went to another postdoc and 10 percent went to non-tenure-track (but somewhat more regular than a postdoc) positions such as fellow, research assistant, and adjunct instructor.) A 10-year follow-up study of 23 PhD graduates from the 1987 class of the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston showed similar results. Sixteen had permanent jobs, but only 10 were in research, with only five of those in tenure-track positions. Seven were still in postdoc positions a decade later. 11

Summary Points

Postdocs should have the opportunity to enhance their research experience, become independent researchers, become known through publishing and presenting their results at professional meetings, and advance their careers by networking with colleagues.

They have the right to clear terms of appointment, appropriate compensation and benefits, serious mentoring, and support in career planning and finding a regular position.

Postdocs have dual responsibilities: 1) to acquire the experiences they need to advance their careers, and 2) to contribute to the program through research accomplishments, personal growth, and interaction with others.

Postdocs share the responsibility with their adviser of communicating well regarding their progress and expectations.

In planning careers, more postdocs are finding opportunities in non-academic positions, but they must take the initiative to learn about acquiring the skills needed to qualify for entrance to growing employment areas, often outside their specialty.

Some women postdocs face special problems because of their gender, and have great difficulty in taking time to start a family.

Gaining the right skills can make a large difference in finding rewarding positions and expanding career choices. These include general abilities such as clear writing, public speaking, leadership, team-work, computer skills, teaching, and mentoring.

Profile A Successful Postdoctoral Experience

The elements of a successful postdoctoral appointment are as variable as the postdoctoral population. For one unabashedly upbeat postdoc on a laboratory fellowship (we’ll call her Sue), these elements included early preparation, supportive colleagues, a fascinating research topic, the opportunity to learn time management and self-reliance, and an effective—though somewhat distant—mentor.

• Early preparation : Even as a graduate student in geochemistry, Sue began building ties to the research group where she wanted to go as a postdoc. “To get the most out of an experience, you have to offer something. I did my graduate work in geochemistry; I wanted to work with a group in planetary physics, and I was able to show them that I had something to contribute. I began doing some projects with them while I was in graduate school, so the transition was relatively smooth. One of the best reasons to do a postdoc is to learn a new field, but it’s best to prepare the ground early.”
• Supportive colleagues : “I didn’t always know where I was going, but it was fairly easy to seek out good advice and constructive criticism both in my own institution and elsewhere. A big challenge, and a difference from graduate school, is that you’ve got to start putting together your own professional network of collaborators and friends with whom you’re going to be building your career. It’s a good habit to spend time every week meeting new people, networking, looking at people who are successful to see how they do it.”
• A topic of interest : “I loved my work, and this is one reason it was successful. I published 12 or 13 papers during three years as a postdoc, including one in Science. I got to work on a variety of problems without getting stuck in something too narrow. I was fortunate enough to have a great deal of freedom. I could follow my curiosity, and that allowed me to be very productive. I had the opportunity to propose my own research and get it funded.”
• Learning self-reliance : “I spun my wheels for the first few months, trying to figure out what to do first, but there were some advantages to that experience. If you’re going to be an independent researcher, sooner or later you’ve got to learn to fly the plane. When I was a grad student, I used to do all my own instrument work, because my time was cheap and there wasn’t anyone else to do it. When I became a postdoc, I was paid more and I had technical staff. I had a big adjustment in mindset about organizing better and making the wisest investments of my time.”
• Effective mentoring : “I saw my adviser several times a week. He wasn’t very involved with my research, but what he did was right for me. He was always supportive, gave me a long leash, and made sure I got to give talks at important conferences. He did this for all his postdocs—made sure that certain doors were unlocked. What you do with that advantage, once you go in that door, is your business. Again, you’re the one who’s going to fly the plane. In the end, I was fortunate enough to be hired by the same institution where I did my postdoc.”

Profile A Difficult Postdoctoral Experience

• Know when to cut your losses : In his first year, Joe tried several experimental approaches that failed to give results. His adviser was seldom in the lab to offer guidance, and Joe was slow to change direction. When he tried to consult other senior scientists, his adviser refused to allow it. “She felt this was interfering with her laboratory. In retrospect, I probably should have cut my losses and moved on. But there’s great pressure to keep going, to tough it out.”
• Understand your adviser’s policy on publication : In his third year, Joe had finally found a promising new direction, obtained results, and written them up for publication. His adviser, however, did not allow him to send out the paper because she felt it should be a “bigger story.” “The timing was critical for me. I had to be applying for jobs, and I had no publications. I was ready to have my work judged by my peers, and I was unable to do so. She finally rewrote and published the paper—after I’d left the lab.”
• Talk with former lab members before signing on : Joe talked only with current lab members, who he now knows are not in a position to be critical. Later he learned that he was the fifth postdoc to leave that particular lab without publications or jobs. “I should have talked with some former members, because they are freer to be honest. In a good training environment, postdocs are getting jobs and continuing their research. I might have saved myself a lot of difficulty.”
• Be clear about your agenda : He went on to do a second postdoc, with better—defined goals. “I needed publications, and I was frank about this with my second adviser. That lab was doing work in my field. I was offered a year’s support, and after that I knew I would be on my own. It was a fair offer, and clear. After nine months I was able to raise my own funding. I got my publications, the work came out well, and I entered the job market in good shape.”

NSF Issue Brief , December 2, 1998.

Numerous universities and some other institutions where COSEPUP held focus groups cited the NRSA scale in describing their mechanisms for setting postdoc stipends/salaries.

Nerad, M. and Cerny, J. “Postdoctoral patterns, career advancement, and problems,” Science , 1999, Vol. 285: pp. 1533–5. [ PubMed : 10477510 ]

As discussed in the Disciplinary Society Workshop sponsored by COSEPUP and held at the National Academy of Sciences, Washington, DC, January 10, 2000.

Nerad, M. and Cerny, J. PhDs–Ten Years Later , a national study funded by the Mellon Foundation, 1999, with selected analysis funded by the NSF. A report on the study has been published in Science (cited above).

McPheron, L. and Nerad, M. “Results of a Survey of Postdoctoral Appointees at UC Berkeley,” University of California at Berkeley ([email protected]), 1999.

Bunk, S. The Scientist , 1998, Vol.12, 1, p.1.

• Cite this Page National Academy of Sciences (US), National Academy of Engineering (US), Institute of Medicine (US), Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy. Enhancing the Postdoctoral Experience for Scientists and Engineers: A Guide for Postdoctoral Scholars, Advisers, Institutions, Funding Organizations, and Disciplinary Societies. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2000. 3, Rights, Opportunities, and Responsibilities of the Postdoc.
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Office for Postdoctoral Affairs

Differences between postdoc associates and postdoc fellows.

See the Benefits Summary page .

Postdoctoral associates are paid a salary from Yale grants, contracts, departmental accounts, or other university funding sources. Postdoctoral associates are classified as employees and receive employee benefits.

Postdoctoral fellows are paid a stipend from external fellowships, NIH T32 training grants, or NIH F32 individual fellowships. Postdoctoral fellows are not employees, and as non-employees, are eligible for only dental insurance and health insurance at full cost. If the fellowship, faculty mentor, and/or department subsidize part or all of the cost of health insurance, the subsidy is classified as taxable income to the postdoc.  

Postdoctoral Fellows not receiving a Yale University paycheck and not able to enroll for benefits using Yale’s Workday, are eligible to enroll with Yale Health’s Postdoctoral Fellow Membership Health Coverage Program. Additional information, monthly rates and the process of how to enroll can be found on Yale Health’s  Unpaid Postdoc Fellows  webpage . 

The Postdoctoral Fellow Healthcare Subsidy Form subsidy form for the currrent calendar year is on the  It’s Your Yale  Benefits Enrollment page - 2024 link . 

Important note to international postdocs : Postdocs on H-1B visas may be ineligible to become postdoctoral fellows. Please consult the Office of International Students and Scholars prior to applying for a fellowship.

Please see the table below for more details about the differences between postdoc fellows and associates.  Visit  Yale Benefits  for comprehensive descriptions of postdoc benefits, and contact the  Employee Service Center , 203-432-5552, if you have questions.

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• What is a Postdoc?

This appointment is made to enable the individual to continue his or her studies under the general supervision of one or more Harvard faculty members. Designated supervisors will ordinarily hold the rank of Professor, Associate Professor, Assistant Professor, Senior Research Fellow, or Research Fellow at the Rowland Institute or the Junior Society of Fellows. (Source:  FAS Appointment and Promotion Handbook )

Postdoctoral fellows may not be designated as “principal investigator” or “project director” without the explicit approval of the appropriate Dean (Divisional Deans in the FAS Divisions of Arts & Humanities, Social Sciences, and Sciences; Dean of the John A. Paulson SEAS; etc.). The department chair or center director can submit such requests using the PI Rights Questionnaire , and the justification must be compelling.

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How to Become a Postdoctoral Researcher

Being a postdoctoral researcher allows you to strengthen your professional and academic skills in a specialized area before moving to a permanent position. When considering whether or not you should do a postdoc, take some time to reflect on your career goals and the skills you need to be successful in achieving those goals. Deciding to pursue a postdoc (or not) should be an active choice, so network, solicit advice, and explore a variety of options.

If a postdoc sounds right for you, the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education can help you find the right opportunity to advance your career. ORISE manages postdoctoral research programs at national laboratories and federal research facilities across the United States, many of which have open opportunities for qualified candidates.

Find a postdoctoral fellowship or research opportunity

If you've decided that a postdoc is in your future, ORISE can help you find the right opportunity to match your interests. ORISE offers scientists and engineers from a wide variety of disciplines unique opportunities to conduct research at national laboratories and federal research facilities nationwide.

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Want to learn more about an ORISE internship or fellowship? Have questions about how the ORISE experience can successfully impact your career path and/or add value to the research opportunities of students or alumni you work with at your organization? If so, contact our team today—we look forward to hearing from you!

Postdoc Fellow Vs Research Fellow

The differences between postdoc fellows and research fellows can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a postdoc fellow and a research fellow. Additionally, a postdoc fellow has an average salary of $58,376, which is higher than the $53,823 average annual salary of a research fellow.

The top three skills for a postdoc fellow include molecular biology, data analysis and CRISPR. The most important skills for a research fellow are patients, research projects, and data analysis.

Postdoc fellow vs research fellow overview

Postdoc fellow vs research fellow salary.

Postdoc fellows and research fellows have different pay scales, as shown below.

Differences between postdoc fellow and research fellow education

There are a few differences between a postdoc fellow and a research fellow in terms of educational background:

Postdoc fellow vs research fellow demographics

Here are the differences between postdoc fellows' and research fellows' demographics:

Differences between postdoc fellow and research fellow duties and responsibilities

Postdoc fellow example responsibilities..

• Collaborate with software engineers to automate identification of 15N- and 13C- labele LC-MS features.
• Perform expression profiling on primary promyelocyte samples and identify candidate genes that may be involve in SCN pathogenesis and malignant transformation.
• Investigate chromatid orientation through immunofluorescence.

Research Fellow Example Responsibilities.

• Process and manage GIS databases to contribute towards research in human transportation behavior.
• Manage investigator initiate and cooperative group correlative studies to identify biomarkers to ascertain tumor burden and clinical outcomes in lymphoma.
• Analyze quantitative and qualitative data through statistical software SAS and SPSS.
• Conduct sampling, PCR, data analysis and oral presentations of the work
• Implement python and C++ codes for numerical computation of transport properties in models and materials.

Postdoc fellow vs research fellow skills

• Molecular Biology, 15%
• Data Analysis, 10%
• Chemistry, 8%
• Conduct Research, 7%
• Patients, 10%
• Research Projects, 6%
• Data Analysis, 5%
• Cell Culture, 5%
• Immunology, 4%

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Ecology postdoc flips research questions and career paths on their heads

Wed, 09/20/2023.

Vince Munoz

Laura Podzikowski | Postdoctoral Researcher | Kansas Biological Survey & Center for Ecological Research

Laura Podzikowski is no stranger to looking at things differently.  Originally an anticipated English major at a liberal arts college in Michigan, she came to science through an environmental studies class for non-majors. The coursework touched on climate change, which piqued Podzikowski’s interest.  “We read this article called ‘The Climate of Man.’ It’s a three-part article that was released in The New Yorker in 2005, and it outlined the argument for why humans might be causing climate change,” she said. “I just remember reading it and just feeling so compelled by that argument and thought, ‘Oh, this is going to be the biggest thing facing our generation, and I have to know more about it.’”

Podzikowski earned a master’s degree in natural resources and the environment from the University of Michigan before coming to KU to complete a doctorate in ecology & evolutionary biology. She’s currently a postdoctoral researcher in the Billings Lab at the Kansas Biological Survey & Center for Ecological Research.

Among the many proposals to reduce humanity’s impact on the environment is carbon capture, the process of removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Plants naturally take in CO 2 during their metabolic process of photosynthesis, leading scientists and policymakers alike to think of plants as a natural mechanism for sinking carbon molecules into soil.

Podzikowski studies the other side of this equation — the soil itself.

“People typically look at how planting a bunch of different plants can increase the amount of soil carbon because it just puts a bunch of biomass there, and eventually that filters down,” Podzikowski said. “But alternatively, putting a bunch of plants in soil can also stimulate a lot of activity. The soils actually breathe; they respire.”

“I wanted to look at the role that soil respiration was playing in the development of soil carbon, and essentially kind of taking that model, flipping it, and looking at it through a different lens.”

This work builds on Podzikowski’s dissertation research, which found that the diversity of plants can affect how much soil is respiring. Her postdoctoral fellowship is funded through a U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food & Agriculture grant. Many aspiring professors complete their postdoctoral positions at different institutions from the ones that awarded their graduate degrees. But Podzikowski found that the intellectual community at KU and the work already ongoing at the KU Field Station best supported her research.

“In 2018, we built these rainfall exclusion shelters and put plots with a varied amount of plants there. These plots are a great place for me to ask some of those questions,” she said.

“And for me, one of the really fun things about working with all these different people at KU is that you can take the same question and look at it through different lenses and see if you put them together, can you draw different inferences? Or learn more?”

Podzikowski’s work will continue inspiring students of all levels to consider science. She assisted with the 2023 Ecosystems of Kansas Summer Institute, which took 16 middle school teachers to the KU Field Station to explore resources and gain new ideas to take into their classrooms.

“There's no one path in this profession, which I think is something that people don’t always understand.” she said. “I think people have this idea that you go straight from your undergrad all the way through your Ph.D. and straight into a faculty position. I was definitely not that person. I took a very nonlinear path.”

Postdoc research fellow

Posted by Rodrigo Young , on 13 May 2024

Location: University College London - Institute of Ophthalmology

Closing Date: 25 May 2024

About the role

The Research Fellow will work as part of a team to identify new genes required for eye formation and size definition and unravel their function to expand our knowledge of the aetiology of human genetic eye globe defects.

The research project brings together basic science and clinical application. It specifically focuses on the mechanisms of eye development in health and disease, particularly the effects of mutations on zebrafish eye development. Research techniques that will be used include genome editing, whole-mount embryo histological techniques, RNA transcriptome experiments, confocal imaging, and cell transplantation.

The salary offered for this post is £42,099 per annum inclusive of London allowance (UCL grade 7 spine point 30).

The position is available from 1 May  2024 and is funded for 18 months, in first instance.

The candidates should have a PhD in cell biology, neuroscience, molecular biology, or related discipline, ideally using zebrafish as an animal model. Excellent communication skills and show a strong commitment to high quality research. (S)he is expected to have experience in zebrafish embryology techniques, adult fish colony maintenance and advanced microscopy skills. The applicant should enjoy working as part of a team as well as being able to work independently.

Applications are invited for the post of Research Fellow at UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, ranked the best place in the world to study Ophthalmology (CWUR Rankings by Subject 2017).

The successful candidate will join the newly established research team of Dr Rodrigo Young to investigate the role of genes related to human eye globe defects during development using zebrafish as an animal model system.

The post-holder will benefit from close interaction with the internationally renowned research teams, providing expert support in advanced microscopy, bioinformatics, and genome editing techniques.

This Research Fellow post offers an exciting opportunity to play a key role in identifying the genetic causes of inherited eye globe defects and studying the genes involved in their aetiology.

Salary: £42,099–£50,585

Scientific fields: Development and disease

Model systems: Zebrafish, Human

Duration: Fixed term

Minimum qualifications: PhD

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