The Postdoctoral Fellow

1
The Postdoctoral Fellow

• a critical part of the research enterprise, and
  an increasingly necessary part of the academic
  career path

• Outline
• Definition and Value
• Statistics
• Challenges
• Recommendations
• Postdoc
• University / Mentor
• Government / Industry

UTPDA
University of Toronto Postdoctoral Association
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What is a Postdoc?

• NPA definition A postdoctoral scholar
  (postdoc) is an individual holding a doctoral
  degree who is engaged in a temporary period of
  mentored research and/or scholarly training for
  the purpose of acquiring the professional skills
  needed to pursue a career path of his or her
  choosing. Postdocs are essential to the scholarly
  mission of the mentor and host institution, and
  thus are expected to have the freedom to publish
  the results of their scholarship.
• NIH / NSF definition An individual who has
  received a doctoral degree (or equivalent) and is
  engaged in a temporary and defined period of
  mentored advanced training to enhance the
  professional skills and research independence
  needed to pursue his or her chosen career path.

Source http//nationalpostdoc.org/
3
Postdocs add Value to Institution

• Plan and carry out research programs
• Build alliances and intellectual bridges
• Raise reputation of labs / departments
• Mentor graduate students
• Increase inflow of grant support
• However,
• Lack of recognition / status / benefits
• Insufficient professional development
• Lack of tracking / follow-up

4
Growth of Postdoc Population
Fraction of US life-science PhDs holding faculty
positions, 1973-1995

• decreasing entrance rate
• increasing time to entrance

• Many scientific fields
• Global phenomenon

Source Trends in Early Careers of Life
Scientists - NRC USA
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In theory
PhD candidate
Postdoctoral Fellow
Assistant Professor
Faculty Application
Doctoral Defense
6
Diverse Career Outcomes
University of Toronto Postdoctoral Survey,
2008 Career goals before taking postdoc PI /
academia 61 Have these goals changed since you
began your post-doc? 32 (of those wishing to
be PIs) said yes - lack of available academic
positions - inadequate training / mentorship -
family concerns life isn't much fun lived
on 3 year contracts

• Crisis of Expectation
• We need to
• Better manage PhD student and postdoc
  expectations
• Prepare and expose postdocs to non-academic
  careers

7
Postdoc Challenges

• Unclear (or no) status within institutions
• Access to institutional resources prohibited
• No monitoring, outside of advisor
• Benefits, family leave, length of appointment,
  training - often at advisors discretion
• No tracking following completion
• Lack of professional development opportunities
• Negotiation skills
• Teaching opportunities
• Exposure to alternative careers
• Networking

Source Doctors without Orders
http//postdoc.sigmaxi.org/
8

• Individual Development Plan helps to clarify
  these expectations

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Individual Development Plan

• According to 2004 Sigma Xi survey, postdocs with
  a written plan were
• More satisfied,
• Less likely to have a conflict with PI
• More productive (23 more paper submissions, 30
  more first-author papers, 25 more grant
  proposals)
• Yet, only 11 reported a written plan, 34
  reported some plan, written or oral, with both
  advisor and postdoc expectations included

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Recommendations - University

• Integrate postdocs into mission and structure
• Establish / strengthen postdoctoral office
• Tracking - entrance and exit interviews
• Professional development
• Access to graduate student / new faculty PD
  courses
• Give postdocs official institutional status
• Buy-in to employee benefits, access student
  resources
• Teaching opportunities for interested postdocs
• Respond to postdoc concerns / work with PDAs
• Limit period of temporary employment
• Provide career seminars (to GS and PDF) on
  alternative careers for scientists
• Establish links, connect with industry,
  government, NGOs
• Encourage PIs and postdocs to adopt / utilize IDP

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Recommendations - Postdoc

• Take charge of your career
• Not PIs responsibility to tell you what to do
  with your life
• Seek out mentorship opportunities
• Take advantage of non-scientific professional
  development training
• Major industry criticism - lack of soft skills
• Academia - Laboratory management, budgeting,
  ethics,
• Join, assist formation of, or (students) partner
  with Postdoctoral Associations
• Provide feedback to advisors, institutions, PDA
• Keep in touch - career seminars, networking

12
Recommendations - Government

• Acknowledge critical population with tax, other
  benefits
• Provide career-transition awards to postdoctoral
  fellows
• Combined fellowship / early career funding as
  tenure track faculty
• Adopt clear statement defining postdoctoral
  fellow
• Enforce training, professional development
  requirement for postdoctoral fellows across
  Canada, fund such programs
• Connect this group of Highly Qualified Personnel
  with the institutions and industries requesting
  them
• Recommendations - Industry
• Provide internship, career transition
  opportunities to PDFs
• Provide feedback to Universities on desired skill
  sets
• Participate in the training process - seminars,
  informally

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Thank you!
UTPDA

• For more Information
• UTPDA http//torontopostdoc.googlepages.com/
• torontopda_at_gmail.com
• CAPS canadianpostdoc_at_gmail.com, website to come
  
• Letter of introduction in info packets
• NPA http//nationalpostdoc.org/

University of Toronto Postdoctoral Association
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Compact between Postdoctoral Fellows and their
Mentors

• I acknowledge that I have the primary
  responsibility for the development of my own
  career.
• I will develop a mutually defined research
  project with my mentor that includes well-defined
  goals and timelines.
• I will perform my research activities
  conscientiously, maintain good research records,
  and catalog and maintain all tangible research
  materials that result from the research project.
• I will respect all ethical standards when
  conducting my research including compliance with
  all institutional and federal regulations as they
  relate to responsible conduct in research,
  privacy and human subjects research, animal care
  and use, laboratory safety, and use of
  radioisotopes.
• I will show respect for and will work collegially
  with my coworkers, support staff, and other
  individuals with whom I interact.
• I will endeavor to assume progressive
  responsibility and management of my research
  project(s) as it matures.
• I will seek regular feedback on my performance
  and ask for a formal evaluation at least
  annually.
• I will have open and timely discussions with my
  mentor concerning the dissemination of research
  findings and the distribution of research
  materials to third parties.
• I recognize that I have embarked on a career
  requiring lifelong learning.
• I will actively seek opportunities outside the
  laboratory (e.g. professional development
  seminars and workshops in oral communication,
  scientific writing, and teaching) to develop the
  full set of professional skills necessary to be
  successful for my chosen career.
• At the end of my appointment, in accordance with
  institutional policy, I will leave behind all
  original notebooks, computerized files, and
  tangible research materials so that other
  individuals can carry on related research. I will
  also work with my mentor to submit the research
  results for publication in a timely manner.

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Compact between Postdoctoral Fellows and their
Mentors

• I acknowledge that the postdoctoral period is a
  time of advanced training intended to develop the
  skills needed to promote the career of the
  postdoctoral appointee.
• I will ensure that a mutually agreed upon set of
  expectations and goals are in place at the outset
  of the postdoctoral training period, and I will
  work with the postdoctoral appointee to create an
  individual career development plan.
• I will strive to maintain a relationship with the
  postdoctoral appointee that is based on trust and
  mutual respect.
• I will promote all ethical standards for
  conducting research including compliance with all
  institutional and federal regulations as they
  relate to responsible conduct in research,
  privacy and human subjects research, animal care
  and use, laboratory safety, and use of
  radioisotopes.
• I will ensure that the postdoctoral appointee has
  sufficient opportunities to acquire the skills
  necessary to become an expert in an agreed upon
  area of investigation.
• I will provide the appointee with the required
  guidance and mentoring, and will seek the
  assistance of other faculty and
  departmental/institutional resources when
  necessary.
• I will provide a training environment that is
  suited to the individual needs of the
  postdoctoral appointee in order to ensure his/her
  personal and professional growth.
• I will encourage the interaction of the
  postdoctoral appointee with fellow scientists
  both intra- and extramurally and encourage the
  appointees attendance at professional meetings
  to network and present research findings.
• I will ensure that the research performed by a
  postdoctoral appointee is submitted for
  publication in a timely manner and that she/he
  receives appropriate credit for the work she/he
  performs. I will acknowledge her/his contribution
  to the development of any intellectual property
  and will clearly define future access to tangible
  research materials according to institutional
  policy.
• I recognize that there are multiple career
  options available for a postdoctoral appointee
  and will provide assistance in exploring
  appropriate options.
• I will commit to being a supportive colleague to
  postdoctoral appointees as they transition the
  next stage of their career and to the extent
  possible, throughout their professional life.

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Mandatory Retirement Lifted
USA Mandatory retirement lifted
Source Did the elimination of mandatory
retirement affect faculty retirement flows?
Institute for Study of Labor (Bonn), 2001.
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Interest Postdoc Orientation

• Post-Doctoral Funding Opportunities
• Career Services
• Research Services
• Health and Well-being Services
• Information booths about U of T/Post-Doctoral
  Services
• Opportunities to network with other Post-Docs
• Housing Services
• Family Care Office

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Please rate the importance of each of the
following in a successful post-doc/PI
relationship.

• 70 Listening to and respecting each other
• 60 Freedom to become and independent
  investigator
• 50 PI well-respected in their field
• 33 Large number of high profile publications

20
As part of the appointment/hiring process, were
you provided with information, or access to
information, regarding (mark all that apply)

• 77 Length of appointment
• 63 Compensation
• 57 Your responsibilities
• 38 Benefits
• 32 U. of T.'s policy on post-doctoral fellows
• 27 Advisor's responsibilties
• 17 Intellectual property policies
• 17 Research ethics policies
• 7 None of the above
• 6 Contact information for the campus
  Ombudsperson