Finding the Right Post-Doc
The Application Process
Other Resources
Post-Doc Position Listings
Post-doctoral positions, research appointments of a fixed length of time, have long been a feature of academic careers in the Sciences. The research focus of the post-doc provides the opportunity to deepen and extend your scholarly research before tackling a tenure-track job. Many graduate students in the Sciences pursue post-doc research positions before applying for tenure-track teaching positions. Although post-doctoral positions are still less common in the Humanities & Social Sciences, they offer many recently-minted Ph.D.s the chance to pursue scholarly research after completing their dissertations.
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Finding the Right Post-Doc
Post-doctoral positions offer an excellent opportunity for recent Ph.D.s to deepen their research in their area of expertise or, as is increasingly common, to acquire new areas of research expertise prior to pursuing an academic career or a career in industry. Post-docs come in many shapes and sizes, so choosing the right kind of position can be difficult.
Important issues to consider when choosing a post-doc:
Your ultimate career goals
What are my ultimate career goals? To teach at a major research university or to work in industry? What kind of post-doc will best help me prepare for that career track?
The area of research
Should I choose a post-doc in my current area of expertise or should I choose a post-doctoral experience that allows me to familiarize myself with another area of research or another methodology?
The lab and the principal investigator
What is the reputation of the lab or research center? Who is the principal investigator? How is it run? What kind of facilities and equipment are available?
Funding
Where does the funding for research come from? The institution? What responsibility will I have for securing funding for the research project?
Feasibility of the research project
Can the research goals be accomplished within the term of the appointment, preferably with publishable results?
Independence of my research
To what extent will the post-doctoral position enable me to develop my own research interests?
Sciences, Math, & Engineering
In the Sciences, post-docs may be sponsored by an academic institution, a government agency, or private industry. The nature of post-doctoral work varies greatly at different kinds of institutions. Some scientists often do multiple post-docs prior to pursuing a career as a professor at a college or university.
Featured Article:"The Perfect Postdoc: A Primer"by Jim Austin. The Chronicle of Higher Education.
Resources:
News and Articles for Postdocs
ScienceCareers.org's (formerly Science's Next Wave) article index for Postdocs.
Humanities & Social Sciences
Although post-docs are less common in the Humanities and Social Sciences than they are in the Sciences, they often feature lighter teaching loads than faculty positions, providing young scholars the opportunity to conduct more in-depth research and complete that all-important first book.
Featured Article: "Postdocs for Humanitsts" by Peter S Cahn. The Chronicle of Higher Education.
Despite the competition for postdocs, one author offers his opinion of why the benefits are worth applying.
Resources:
Woodrow Wilson Postdoctoral Fellowships in the Humanities
Postdoctoral Opportunities for Anthropologists
Compiled by ASU's Department of Anthropology. Many of the listings are also relevant to other Humanities and Social Sciences disciplines.
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Other Post-doctoral Web Resources
The following websites also contain useful information for post-docs or those considering a post-doctoral appointment.
National Postdoctoral Association
The NPA is a member-driven organization that provides a national voice for postdoctoral scholars. News and articles on the "postdoc" debate, jobs, and more.
Post-Docs.com
Offers a " Resource Center" with links to articles on post-doctoral "career paths" and "tips" and salary information.
PhDs.org
Site contains listings of post-doctoral positions in the Sciences, articles and advice.
Post-doctoral Associations
Work conditions of post-docs at research universities have become a frequent source of debate in higher education in recent years. From debates over salaries and benefits, to mentorship programs, career development resources, and the sometimes nebulous employment status of post-docs, post-doctoral issues are increasingly grabbing headlines in academia. The following articles present some of the major issues facing post-docs and propose some solutions:
Featured Article: "Postdocs Push for Better Treatment" by Gabriela Montell. The Chronicle of Higher Education.
Featured Article: "A Postdoc Bill of Rights" by Peter Fiske. Science's NextWave.
At some universities, post-docs have formed their own organizations to lobby for better pay, more comprehensive benefits, and more clearly-formulated university policy on the role and employment status of post-docs. Some universities have responded by forming their own post-doctoral associations to clarify the role of post-docs in the university and offer resources to their post-doc community. Many of these post-doctoral associations have links to articles and information for finding post-doc fellowships, as well as guidelines and policies on their own post-doctoral positions. We've highlighted the following post-doctoral associations, but this list is far from definitive. If you're considering applying for a post-doc at a particular institution, see if it has a post-doctoral association website. Because the status of post-docs varies greatly from university to university, visiting the post-doctoral association website of a specific institution is a great way to learn about the issues of concern to post-docs at that institution.
Brown University Postdoctoral Association
Lists events, news, and benefits information of relevance to Brown University post-docs, as well as links to other post-doc resources on the web.
Stanford University's Postdoctoral Association
Includes information on issues facing post-docs at Stanford, a post-doc "infopacket,"and"career search" resources.
UC Berkeley's Post-Doctoral Association
The website has links to several other associations.
UPenn's Biomed Postdoctoral Programs
Includes the "Guidelines and Appointments Manual" for UPenn post-docs as well as a "Career Development" section with links to online resources for biomed post-docs.
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Post-Doc Position Listings
Post-Doc Listings for All Disciplines
Postdocs.com
A database of position listings. You can search the database by category and keyword.
MSU Library
Links to over 60 sources of post-doc listings on the web. May also be searched by discipline.
Sponsored Programs Information Network
Use the SPIN program on Brown's Office of Research Administration to search for post-doctoral fellowships across all disciplines. Search using the keyword "postdoctoral."
The Chronicle of Higher Education's Career Network
Although the Chronicle's job listings focus on faculty appointments, they contain a few listings for post-doctoral appointments. Try a keyword search for "postdoctoral."
Higher Education Jobs
Also features some post-doctoral fellowship and research listings.
For the Humanities & Social Sciences
The Doreen B. Townsend Center for the Humanities at UC Berkeley
Links to information on humanities post-doctoral fellowships. Also see this site for major humanities funding sources, general funding resources on the web, and federal grants and fellowships.
The Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation
Website with information and application instructions on the Woodrow Wilson Postdoctoral Fellowships in the Humanities
H-Net's Job Guide
Lists some post-doctoral opportunities in the humanities and social sciences.
Post-Doctoral Opportunities for Anthropologists
For the Sciences, Math & Engineering
PhDs.org
Includes listings of post-doctoral positions in math, science, and engineering.
ScienceCareers.org Postdoc Page
Resources, articles, and fellowship listings from the organization that was formerly Science's NextWave.
The Scientist
Search for faculty and post-doctoral positions in the "Jobs" section of the magazine's website.
ScienceJobs.com
Contains a database of job listings in bioscience and chemistry, including post-doctoral positions (in industry, government, and academia).
SciJobs.org
Lists a wide range of jobs in biomed and chemistry, including post-doctoral and faculty positions.
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