Enhancing the Postdoctoral Experience for Scientists and Engineers A Guide for Postdoctoral Scholars, Advisers, Institutions, Funding Organizations, and Disciplinary Societies (2000) / Chapter Skim
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Principles, Action Points, and Recommendations for Enhancing the Postdoctoral Experience
Principles, Action Points, and Recommendations for Enhancing the Postdoctoral Experience
Pages 97-109
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From page 97... ...
. The postdoc's need for career skills and educational experiences must be more widely recognized and reflected in all decisions made by postdoc advisers, host institutions, and the organizations that provide funding for postdocs.
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From page 98... ...
This understanding must include the objectives of the adviser and institution as well as the objectives of the postdoc. In addition, funding organizations have responsibilities to set high standards for the postdoctoral experience and the disciplinary societies have responsibilities to gather and disseminate information and promote career advancement.
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COSEPUP considered several other action points, but chose not to recommend them. These include measures to limit the postdoctoral population, to establish formal benchmarks for postdoc salaries, and to permit postdocs to obtain their own grant funding during the postdoctoral term.
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The advisers of postdocs have the responsibility to provide a postdoctoral experience that is fundamentally educational in nature and advances the postdoc's career. This educational experience should lead toward research independence and include, depending on the postdoc's career goals, occasional course work, teaching, internships, and other experiences that promote professional development.
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From page 101... ...
2. Institutions should classify all postdocs in a distinctive and appropriate category that embraces their unique institutional position (see Recommendation 1 in section on Funding Organizations)
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6. There should be a general progression, as a postdoctoral term lengthens, toward more senior status, with commensurate pay and benefits (see Recommendation 1 in section on Funding Organizations)
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If a career planning office exists, postdocs should have access to that office, ideally through an identified contact person who can provide specific assistance. Although the adviser plays the primary role in career advising, an institutional office may supplement this function in numerous ways, such as providing the opportunity for postdocs to participate in interviews with employers; programs in resume writing, interviewing, grant writing, and other appropriate subjects; inviting alumni and visiting speakers (including those from nonacademic settings)
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d. Leave: Postdocs should be governed by explicit leave policies, including sick leave, parental leave, and holidays.
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h. Reporting and tracking: Funding organizations should track postdocs after they leave individual labs, to help determine whether that lab should continue to receive funding for postdoc training; funders already use the yardstick of post-appointment performance for training grants.
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The NIH leadership should meet regularly with representatives of postdoctoral organizations to provide a direct communication link between the funding agencies and postdoctoral associations (and the national network of associations being formed)
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5. Private funding organizations, such as foundations, should play a larger role in encouraging best practices and setting appropriate stipend levels.
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Disciplinary Societies Disciplinary societies should play a larger role in promoting the professional careers of postdocs, especially by enhancing opportunities at professional society meetings. These opportunities include placing postdocs on the scientific program so they receive public exposure, providing travel grant support to attend meetings, inviting postdocs to serve on standing committees of the organization, sponsoring workshops for potential postdocs at major professional meetings, and inviting representatives from funding agencies to discuss funding mechanisms and issues.
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From page 109... ...
LOOKING TOWARD THE FUTURE The theme underlying this guide is that all parties to the postdoctoral experience postdocs, advisers, institutions, funding organizations, and disciplinary societies must reach a clear, mutual understanding of the purpose of a postdoctoral position. Once such an understanding is gained, all parties can work together to enhance the postdoctoral experience.
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