You have probably seen the cartoon of the fish--holding a baseball bat in his fin--looking longingly at a ball sitting on the sandy beach. Just like that "great moment in evolution," we hope that the launch of the Postdoc Network's newest feature will be a great moment in the evolution of postdoc organizations. This week, we unveil postdocnet@aaas.org--a moderated listserv to connect far-flung po...
All working parents struggle to balance their work and family lives, but for many postdocs, the issues are further burdened by a lack of resources and support. In the Postdoc Network this week, Karen Spratt describes the efforts at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center to create a child care subsidy program for postdocs. However, a subsidy program may not be the answer for all institutions. ...
In our section, Evolution of Postdoc Organizations, we have focused on postdoc programs, offices, and associations--and in particular, on their beginnings and their futures. But the very nature of the postdoctoral experience is that each postdoc moves on, leaving the association behind. The postdocs who found and contribute to their associations obviously shape the organizations, but do the assoc...
Last week, we began our discussion of postdoc status with a primer on two categories of American academic postdocs. This week, we'll cover the status issues of foreign national postdocs, "student" postdocs, and postdocs working in government labs. Foreign Nationals as Postdocs According to the National Academy of Sciences' COSEPUP guide, over 50% of postdocs in the U.S. are foreign nationals. The...
You've read the first three installments in the series on how to organize a career fair, and you're thinking about getting started. But very few things in life are free, so how do you pay for supplies and expenses? In this article, we'll cover some costs to think about while you're planning the fair, as well as how to find the funds and in-kind donations you'll need to make the fair a success. Co...
In previous Postdoc Network Issues and Solutions articles, we have covered the visa issues that are important to foreign national scientists. But immigration considerations are not the only issues with which postdocs must contend when arriving in the U.S. This week, we'll review two Web sites that offer advice and information on a whole range of topics important to these scientists. Fortunately f...
In a previous Postdoc Network article, we covered the issue of being a postdoc parent (see "Solutions to Postdoc Parenting Problems"). But what happens before the baby arrives? How do pregnant postdocs handle the issues of disability and maternity leave? And how does their condition affect their relationships with lab mates and advisors? This week, the Postdoc Network addresses these topics in an...
As a postdoc looking at your future career plans, you probably are wondering what skills employers are looking for. And once you know the answer to that question, the next one is bound to be "Where the heck do I get those skills?" In this second part of our series, " Developing the Skills You Need to Succeed: Tales From Association Postdocs," we'll hear from a former postdoc and her current boss ...
Last month, the Postdoc Network published an article about the morning session of the recent Postdoc Network National Meeting. This week, we cover the afternoon session, which focused on meeting postdoctoral career and professional development needs. Career Needs After networking at lunch, the meeting attendees returned to the auditorium to spend an afternoon focused on how organizations are addr...
You and your labmate have been working side by side at the bench for a year. And you are both postdocs, right? After all, you both have Ph.D.s, and you work on similar projects in the lab. But what are your official titles? If you are a "postdoctoral researcher," then your institution may consider you to be a type of employee. As such, you may have access to health benefits and even a retirement ...
2001 may go down as a banner year in the evolution of postdoc issues. On 2 March 2001, the National Academies Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy (COSEPUP) held their Convocation on Enhancing the Postdoctoral Experience for Scientists and Engineers. And on 3 March, the Next Wave held the first national meeting of the Postdoc Network: Sharing Solutions to Postdoc Needs. The meetin...
Every year, medical school deans, provosts, and other administrators from around the country gather to discuss biomedical graduate (and postdoctoral) education and training. This meeting of the GREAT group (the Graduate Research, Education, and Training group of the Association of American Medical Colleges) is an opportunity for medical school administrators to learn about the activities and prog...
