‘How to get a postdoc’ panel report 

Friday October 5,2018. 3-4:30pm. 

Mulford 103 

Moderator

Ignacio Escalante, former Graduate Student Moderator (GSC), Fall 2018.

Goal

To provide an overview of the experience of a post-doctoral researcher position to graduate students in the department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management (ESPM). 

Logistics

            The panel was an open Q&A session. Three current ESPM postdocs from all divisions shared thoughts and tips about their experience of exploring, applying, getting a postdoc position, as well as how the experience is. Also, a faculty member told us about how important that stage is for his professional development. (Note: all 4 panelists did (or have done) two postdocs, and found them all through networking.   

Disclaimers

ESPM is very diverse in research interest, taxa, and approaches. In this panel we did our best to give general advice on how to explore, prepare and apply for a postdoc position. Such advice can be useful across divisions, systems, labs, etc. in ESPM. 

This report summarizes the key points covered during the panel. By no means this aims to be a formal or comprehensive guide of how to get a postdoc position, or what that position entails. 

Additionally, this is a work in progress. Feel free to contact the author (Ignacio Escalante, iescalante@berkeley.edu) with suggestions, comments, and feedback.  

Approaches to get a postdoc

            There are many ways to get hired as a post-doctoral researcher. The panel covered three of the most common ways that people in ESPM found one. Each differ in the networking required to get it, the funding scheme, as well as the responsibilities and logistics of the position itself. Below is a short description of each. 

1.     Fellowships. To be a postdoc fellow the person typically applies for a position and ‘brings’ the funding to a specific institution or lab. The applicant usually consults with the host-PI about the feasibility and matching of the proposed project. Some of those positions can be more competitive, but are more flexible (or the fellow has more independence) in terms of workflow, topics, experimental design and study systems. Some of those fellowships include: NSF, NIH, UC Presidents, Miller Fellowship at UC Berkeley, etc. 

2.     Already-funded projects. Here, you will join a lab that already has funding for a postdoc position, usually through research money designated for a specific project. Accessing these funds could be either by applying to a posting or by doing networking with potential postdoc advisors. Look for young faculty with start-up funds. 

3.     Co-write a grant. Contact potential postdoc advisors and co-write a grant that will include a postdoc position for you. Networking and research interests matching is crucial for this approach, as you will be writing a grant (potentially from scratch) with a PI. 

General resources to find postdocs  

            There are many resources online to look for fellowship opportunities and already-funded postdoc projects. Below is a very short list of some of those platforms and lists. Some of these are email lists to which you subscribe and even can filter the information you receive. 

Funding schemes for postdoctoral fellowships 

https://asntech.github.io/postdoc-funding-schemes/

EvolDir

http://evol.mcmaster.ca/brian/evoldir_instr.html

Eco Evo Jobs Net

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1z64-PTCydZIB_afaYXYUf4fVniFckHmGZwVgbeg4nNY/edit#gid=1915727790

Ecology, evolution, & quantitative postdocs (compiled by Allison Barner, postdoc in ESPM)

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ 1cHkWrbvNrRdhJL9Z8ucgBZ2HSts2GPA_yozbQPl_x_8/edit#gid=0

AAAS Science careers

https://jobs.sciencecareers.org/

Texas A&M job board

https://wfscjobs.tamu.edu/job-board/

ECOLOG-L

https://www.listserv.umd.edu/archives/ecolog-l.html

Specifics resources  

Some postdoc positions can be specific to a given institution, region, country, nationality, taxa, topic, etc. Below is a very short list of some of these options.

NSF postdocs

https://www.nsf.gov/funding/education.jsp?fund_type=3

NIH postdocs

https://www.training.nih.gov/career_services/postdoc_jobs_nih

Pew Latin American Fellows Program

http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/projects/pew-latin-american-fellows

University of California system President’s Postdoctoral Fellowship Program

https://ppfp.ucop.edu/info/resources/index.html#applicants

Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute postdocs

https://stri.si.edu/academic-programs/fellowships

Harvard Edward O. Wilson Biodiversity Postdoctoral Fellowship

https://mcz.harvard.edu/edward-wilson-postdoctoral-fellowship-program

UMass Darwin postdocs

http://careers.massachusetts.edu/cw/en-us/job/495959?lApplicationSubSourceIDand

Population biology postdoc fellowship. Univ Nebraska Lincoln

https://biosci.unl.edu/population-biology-poe-postdoctoral-fellowships

AMNH postdocs

https://www.amnh.org/our-research/richard-gilder-graduate-school/academics-and-research/fellowship-and-grant-opportunities/postdoctoral-research-fellowship-program

UNC Spire Postdoctoral Fellowship Program

http://spire.unc.edu/

Smith Fellows

https://conbio.org/mini-sites/smith-fellows/

General FAQ

[Again, this information is very division-, group- and even lab- dependent. Please be aware that the answers and suggestions could not be relevant for you or your research]. 

How to find a postdoc position?

-        Do a lot of networking! Also, see online listserves and resources online. 

What makes a good candidate? How to prepare for a postdoc while still doing your PhD?

-        Try to have at least 1 dissertation chapter ready/published. 

-        Outline your research experience and interests. A 3min elevator talk helps. 

-        Take time to think about your long-term goals, and design a plan accordingly. 

How to find a matching with advisors?

-        Sometimes is a continuation of the research topics/taxa/study areas/etc. circles you are already involved in. Sometimes networking and having conversation with PIs help outline the matching. 

What’s the goal of a postdoc position?

-        A postdoc is an extended training period in research, in which you devote your time mostly to do research. This in preparation for serving as a principal investigator. 

How to succeed in a postdoc / get the best of it?

-        You go in hopes to get training on a new method, or apply the skills you already have. 

-        PIs are looking for specific skills, but also you are expected to grow in other skills you want to build in, systems, organisms, questions, etc. for your future career, as a PI, researcher, consultant, educator, etc.  So, this is an opportunity to show that you can do something different. 

How important is the postdoc experience when applying for a teaching position? 

-       It can be very important, and sometimes is even a requirement. It could also be important to be able to differentiate how different your postdoc research was from your dissertation research, as well as from your postdoc advisor’s research. 

What are some advantages of the different types of postdocs? (fellowships vs already-funded projects)

-        Fellow have more freedom, looks different in your CV. 

Are there also non-research postdocs?

-        Yes, there are teaching postdocs, or mentorship, extension and even outreach ones.

-        The skills that you build during postdoc are transferable to other areas (NGOs, teaching, mentoring, data science, industry, consultant, etc). In fact, some academic postdocs are written in collaboration with NGOs, governmental agencies, etc. and aim to develop skills that then will make you a great candidate to apply for positions there (see Smiths Fellows).  

Is the process of applying for a postdoc similar to applying to graduate school?

-        It is both similar and different process than applying to grad school. Similar mostly in the networking component. However, the application is less formal, and there are less quantitative indicators (GRE, GPA, TOEFL, etc.) during the application. Also, some positions are rolling admission. 

-        A strong record of published work, conference presentations, awards, etc. in your CV and a letter of intention is sometimes enough. 

What other general advice current and previous postdocs have? 

-        Think about what you want long-term. 

-        Ask yourself what you want to get out of a postdoc. 

-        Make sure your research interest match with the potential advisor. Also, create a dialogue for the potential advisor in preparing the project. Show the PI that you have done research, and have looked for funding somewhere. Let’s find money together. “I’m interested in XX, I’d like to develop skills YY, let’s do it together”. 

-        Writing a grant with a PI is good, but might take a lot of time and effort. Be strategic. You don’t want to spend too much time in this vs doing/writing your dissertation. 

Look at the current teaching/tenure track positions that are being offered. Read the job description, and prepare your work accordingly, and know how to pitch yourself in that world.