This newsletter is typically distributed the last Thursday of the month and contains a variety of resources, links, and reflections on graduate-level career & professional development, higher education, and an occasional detour into neuroscience topics, the area I formally trained in as a graduate student and postdoc.
This study examined the experiences of temporary resident postdocs who make up the majority of STEM postdocs in the United States and are dependent on employers for their visas. Despite temporary residents having higher average research productivity, the study found they had (on average) lower salaries, fewer benefits, less mentoring, and are less involved in collaboration, grants and teaching. These differences were greater for individuals with foreign degrees.
National Postdoctoral Association (NPA) Programming & Resources
The NPA's SmartSkills program continues in 2024 featuring webinars on a variety of topics related to postdocs' career and professional development and well-being.
And check out the NPA's Resource Library for more guides and resources including a guide to the postdoc timeline, mentoring, and more.
NPA Accessibility & Inclusion Equity Summit: Friday, November 8th
This summit seeks to identify barriers – and find paths forward – to greater accessibility and inclusion across the postdoctoral communities. Areas of focus include accessibility and inclusion for individuals with (in)visible disabilities and neurodiverse individuals that allow them to thrive in their postdoctoral work and beyond. Roundtable discussions are currently planned on a variety of topics of interest to the postdoctoral communities featuring postdoctoral researchers and invited representatives from government, industry, nonprofits, and academia.
September 16-20 was National Postdoc Appreciation Week. I share some past blog posts related to pursuing a postdoc, re-imagining the postdoc experience, and understanding the many contributions postdocs make, below.
How do we make the postdoc experience better and, in the process, add value to the institutions they operate in and produce positive impacts on society at large?
Despite the varied and important roles they play, postdocs are often overlooked as a key constituency by administrators and leaders at research and academic institutions in the United States and globally.
Including advice on how to network your way to postdoc opportunities and consider the training environment in the lab/group/institution to make the most of your postdoctoral experience.
