{"id":9988,"date":"2011-04-05T12:27:53","date_gmt":"2011-04-05T16:27:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/?page_id=9988"},"modified":"2014-08-15T16:47:17","modified_gmt":"2014-08-15T20:47:17","slug":"best-practices","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/students\/policies\/best-practices\/","title":{"rendered":"Best Practices"},"content":{"rendered":"

Best Practices for Postdocs:
\n<\/em><\/h3>\n

Below are two templates of approved hire letters by Human Resources and the Postdoc Advisory Committee. \u00a0 OPDPA strongly encourages department’s Hiring Managers and P.I.’s\u00a0 to use it.<\/p>\n

Approved Hire Letter for the Postdoctoral Associate<\/a>
\n<\/em><\/h3>\n

Approved Hire Letter for the Postdoctoral Fellow<\/a>
\n<\/em><\/h3>\n

Postdocs and Family Life<\/h3>
<\/em><\/p>\n

Many postdocs have reached an age when they want to start families. Two
\nsurveys, at the University of California at San Francisco and Baylor College of
\nMedicine, indicated that one-third to one-half of postdocs are parents.12 The
\nSurvey of Doctoral Recipients indicates that more than half of postdocs in all fields
\nexcept mathematical and computer sciences (45 percent) are married.<\/p>\n

Many postdocs report a prejudice among both men and women faculty against
\nwomen who choose to start a family during postdoctoral training and against men
\nwho wish to take parental leave after the birth of a child. Nonetheless, institutions
\nare beginning to create appropriate policies that take family life into consideration.
\nAt the University of Pennsylvania\u2019s medical school, where the average age of postdocs
\nis 34.5 years, postdocs receive six weeks of paid parental leave. At Vanderbilt,
\nwomen postdocs who have taken time away from a program to have children
\nare allowed to exceed the institution\u2019s standard five-year training limit. The Howard
\nHughes Medical Institute builds flexibility into the use of its funding: If a postdoc
\nhas a spouse with medical benefits, for example, the postdoc may use the allowance
\nnormally allotted to medical insurance for child care.<\/p>\n

Useful \u201csurvival techniques\u201d reported by postdoc parents include meticulous
\nTime management, careful organization of activities (even including \u201cappointments\u201d
\nTo spend time with spouses and children), and highly focused attention to each
\nactivity. They advise enlisting extra help from family and friends and a clear understanding
\nof parental leave policies. The Survival Skills workshop at the University
\nof Pittsburgh notes that the stresses caused by overlapping demands are often
\nassociated with depression, and that campus health services usually offer help.
\nScience\u2019s NextWave web site13 offers many specific suggestions by postdocs who
\nare parents.<\/p>\n

12<\/sup>See www.bcmitmc.edu\/pda\/reference\/surveyresults.html; www.saa49.ucsf.edu\/psa\/
\n415survey.html
\n13<\/sup>See nextwave.sciencemag.org<\/p>\n

Copyright \u00a9 National Academy of Science.\u00a0 All rights reserved.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n

Fellowship for Underrepresented Minority Postdocs<\/h3>
<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

While minority graduate students can choose among a variety of special fellowships,
\nminority postdocs have few options. Among them are the following:<\/p>\n

The Ford Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowships for Minorities<\/em> are aimed at
\nminority groups \u201cwhose under representation in the professorate and in formal programs
\nof postdoctoral study and research in the United States has been longstanding
\nand remains severe as a result of past discrimination.
\nFellowships are given for one year of postdoctoral research in
\nfields of science or engineering (excluding \u201cpractice-based\u201d professions, such as
\nmedicine, law, and social work). Eligible applicants include \u201ccurrent or potential
\ncollege or university faculty members and researchers\u201d who are U.S. citizens and
\nbelong to one of the following groups: African-Americans, American Indians, Alaskan
\nNatives, Native Hawaiians, Native Pacific Islanders, Mexican Americans\/Chicanos,
\nand Puerto Ricans. The program is administered by the National Research Council
\nof the National Academies on behalf of the Ford Foundation.<\/p>\n

The UNCF-Merck Postdoctoral Science Research Fellowships<\/em> is a program
\njointly administered by the United Negro College Fund and Merck with ten awards
\nwith a stipend of $55,000. This program is \u201c…designed to increase the number of
\nAfrican Americans in the pipeline of biomedical science education and research.\u201d
\nThe program is open to US citizens who are African Americans. They may work at
\nacademic or nonacademic research institutions, but not private industrial labs.<\/p>\n

The National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists
\n& Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE) Awards<\/em>, \u201crecognizes outstanding scientists,
\nengineers, and science teachers who have made significant contributions in
\ntheir fields.\u201d While most of their awards are intended for graduate and younger
\nstudents, the Lloyd Ferguson Young Scientist Award goes to young African American
\nscientists with 8-10 years of professional experience. See also a web site for
\nminority researchers go to \u201cJust\/Garcia\/Hill Science Web Site.\u201d<\/p>\n

Copyright \u00a9 National Academy of Sciences.\u00a0 All rights reserved.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n

Questions to Ask in Choosing an Adviser<\/h3>
<\/em><\/p>\n

The best time for a postdoc to evaluate a potential postdoctoral position is
\nbefore signing on. It is difficult to adjust the major conditions of an appointment
\nonce it is underway. Experienced postdocs and advisers suggest the following
\nquestions be asked of (and about) a prospective adviser:<\/p>\n

1. What are the adviser\u2019s expectations of the postdoc?
\n2. Will the adviser or the postdoc determine the research program?
\n3. How many postdocs has this adviser had? Where did they go afterward?
\n4. What do current and past lab members think about their experience?
\n5. Will the adviser have time for mentoring? Or should I seek out other mentors?
\n6. How many others (grad students, staff, postdocs) now work for this adviser?
\n7. How many papers are being published? Where?
\n8. What is the adviser\u2019s policy on travel to meetings? Authorship? Ownership
\nof ideas?
\n9. Will I have practice in grant writing? Teaching\/mentoring? Oral presentations?
\nReview of manuscripts?
\n10. Can I expect to take part of the project away after the postdoc?
\n11. How long is financial support guaranteed? On what does renewal depend?
\n12. Can I count on help in finding a position?
\n13. Will the adviser have adequate research funds to support the proposed
\nresearch?
\nCopyright \u00a9 National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n

Is a 'Hot Lab' the Best Lab?<\/h3>
<\/em><\/p>\n

Many graduate students and pre-graduate students assume that a \u201chot topic\u201d
\nlab is the best lab for postdoctoral work, but hot researchers may or may not
\nprovide good mentoring. An indication of effective mentoring may be found in the
\npublished record. One mentor advises looking back 10 to 20 years in a major
\nliterature database (e.g., Medline for postdocs on the life sciences) and selecting
\nfirst authors of excellent papers from the lab of the proposed mentor (in most
\nbiomedical labs the mentor is the last author). Then fast-forward to the most recent
\nthree years and check for citations from the first list of names, especially as first or
\nlast author. If the collective first authors of earlier years are producing first-rate,
\ninteresting papers today, their previous training may have played an important
\npart. This method is helpful only for evaluating senior mentors; however, for more
\njunior mentors, the best information may come from current and former lab
\nmembers.<\/p>\n

Copyright \u00a9 National Academy of Science. All rights reserved.
\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n

Mentoring<\/h3>
<\/em><\/p>\n

When the J. David Gladstone Institutes<\/em> in San Francisco wanted to ensure
\nthat its 60 postdoctoral scholars were receiving adequate mentoring,
\nthe administration undertook a year-long study, with the following results:<\/p>\n

\u2022 Discussions of mentorship have become part of the annual performance
\nreviews for fellows and PIs.
\n\u2022 Postdocs are surveyed annually on the mentoring they receive, and confidential
\nresults are sent to the PI, the director, and the human resources office.
\n\u2022 PIs receive additional training in mentoring.
\n\u2022 Trainees were made aware of existing procedures for addressing problems
\nbetween the postdoc and the mentor.
\n\u2022 PIs are required to discuss career plans and prospects with postdocs at
\nleast yearly.
\n\u2022 Human resources will provide all postdocs with both a letter of appointment
\nand a letter of completion.<\/p>\n

At the University of Pittsburgh<\/em>, one department requires each postdoc to
\nselect a small faculty \u201cmentoring committee\u201d for informal meetings and guidance.
\nPostdocs are encouraged to choose \u201cpotential role models\u201d as committee members.
\nOne postdoc reported after her first meeting, \u201cIt was the best meeting I ever
\nhad. I didn\u2019t feel like the trainee; I was just talking to three other researchers. They
\nwere at opposite ends of my project and brought different perspectives.\u201d<\/p>\n

At Albert Einstein College of Medicine<\/em>, one department finds that effective
\nmentoring can be accomplished through weekly work-in-progress groups. \u201cEach
\npostdoc has to present their research once a year,\u201d says a dean. \u201cEveryone
\nknows where they stand. If a person is foundering, the group will get together at
\nother times to advise.\u201d<\/p>\n

At Eli Lilly and Co<\/em>., mentoring of its 75 postdocs is done both by the Science
\nAdvisory Council and by individual \u201cresearch advisers.\u201d The Advisory Council,
\nwhich oversees the scientific integrity of the program, meets with a postdoc at
\nleast once during their tenure\u2014usually at the midpoint. These meetings give postdocs
\nthe opportunity to showcase their work for senior management, build their
\nnetwork of contacts, and work on getting sponsorship. Postdocs also meet regularly
\nwith their research adviser. The position of research adviser is prestigious;
\nbefore advising a postdoc, a researcher must demonstrate success at mentoring
\ntechnicians.<\/p>\n

At Johns Hopkins School of Medicine<\/em>, mentors are asked to perform a formal
\nreview of each postdoc\u2019s progress at least twice a year. A written record of the
\nreview should indicate progress and next steps to be taken.<\/p>\n

Copyright \u00a9 National Academy of Sciences.\u00a0 All rights reserved.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n

The 'Special Something' that Brings Success<\/h3>
<\/em><\/p>\n

When Adam came to a federal laboratory as a postdoc in anthropology, he was
\nintimidated by the competition in his field of Central American studies. His adviser,
\nhowever, suggested he stop and think for a moment. He asked, What do you want
\nto get out of this postdoctoral experience? What are your career goals? What
\nspecial skills do you have that most other researchers in the field do not? What are
\nsome of the unique aspects of this research environment? Which of my connections
\nor talents can help you?<\/p>\n

In Adam\u2019s case, he spent part of his boyhood in Mexico. This provided him with
\nunique language skills, contacts, and general understanding that most of his competition
\ndid not have. In addition, his university hosted a center of Latin American
\nstudies where he could increase his contacts with scholars interested in the same
\narea.<\/p>\n

Comment: <\/strong>By working together, Adam and his adviser were able to develop a
\nstrategy that used the best of his assets\u2014and provided him with an edge that
\ncould lift him a step above his competition.<\/em><\/p>\n

Copyright \u00a9 National Academy of Sciences.\u00a0 All rights reserved.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n

Developing 'Survival Skills'<\/h3>
<\/em><\/p>\n

In addition to their disciplinary training, postdocs need additional career or
\n\u201csurvival\u201d skills to maximize their chances for a rewarding career. A Postdoctoral
\nTaskforce at the University of Pittsburgh has developed a detailed program to
\neducate postdocs on such topics as:<\/p>\n

\u2022 How to choose a postdoctoral adviser
\n\u2022 What should and should not be expected from an adviser
\n\u2022 How to establish goals for a postdoctoral experience
\n\u2022 Intellectual property rights
\n\u2022 The resources available at their institution
\n\u2022 How to build a community of mentors
\n\u2022 How to develop a professional network
\n\u2022 How and when to become independent
\n\u2022 How to leave the institution on good terms<\/p>\n

As a key mechanism, the task force has developed a Survival Skills and Ethics
\nWorkshop for postdocs, graduate students, and faculty. The workshop, held several
\ntimes a year, offers programs and advice on such topics as writing research
\narticles, making oral presentations, job hunting, teaching, writing grant proposals,
\npersonnel and project management, and responsible conduct.<\/p>\n

Similarly, the NIH fellows organization sponsors three skills development seminars
\na year for its on-campus fellows. Topics include writing, speaking, and teaching;
\nit has also arranged for a fall job fair, extra travel awards, and adjunct jobs
\nteaching in the evenings.<\/p>\n

Postdocs often need help with practical questions: How do the requirements of
\nresearch institutions differ from those of undergraduate teaching colleges? What
\nkinds of internships provide the best preparation for professional careers? How is
\nan industry job search different from a university job search? What different skills
\nare required?<\/p>\n

Copyright \u00a9 National Academy of Sciences.\u00a0 All rights reserved.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Best Practices for Postdocs: Below are two templates of approved hire letters by Human Resources and the Postdoc Advisory Committee. \u00a0 OPDPA strongly encourages department’s Hiring Managers and P.I.’s\u00a0 to use it. Approved Hire Letter for the Postdoctoral Associate Approved Hire Letter for the Postdoctoral Fellow<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4137,"featured_media":0,"parent":5393,"menu_order":1,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9988"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4137"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9988"}],"version-history":[{"count":50,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9988\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":38949,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9988\/revisions\/38949"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5393"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9988"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}