Postdocs: What are they and how do I find one?

Postdocs: What are they and how do I find one? Dr. Nicole Michel (Nicole.Michel@usask.ca) and Dr. Lori Bradford (Lori.Bradford@usask.ca), PDFs, School of Environment & Sustainability, University of Saskatchewan Dr. Alex Bond (Alex.Bond@ec.gc.ca), VRF, Environment Canada and University of Saskatchewan

What is a postdoc?

Who are postdocs?

Do I need a postdoc?

Outline • Introduction • General advice for selecting a postdoc • Writing your own postdoc • Applying for existing postdocs • Networking to find a postdoc • Is a postdoc for me? • Group discussion of any other postdoc-related issues, questions, and concerns.

Who are we? • Dr. Nicole Michel, SENS • Ph.D., Tulane University, May 2012 • Lecturer, Tulane University, Fall 2012 • Postdoctoral Research Fellow, U Sask, Jan 2013 – • Dr. Alex Bond, Environment Canada • Ph.D., Memorial University of Newfoundland, August 2011 • Postdoc, University of Saskatchewan Biology, 2011 - 2013 • Visiting Research Fellow, Environment Canada, 2013 – • Dr. Lori Bradford, SENS • Ph.D., Lincoln University, Dec 2009 • Part-time Professor and Lecturer, Jan 2010 – Apr 2011 • Postdoctoral Fellow, Lakehead University, Aug - Oct 2011 • Postdoctoral Research Fellow, USask, Oct 2012 – • Mother and wife

I. Introduction • What is a postdoc? • What kinds of postdocs are there? • Who are postdocs?

What is a postdoc? • “Postdoc” refers both to a type of employment, and the person who does that work • Typically short-term (1-5 year) teaching and/or research positions held shortly after the PhD • Preparation for professional/academic career • First postdoc: 1876 at Johns Hopkins • Number of postdocs increasing • 1975: 16,000 • 1995: 35,000 • Today: >50,000

What kinds of postdocs are there? • Postdocs available in: • Academia • Industry/Non-profits • Government • Postdocs may consist of: • Research • Independent • Existing • Teaching • Service Oregon State University Postdoc job titles

The Canadian postdoc stratigraphy: • ½ men, ½ women (53:47%) • ½ completed highest degree outside of Canada • Average postdoc is in their 30’s and married (69%) • Most expect to hold postdoc positions for 3-5 years (70%) • 1 in 3 have dependent children • 2/3 earn less than $45000 and have no access to benefits • 46% Life Science, 32% in Physical Sciences or Engineering, 14% in Social Sciences • Most are happy with work environment and independence, but most are concerned with salary, career development, professional training, benefits • More than half not exposed to career opportunities outside academia, 87% have no access to career counselling • Can be labelled “employee, student, trainee, intern, independent contractor” • *2013 The Canadian Association of Postdoctoral Scholars/L'Association Canadienne de Stagiaires Post-doctoraux (CAPS-ACSP) and Mitacs.

General advice for selecting a postdoc Dr. Nicole Michel, PDF, SENS

Ten Simple Rules for Selecting a Postdoctoral Position (Bourne & Friedberg 2006) • Select a position that excites you • Select a laboratory that suits your work and lifestyle • Select a laboratory and project that develop new skills – diversify! • Have a backup plan(s) • Choose a project with tangible outcomes that match your career goals

Ten Simple Rules for Selecting a Postdoctoral Position (Bourne & Friedberg 2006) • Negotiate first authorship before you start • The time in a postdoctoral fellowship should be finite • Evaluate the growth path • Can you continue this research and take it with you? • Strive to get your own money • Learn to recognize opportunities and up-and-coming areas of research

Selecting a mentor and lab • Is this person active in their field? • What topics are the lab (graduate students, postdocs) working on? Will you fit in? • Will this person be a good colleague and mentor? • Ask around to get the “inside scoop” • What is the funding situation? • Just because they say they have/will have money doesn’t mean it’s true • Can you live in that city/region for a few years?

Survey: what to look for in a postdoc

You’ve received an offer – now what? • Make sure this is really the position you want • Confirm the following in writing: • Salary • Benefits • Start and end dates • Expectations of your research, teaching, and service commitments • Evaluate the institution • Make sure you will be done with your PhD before the start date (allow some time off, if possible)

What to expect as a postdoc • Get your project up and running quickly • Often doing dissertation-level work in 2 years • Publish, publish, publish • Network, network, network (in and beyond dept.) • Participate in seminars & group research projects • Look for supplemental funding opportunities • Teach a course and/or mentor students (academics) • Keep applying for “real” jobs

Making your own postdoc in Canada(Biology) Dr. Alex Bond Postdoctoral Fellow Environment Canada / University of Saskatchewan LabAndField.wordpress.com / @thelabandfield

Start early • At least 12-18 months before you want to start a postdoc • Account for application deadlines • E.g., NSERC PDF applications due in October the year before you want to start • Identify a potential supervisor early on and develop a proposal together • One proposal can be easily modified for several competitions

Making your own postdoc • Using existing pools of unfettered money • Funds go with you, not your supervisor/lab • Highly competitive • Few sources

NSERC • 4 main programs • Postdoctoral Fellowships (PDF) • Industrial R&D Fellowships (IRDF) • Visiting Fellowships in Government Labs (VF) • Banting Fellowships (with SSHRC & CIHR)

NSERC PDF Program • $40,000/year for 2 years • Applications due to NSERC on 15 Oct • Similar to PGS application • 2-page research proposal • List of publications • Significant contributions to R&D • Letters of reference

NSERC PDF Program • Canadian citizens or permanent residents only • PhD completed no more than 2 years before application deadline • Only get one shot! • 2013 applications: 808 • Down from 2011 high: 1431 applications • 2013 awards: 110 • Down from 2010 high: 286 awards

NSERC PDF Success Rate

NSERC IRDF Program • $45,000/year (minimum) for 2 years • No set application deadline • Notification of decision within 8 weeks of submission • No proposal required – just an industrial partner & satisfying eligibility criteria • PhD completed in the last 5 years • No set competition – depends on candidates finding an industrial partner

NSERC IRDF Program • Lengthy application procedure, especially if the industrial partner has not had an NSERC IRDF position before • Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and foreign students with a work visa & who completed their PhD in Canada at the time of nomination • No more than 6 months’ employment in R&D after obtaining PhD

NSERC VF Program • $49,513/year for up to 3 years • duration depends on government funding; rate is ~90% of entry-level government scientist (RES-01) • No set application deadline • Notification of decision within 3 months • No proposal required – just a federal government lab willing to take you on (or not*) & satisfying eligibility criteria • No set competition – depends on candidates finding a government supervisor

NSERC VF Program • Open to anyone of any nationality with a PhD from any accredited institution • If no government partner, applicants can be placed in a pool of “pre-approved” candidates for up to 1 year • Can only ever apply twice • Can only ever hold one VF • Funding in one-year increments

Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships • $70,000/year for 2 years • EXTENSIVE application process • First selected by supervisor, faculty, and put forward to university • Independent review (coordinated by applicants) of their proposal • University ranks & submits some applications to national competition (number determined by Banting program) • Takes >3 months to compile

Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships • Application deadline (at Banting): last week of September • University deadline is weeks before • 4-page proposal, contributions to R&D, list of publications • 70 total across NSERC, SSHRC, CIHR • 2013 NSERC pool: 23 awards/180 final applicants

Other Funding Schemes • Liber Ero Fellowship Program • Killam Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowships • W. Garfield Weston Postdoctoral Fellowship in Northern Research • UBC Biodiversity Research Centre • University of Toronto Ecology & Evolutionary Biology

Liber Ero Fellowship Program • $55,000/year +$15,000 for travel & research for 2 years • Applied conservation focus • Requires a collaborating conservation practitioner • 4-page proposal, CV, and letters of reference • 4 awards every year • Last deadline was 01 November

Killam Postdoctoral Fellowships • UBC, University of Calgary, University of Alberta, Dalhousie University • Each university runs their own competition • $44,000-50,000/year for 2 years • Application deadlines vary by university (some in the fall, others in winter) • Generally require a proposal, CV, letters of support, … • ~2-4 awarded by each university each year

W. Garfield Weston Postdoctoral Fellowship • Canadian Northern Studies Trust • $50,000/year for 2 years + $10,000 for travel • Research in the Canadian North (defined as the permafrost line) • Canadian citizens & permanent residents only • PhD within 2 years of the application deadline • Letters of support from supervisor, university; transcripts; research proposal • Deadline: 31 January 2014

Biodiversity Research Centre, UBC • NSERC CREATE training program • $43,000/year for 2 years + $7,000/yr research stipend • Research on core problems in biodiversity • Work with one or more of 50 faculty members • All applicants welcome • CV, three letters of reference, statement of overall scientific goals and interests (2 pgs.) • Deadline: 13 January 2014

University of Toronto EEB • $40,000/year for 2 years • Work with existing faculty at U of T Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology • CV, representative publications, research summary & future plans • Review starts 25 Nov

Other resources • International Scholarships Database (Government of Canada) • Applying for existing postdocs

Writing your own postdoc – us funding sources Nicole Michel, PDF, SENS

As in Canada, start early • At least 12-18 months before you want to start a postdoc • Account for application deadlines • E.g., NSF applications due in autumn the year before you want to start, many private apps. in Jan/Feb • Identify a potential supervisor early on and develop a proposal together • One proposal can be easily modified for several competitions (recycle!)

Making your own postdoc in the US • Using existing pools of money • Some funds go with you, not your supervisor/lab, but most funds are linked to specific labs & projects • Highly competitive • Few sources • more than in Canada, but there are also more applicants

National Science Foundation • Independent Federal agency created by the National Science Foundation Act of 1950 “to promote the progress of science; [and] to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare by supporting research and education in all fields of science and engineering.” • Multiple divisions, funding sources

NSF Postdoctoral research fellowships • Programs are subdivided by research area • Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences (AGS-PRF) • Earth Sciences Postdoctoral Fellowships (EAR-PF) • East Asia & Pacific Summer Institutes (EAPSI)* • Mathematical Sciences Postdoctoral Research (MSPRF) • Science, Engineering, and Education for Sustainability Fellows (SEES) • Ocean Sciences Research Fellowships (OCE-PRF) • Postdoctoral Fellowships in Polar Regions Research (PRR-PRF)† • Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in Biology (PRFB) • Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences (SBE-PRF) • Science, Technology, and Society (STS) * For graduate students, must be enrolled at time of application † Suspended April 2013, may be reinstated

Science, Engineering, and Education for Sustainability Fellows (SEES) • “Seeks to advance science, engineering, and education to inform the societal actions needed for environmental and economic sustainability and human well-being while creating the necessary workforce to address these challenges” • Who can apply: US citizen, national, or permanent resident; have the PhD by the start date; <36 months post-PhD. Others may apply through affiliation with universities, colleges, or non-profits. • Stipend: $88,000/yr including benefits • Research funds: $60,000 over 3 years • Indirect: none • Funds transportable: yes if applying as unaffiliated individual • Duration: 3 years • Due dates: November 26, 2013 • Number of awards annually: 15-20 • Application limits: 1 per applicant, no limits per university

Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in Biology (PRFB) • Four areas: (1) Broadening Participation in Biology; (2) Intersections of Biology and Mathematical and Physical Sciences and Engineering; (3) National Plant Genome Initiative Postdoctoral Research Fellowships; and (4) International Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in Biology • Who can apply: US citizen, national, or permanent resident; have PhD in science, math, or engineering by the start date; <12 months full-time employed post-PhD; have not accepted academic appointment; have received <$20,000 federal funding (not counting GRFP, DDIG) • Stipend: $54,000/yr • Research funds: $15,000/year (no foreign travel) • Indirect: none • Funds transportable: Yes. May work in US or internationally • Duration: Area 1: 3 yrs + 1 yr teaching (optional); Area 2: 2 yrs + 1 yr abroad (optional) + 1 yr teaching (optional); Area 3: 3 years; Area 4: 2 years • Due dates: October 8, 2013 • Number of awards annually: 15 per competitive area • Application limits: 1/year, 2 consecutive per applicant, no limits per university

Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences (SBE-PRF) • Two tracks: (1) Broadening Participation, (2) Interdisciplinary Research in Behavioral and Social Sciences • Who can apply: US citizen, national, or permanent resident; obtained PhD <24 mos. before application or within 10 mos after deadline; no full-time tenure-track position. Must be affiliated with university or non-profit through which proposal is submitted. • Stipend: $45,000/yr + fringe benefits per institutional rates • Research funds: $10,000/year • Indirect: included at institution’s indirect rate, in addition to stipend & research funds • Funds transportable: No • Duration: 2 years • Due dates: Last Monday in October • Number of awards annually: 15 • Application limits: 1/year, 2 consecutive per applicant, no limits per university

Science, Technology, and Society (STS) • Research into the interface between science (including engineering) or technology, and society, using social science, historical, and philosophical methods • Who can apply: US citizen, national, or permanent resident; obtained PhD <5 years before start; no full-time tenure-track position. Can not work at Ph.D. institution • Stipend: $75,000/yr including indirect • Research funds: none • Indirect: included at institution’s indirect rate, deducted from stipend • Funds transportable: Yes if made to individual • Duration: 2 years • Due dates: February 1, August 1 • Number of awards annually: 15 • Application limits: none

Other NSF funding sources • Core program grants • CAREER grants • RAPID grants • EAGER grants • Dear Colleague Letters • Special solicitations

Core program grants • Wide variety of funding topics/clusters • Biology: Biological Infrastructure, Environmental Biology, Emerging Frontiers, Integrative Organismal Systems, Molecular and Cellular Biosciences • DEB: Ecosystem Science, Evolutionary Processes, Population and Community Ecology, Systematics & Biodiversity Science • SBE: Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Social and Economic Sciences, Office of Multidisciplinary Activities • BCS: Anthropological Sciences, Geography & Environmental Sciences, Psychological & Language Sciences, Interdisciplinary Behavioral and Social Science Research

Application process (DEB) • Pre-proposal (5 pgs.): January 23 • Full proposal (if invited): August 4 • May only be PI, Co-PI, or lead senior investigator on 2 proposals/year • Budget: flexible. In 2014 $72M for ~200 awards • May be submitted by: • Universities and colleges (typical) • Non-profits or for-profit (rare) organizations • Unaffiliated individuals (rare, must be US citizens) • PI typically a senior scientist. Postdoc helps write the grant, may or may not be listed as Co-PI

Postdocs: What are they and how do I find one?