Building a successful academic career for a international postdoctor

1. Building a successful academic career for a international postdoctor X. Long Zheng, M.D., Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (email. zheng@email.chop.edu)

6. Outline • How to build up a good postdoc training record? • How to apply for a tenure-track position? • What do you need to do in your first 3-years of appointment?

7. How to build up a good training record? • Find a good mentor at the top research institution. • If you have a MD in your home country, get it recognized in U.S. • Engage in an innovative and important project. • Work hard & smart, and get publishable results.

8. Improve your English (oral, reading and writing). • Sharpen your presentation skill (lab, local and national meetings). • Have a good relationship with your mentor and colleagues in the field.

9. How to apply for a tenure-track academic position? • What is tenure track? • Tenure track: eligible for tenure. • Tenured: a life-time job security from the institution.

10. A series of questions you need ask to yourself: • What do I want and need from my job? • How do I go about finding a job? • How can I ensure that my achievement and capabilities will be recognized? • How will I choose among the offers I receive? • How can I ensure that the resource I need to launch my career are included in the job package?

11. Job Application A. Making a good first impression “While a nicely prepared application will obviously not get you a job, a poorly prepared one makes a bad impression no matter how many papers you have published” - Johanne Walter, Harvard Medical School

12. B. Components of a job application • Cover letter • The CV • The research proposal • Reprints • Statement of teaching • Letter of recommendation

13. C. The job interview • It will be your task to do following: • Convince the department that your work is exciting and that you will be a leader in your field. • Convince each member of the department that you will be a good colleague. • Find out if the institution and the department are right for you.

14. Come well prepared by doing the following before you visit: • Advance Preparation • Dress code • Preparing you job talk • Delivering your talk • Giving a chalk talk • Meeting potential colleagues • Conclude your visit

15. “Some fraction of the audience is always asleep during any talk, no matter how exciting the subject. Find a few people who are listening attentively and give your talk to them” • -Johannes Walter, Harvard Medical School

16. D. Negotiating your position • Evaluate the offer • What you need to find out: • - The appointment • - The salary • - Knowing what you are worth • Getting what you need and want • - How to negotiate • - The offer letter • Handling multiple offers

17. What do you need to do in your first 3-years of appointment? 75-100%

18. “Paper/grant” is the center piece. • Be mentored and to mentor. • Staff and equip your laboratory. • Plan your activities activity wisely. • Be ready to lead your team.

19. “If I had one piece of advice to give it’s that although you’ve been hired for your scientific skills and research potential, your eventual success will depend heavily on your ability to guide, lead, and empower others to do their best work”. - Thomas Cech, HHMI

20. Laboratory Leadership in Science Leadership = Vision + Relationship + Tasks • Vision: A leader has to create a vision and set the direction for the lab. • Relationship: A leader enables others in the lab to do the work in a unified manner. • Tasks: A leader also has to manage the activities of lab members.

21. Getting funded Cycle 1 Cycle 2 Cycle 3 • Application Submitted Feb Jun Oct • SRG review Jun Oct Feb • Advisory council Review Sept Jan May • Earliest Award Dec Apr Jul

22. Grants for new investigators: • Mentored Research/clinical Scientist Development Award (K01/K08) • Exploratory/Developmental Grant (R21) • Independent Scientist Award (K02) • Small Grant (R03) • Academic Research Enhancement Award (R15) • Career Transition Award (K22).

23. Components of the NIH R01: PAGE LIMITS • Introduction (to Revision or Resubmission) 1 • Specific Aims 1 • Research Strategy 12 • Significance • Innovation • Approach (preliminary studies, research design and methods • Biosketch 4 • AppendixAny

24. Poor priority scores: • Lack of original ideas. • Absence of an acceptable scientific rationale. • Lack of experience in the essential methodology. • Questionable reasoning in experimental approach. • Diffuse, superficial, or unfocused research plan. • Lack of sufficient experimental detail. • Lack of knowledge of published relevant work. • Unrealistically large amount of work for the given time frame or funding level. • Uncertainty about future directions.

25. Summary • Build up an excellent postdoc training record (papers, mentors, and English) • Find a tenure-track position (application package, interview and negotiation) • Stay in your position (team, lab, publications and funding) • Good luck!!!!