The Post Doctoral Research Associates Program

1. WISESTFACULTY FOCUS Women in Science and Engineering System Transformation www.uicwisest.org The Post Doctoral Research Associates Program Manorama M. Khare, PhD Evaluator, WISEST; Senior Research Specialist, Center for Research on Women and Gender Mo-Yin S. Tam, Professor of Economics PI, WISEST; Vice-Provost Office of Faculty Affairs, UIC March 12, 2010

2. A WISEST (UIC NSF ADVANCE IT Grant) Program The goal of the WISEST Initiative is to increase the number, participation, and leadership status of women - majority and minority - in academic science and engineering through institutional transformation at UIC. www.uicwisest.org

3. The WISEST Postdoctoral Research Associates Program Standard postdoc program • Individual with an advisor • Goal: mentor psotdoc to be successful in a specific research project • Engaged a research program funded by the advisor’s grant • Mentored by the advisor • Length varies • Funded by the advisor’s grant • No formal program WISEST postdoc program • Cohort (5 URM postdocs) • Goal: mentor postdoc to become a faculty member • Engaged in research of choice of postoc (matched with a mentor) • Mentored by a cadre of mentors • 2 -year program (2007-2009) • Funded jointly by WISEST and the academic units • Structured training/skill & career building program

4. Working with NPA • Program created by working with the National Postdoctoral Association (NPA) Diversity Sub-committee • Components recommended by the NPA: • Proactive Recruitment • Program Components • MOU between advisors and post doc associate • Individual Career Development Plan (ICDP) • Career Building Seminar Series

5. Outline • Recruitment • Finding URM STEM women • Application Process • Applicant Pool • Applicant Selection • Final Candidates • Key features of the program • Matching research interests • Cadre of mentors • Structured training and skill building • Assessment of the Program • Where are the postdocs now? • Cost of the Program • Lessons learned

6. Recruitment: Finding URM STEM women Intensive Proactive Search Advertised through job sites such as • Science Careers.org • Naturejobs.org • The Scientist • Sciencejobs

7. Recruitment: Finding URM STEM women Intensive Proactive Search NPA contacts: • National Research Council • Ford Foundation Diversity Fellowship Program • Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate-National Science Foundation (AGEP) • National Postdoctoral Association • MentorNet • SACNAS Postdoc Committee • UNCF/Merck Postdoctoral Science Research Fellowships • AAAS MiSciNet: Minority Scientists Network

8. Recruitment: Finding URM STEM women Intensive Proactive Search Science and Math Organizations: • American Indian Science and Engineering Society • American Physical Society Committee on the Status of Women in Physics • Association for Women in Mathematics • Society of Women Engineers • The Woman Astronomer

9. Recruitment: Finding URM STEM women Using the SUCCEED search training model for recruitment • Faculty called departments and their contacts to identify potential candidates

10. Recruitment: Finding URM STEM women How did we find the final 5 candidates • All 5 through web advertisements • 1 also had worked for another ADVANCE program

11. Recruitment: Application process Two Part Application Process Part 1: Eligibility requirements • Candidate had to be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident • Candidate must have completed a doctoral degree in a STEM field as of August 2007 • Other reviewed materials: reference letters, papers/abstracts, CV, career statement

12. Recruitment : Application process Two Part Application Process Part 2: Invitation to apply • Candidate was required to identify a research advisor at UIC • Candidate & potential adviser collaboratively submitted a research project

13. Recruitment : Applicant Pool Race/Ethnicity of Applicant pool

14. Recruitment : Applicant Pool • Where were the applicants from? • 3 Illinois • 21 other states • 1 UK • 3 Not available

15. Recruitment : Applicant Pool • What disciplines did they represent?

16. Recruitment : Applicant Pool A total of 28 applications received • 13 (46%) completed Part 1 • 10 (36%) invited to complete Part 2 • 6 (21%) completed Part 2 • 6 offers; 5 (18%) accepted

17. Recruitment : Applicant Selection Selection of final candidates was based on: • Matching of postdoc research interest with a UIC STEM faculty member • The merit of the collaboratively designed research project submitted

18. Recruitment: Final Candidates 5 URM women postdocs were hired • 1 African American; 3 Latinas; 1 Native American/Asian • 1 Chemical Engineer; 1 Earth Scientist; 3 Biologists

19. Key features: Matching Research Interests Serving research interest of postdocs (funded by WISEST and the department) Research Interest of Postdoc Research Interests of STEM faculty Example A: a postdoc interest being intersection of 3 faculty interest (3 mentors) Example B: a postdoc interest partially matched by one faculty member: brought in an external researcher (1 internal and 1 external mentor) External Mentors

20. Key Features: Cadre of Mentors Multi-member Mentoring Team: • The research advisor • The departmental mentor • The WISEST facilitator • The WISEST Director • An external mentor (optional )

21. Key Features: UIC Facilitator Model Features: • One from each department • The group meets monthly • Facilitators are mentors • Facilitator contributes to training

22. Key Features: Structured Training and Skill Building The Postdoctoral Institute for Career Development and Academic Diversity • Is a series of skill building seminars and panels on topics such as: Setting Goals & Objectives; Work-life Balance; Research Integrity & Data Management; Managing Research Projects; the Job Search; Grant writing; Getting Funded; Getting Published & Increasing your Visibility; Preparing an Application Package; Obtaining & Negotiating a Faculty Position; Proposal Presentations; Developing a Research Program, not just a series of projects; Gender & Culture Issues & Dynamics in Academe; The Complete Application Package • Sessions were conducted by faculty from UIC, experts in specific topics, scientists from Argonne Labs.

23. Case studies Panel discussion Manuscript review Application package review by panel Proposal review by panel Team-on-one Informal job talk (proposal) to mock Search committee Presentation followed by discussion One-on-one interview IV.5. Slides from UIC NSF Mid-Award Visit

24. Assessment of the Program How do we assess • One on One interviews with the post doctoral associates before and after the 2 year program • Survey with the mentors after the program to learn about their experience and get their recommendations for the future.

25. Assessment of the ProgramInterviews with postdoctoral associates Topics covered in baseline and follow up interviews include: • Experience with program • i.e. How would you describe your experience with the program and the people involved? • Goals for the program • i.e. Do you feel you have achieved these goals you set out for yourself? • Personal strengths and weaknesses • i.e. What do you see as your main strengths as a candidate for academic positions? • Program strengths and weaknesses • i.e. What do you see as the main strengths of this fellowship program? • Perception of specific program components • i.e. Are there any specific components you would like to see modified or added onto the program?

26. Assessment of the ProgramFindings from postdoc interviews Experience with the program Both before and after the 2 year program the words the postdocs used to describe the program were: wholistic, constructive, supportive, informative, and educational.

27. Assessment of the ProgramFindings from postdoc interviews – Goals Goals at the start of the program • Make a decision on the career to pursue • Learn new research techniques & skills needed to be successful in an academic position • Develop and strengthen teaching skills • Be confident about mentoring students • Gain experience in writing and submitting grants • Produce at least 2 publications from the 2 years of work Outcomes at the end of the program • 3 postdocs reported meeting all of the goals, 2 met some of the goals • 4 of 5 reported learning new skills • All improved their teaching skills, in the words of one of them “I used my mentors to get advice on how to structure a class…. I created the class and I had not had the experience before.” • All published at least one paper

28. Assessment of the ProgramFindings from postdoc interviews – personal strengths and weaknesses as a candidate Strengths • Research experience and skills (4 of 5 report) • Publications (2 of 5) • Expanded network of researchers and collaborators (2 of 5) • Funding record (1 of 5) • Awareness of subtleties and challenges of academia Weaknesses (varied) • Lack of focus on a single research area • Lack of skill in a specific methodology • Lack of grant writing experience • Adequate teaching experience – developing a course

29. Assessment of the ProgramFindings from postdoc interviews – program strengths and weaknesses Program Strengths • Postdoc Institute Seminars • Developing their own research proposals • The mentoring team Program Weaknesses • Research Funding “Money is a weakness because none of us are truly independent from the work of our mentors.”

30. Assessment of the ProgramFindings from postdoc interviews Overall impressions: • 4 of 5 postdocs reported that their experience was very successful • the program opened up new opportunities for them in regard to networking and developing their skills for an academic position. • One said, “I learned things that I didn’t know I even needed to learn.” • Working as a cohort - “I think the post doc world can be isolating and it was great to be brought in with a group at the same time.”

31. Assessment of the Program On-line survey for Mentors Topics covered include: • Experience as a WISEST mentor • i.e. Please rate the importance of the benefits you have experienced as a WISEST mentor. • Mentor/mentee relationship • i.e. What factors were enablers/ barriers to your relationship with your mentee? • Mentee skills • i.e. Do you think your mentee is ready to enter the academic job search process? • Perceptions of program components • i.e. How useful were the Post Doctoral Institute seminars to your mentee? • Overall experience with program • i.e. Would you be a mentor again?

32. Assessment of the ProgramFindings from the Mentor Survey – Description of Mentors • Total of 18 mentors were sent the survey • 12 internal; 6 external • Total of 9 responses (response rate 50%) • 7 internal; 2 external • 7 mentored one postdoc, 1 mentored 2 postdocs, and 1 mentored 3 postdocs

33. Role of the Mentor

34. Assessment of the ProgramFindings from the Mentor Survey – Reasons why they chose to be a mentor • Mentees need your experience, • Potential to learn from your mentees, • Help conducting their research. • Personal satisfaction, relationship building, recognition from your department/UIC, and networking were other factors mentioned

35. Assessment of the ProgramFindings from the Mentor Survey – Enablers and Barriers to successful mentoring Enablers • Initiative of the mentee • Common research interests • Support from the department Barriers • Lack of initiative from the mentee • Lack of time • Conflicting personalities

36. Assessment of the ProgramFindings from the Mentor Survey – Most time spent The top three skills mentors spent most of their time on • Research skills • Networking • Grant writing

37. Assessment of the ProgramFindings from the Mentor Survey - Overall comments • Overall the mentors were satisfied with the program • Need to provide travel and research money • Include more networking • “Networking with STEM women faculty at UIC and in neighboring institutions is also very important and was not a formal component of the program.” • Needed more guidance about their roles as mentors

38. Where are these postdocs now • Two were offered and accepted tenure track positions • One was offered a tenure track position but chose to do another post doc • One accepted an adjunct research faculty position • One did not inform WISEST of future plans

39. Cost of the Program • Required matching of salary from the departments • Total cost per postdoc for 2 years ~ 100,000 with full medical & dental benefits • Donated time from the advisors and mentors • Office space, adminstrative support from the department

40. VIII. Lessons Learned • Additional research and travel funding should be provided by the program • Program is resource and labor intensive, but this is necessary for success • Features contributed to the success • Serving the postdoc interest • A strong mentoring relationship • Training and skill building postdoc institute • Disciplines of post docs should mirror institutional need for tenure-faculty. This process is more likely to mutually benefit the post doc and the institution.

41. “A holistic way of training post docs is ideal and desired. I haven’t had to trade off my research productivity to have a more holistic program.”

42. Questions?? For more information contact: Manorama Khare mkhare1@uic.edu