National Postdoctoral Association

This listing represents only a small portion of the work done by the NPA Board of Directors, the Committees of the Membership, Staff and many other NPA Supporters and Friends on behalf of the postdoctoral community since the organization's founding in 2003. Please contact us for more information or to get involved.

The NPA has played a significant role in:

• The adoption of the definition of “postdoctoral scholars” by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF).
• The establishment of the NIH Pathways to Independence award to help postdocs successfully transition to tenure-track faculty positions.
• The Congressional requirement (America COMPETES Act) that the NIH expand data collection efforts regarding postdocs supported on research grants.
• The Congressional requirement (America COMPETES Act) that NSF require mentoring plans in all research grant applications that seek funding for a postdoctoral scholar position.
• The establishment of several Postdoctoral Offices (PDOs) and Associations (PDAs) at institutions across the country.
  • According to the best available data, the number of postdoc offices at U.S. research institutions has doubled since 2003, from approximately 60 to 120.

The NPA has developed and collected such resources as:

• Annual Meetings (the 10th Anniversary of the NPA Annual Meetings will be celebrated at the 2012 Annual Meeting to be held March 16-18 in San Francisco);
• Recommended Practices for PDOs and PDAs;
• Toolkit on the Responsible Conduct of Research; and
  
• Survival Guide for International Postdocs.

Recent accomplishments by the NPA or in which the NPA has played a significant role are:

• Three consecutive years of increases in the entry stipend for the NIH National Research Service Award (NRSA) trainees (1% in 2009, 1% in 2010, and 2% in 2011) after several years of no increases. The NPA applaudes the NIH for these increases.
  

• The decision by the National Academies Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy (COSEPUP) to conduct a follow-up study to its 2000 report, Enhancing the Postdoctoral Experience for Scientists and Engineers.
  • The NPA approached the director of the committee in the spring of 2010 with this proposal, suggested by NPA founder Raymond Clark, Ph.D.
  • The committee is currently being established.

• The establishment of National Postdoc Appreciation Week, celebrated during the week beginning with the third Monday of September.
  • In 2010, there were 141 events at 87 institutions in 31 states and Canada.
  • The U.S. House of Representatives officially recognized National Postdoc Appreciation Week on Sept. 23, 2010.

• Efforts by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to establish and conduct a national, regular survey of postdocs.
  • The NPA facilitated a day-long meeting where a Human Resources Expert Panel evaluated the NSF Early Career Doctorates’ survey instrument.

• The development of the NPA Core Competencies, which provide guidelines for postdocs and institutions in regard to professional development.

• The establishment of The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation Outstanding and Emerging Postdoctoral Entrepreneur Awards.

• “Let’s Talk: Expanding Dialogue in the Postdoctoral Community towards Broadening Participation in the Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences (SBES),” a workshop for SBES postdoc fellows and their sponsoring scientists that was organized and led by the NPA.
  • This workshop was an opportunity for the NPA staff and leaders to learn more about the SBES postdoc community.

• The National Summit on Gender and the Postdoctorate, held in March 2010.
  • The summit was the first-ever national venue dedicated to discussing the advancement of postdoc women to the professoriate.
  • This summit was organized as part of NPA ADVANCE: From Postdoc to Faculty: Transition Issues for Women Scientists, a project to foster the transition of women postdocs into the professoriate. Supported by a three-year grant from the National Science Foundation’s ADVANCE program, the project adapts and disseminates promising institutional practices for assisting women scientists and engineers in making this transition.

The NPA continues to:

• Work to establish Postdoctoral Offices (PDOs) and Associations (PDAs).
• Update and develop resources.
• Advocate on the institutional, regional, and national levels to enhance the postdoctoral experience to achieve the following strategic priorities:
  
  • Increase compensation to fair levels for both “domestic” and ‘international” postdocs;
  • Improve benefits for all postdocs;
  • Increase support of quality mentoring for postdocs;
  • Provide/facilitate professional and career development opportunities for postdocs;
  • Support increased and improved data collection; and
  • Encourage and facilitate diversity within the postdoctoral community.

As part of our ongoing work, representatives from the NPA regularly present about the challenges and issues faced by the postdoctoral community, including to such groups as:

• The National Academies committee that conducted the Study on Research Universities (November 2010);
• The Graduate Career Consortium held at Stanford University (June 2011); and
• The NIH Biomedical Workforce Working Group (June 2011).