National Postdoctoral Association

The NPA believes that appropriate training of the next generation of independent scientists requires that institutions set policies to encourage individual responsibility, foster effective mentoring, and recognize the value and contributions of postdoctoral scholars. This commitment to better preparation must be made at the highest levels, with institutional leaders providing incentives and programs that promote good mentoring, create an atmosphere that fosters diversity of ideas and experiences, educate the next generation of scientists on the myriad career options available to them upon graduation, and ensure that postdocs receive appropriate recognition and compensation.

After considering the recommendations of stakeholders, most notably the Committee for Science, Engineering and Public Policy (COSEPUP)[1], and collecting policy data from over sixty institutions[2] the NPA recommends implementation of the following practices for postdoctoral training.

Establish postdoctoral policies

An institution must recognize that its postdoctoral population has unique needs and concerns that differ substantially from those of other subsets of the university/institute population and create and implement policies that pertain specifically to postdoctoral scholars. An important first step is to adopt a clear definition of “postdoc”, currently available examples include AAU[3], FASEB[4], NAS[5], AAMC[6], and NSF[7] definitions, and to ascribe to each postdoc the employment niche that they occupy--whether that be fellow, employee or scholar. The institution should have straightforward policies detailing whether postdocs are treated as employees in all cases or only in certain cases (based, e.g. on source of funding). The appointment process should be uniform and ensure that postdocs are aware of the terms of their employment and that sufficient funds are available to provide financial support for the duration of their appointments. It is not necessary to create new policies for every circumstance, but institutions should clearly define which existing policies apply to postdocs and which do not.

Examples of postdoc-specific policies that should be clearly delineated include:

• Utilize a centralized appointment process
  A specific process for appointing postdocs should be adopted. This will enable an institution to accurately know how many postdocs work at their institution and to evaluate the working conditions of their postdoctoral scholars. An appointment letter detailing terms of the appointment, including verification of funds for the duration of employment, conditions for re-appointment, detailed stipend information, and information on benefits should be part of this process. The letter should be filed with the postdoctoral affairs office, if such an office exists, in addition to the department chair or dean.
  
  
• Establish a curriculum for postdoctoral training
  Given that the expressed purpose of the postdoctoral position is to receive additional training in preparation for an independent career, institutions should provide guidelines and standards that detail what skills need to be attained before a postdoctoral scholar can be considered adequately trained. Providing these guidelines will help postdocs and mentors set goals, monitor progress and allow appropriate time limits to be set for achievement of goals. Institutions should clearly define which aspects will be provided by the institution and which are the responsibility of the mentor and postdoc.
  
  
• Provide equal access to benefits regardless of funding source
  Postdocs receiving a NRSA or other individual funding should have access to the same benefits and healthcare plan that postdocs supported by research grants receive.
  
  
• Establish time frame for postdoctoral transition to independence
  Institutions should define the maximum length of time an individual may be classified as a postdoc, after which they should be moved into a permanent employee position, such as research associate or staff scientist. This total should take into account the number of years previously spent at other institutions in a postdoctoral position. In rare cases, and only when clearly in the best interests of the postdoc, extensions to this limit may be appropriate.
  
  
• Establish a minimum baseline stipend, plus a stipend scale
  The NPA recommends adopting the NIH NRSA stipend scale for departments funded through the NIH. This scale provides a baseline stipend for postdocs who have recently graduated, and adjusts upwards based on the number of years of experience. Institutions should provide some mechanism to ensure that guidelines recognize regional cost of living and are followed, whether through department heads, postdoctoral offices, or offices of grants and contracts administration.
  
  
• Conduct an entry/exit interview
  Interviewing new postdocs within three months of starting allows an institution to get a better understanding of the demographics of the people who are taking postdoc positions and what they hope to achieve from these positions. An exit interview provides feedback enabling the institute to better prepare its postdocs for the career paths that they are actually pursuing. Maintaining outcomes data over time would inform institutions about the effectiveness of their training programs, help establish an alumni network, and enable policy decisions to be driven by data, especially with regards to fostering diversity. Additionally, information from several institutions would provide valuable data regarding the scientific workforce. These interviews would ideally be conducted by the administrative body overseeing postdoctoral research at an institution, but should be conducted by an impartial entity to encourage honest feedback without fear of reprisal.
  
  
• Allow matched contributions to a retirement program
  Given the increasing age of postdocs and length of time spent as a postdoc, the opportunity to contribute to employer-matched retirement accounts is an important resource. Recognizing the temporary nature of the postdoctoral position, institutions may establish special rules for vesting by postdocs.
  
  
• Extend family-friendly benefits to all postdocs
  Institutions should recognize that many postdocs are at a stage of life when establishing a family is as important as their professional development and extend benefits to all postdocs that are reflective of the institution’s commitment to other employees. These benefits may include: adherence to the family and medical leave act for non-employees, maternity/paternity leave, access to on-site child care and/or subsidies, access to dependent coverage for health insurance, and support programs for foreign spouses.

Establish a postdoctoral office that actively engages postdoctoral scholars

The presence of both a postdoctoral office (staffed by permanent institute employees) and an association (of and run by the postdocs themselves) provides an excellent mechanism to facilitate open lines of communication with the administration and gives postdocs an independent and accessible avenue to provide input to the administration. The NPA provides an online toolkit to assist in the formation of PDAs[8], and a toolkit for PDOs[9] is being developed in collaboration with AAMC/GREAT). If creating a postdoctoral office is not feasible, an existing academic department should be given the responsibility of overseeing postdoctoral researchers, i.e. Vice-Provost for Research or Division of Graduate Studies. If the establishment of a postdoctoral association is not feasible, the appropriate office should establish defined policies to keep postdoctoral scholars engaged in planning and executing programs designed for their benefit.

Facilitate effective mentoring and personal responsibility through individual development plan (IDP) with annual review

Establishing good communication between postdocs and mentors is critical for a successful relationship. The IDP opens communication, identifies expectations, establishes objective criteria for success, recognizes the importance of training and service, and should be flexible to allow new opportunities to be pursued when they appear. The IDP should include defined time and resources devoted to research and career development activities independent of the mentor’s research. The entrance interview is an excellent opportunity to introduce the IDP and discuss particular aspects that should be included, and the exit interview could be used to determine perceived and actual benefits of an IDP. FASEB provides a template for an IDP[10]. An annual review of the plan and the progress made is needed to ensure that the expectations of both parties are being met and that appropriate modifications of the plan or the approach to the plan are made.

Maintain an office for international scholar services

Postdocs who are non-U.S. citizens face unique challenges that their mentors may not be able to meet without additional assistance from elsewhere in the institution. A dedicated office for international scholars is a critical resource for both prospective scholars and those who are already at the institution, and should work closely with the postdoctoral office or other appropriate body to ensure that the particular needs of international postdocs are being addressed.

Create and disseminate a postdoctoral handbook

A handbook that includes important policy information, as well as local information, is an indispensable reference and resource for postdocs. Ideally, this handbook would be produced as a collaborative effort between the Postdoctoral Office, the Postdoctoral Association, and the International Scholars Office. Among other resources, the handbook should contain information on the implications of funding support from training grants (individual and institutional) versus research grants, authorship and intellectual property policies, and an overview of conflict resolution and misconduct policies, with contact information for the appropriate ombudsman office.

Offer career development/transition services

Postdocs today face enormous competition and diverse career options. Mentors are unlikely to be able to provide all the necessary information and tools to facilitate transition to independence without institutional assistance. Institutions that provide career development programs and resources recognize their role and responsibility to their postdocs and help them make the most of their time at the institution. Professional development resources should include mentoring, lab management resources, teaching opportunities, grant writing classes, access to relevant web-based resources and small, competitive career-enhancement awards.

Acknowledgements

Developed by the NPA Policy Committee and approved by the NPA Executive Board, February, 2005.

NPA EXECUTIVE BOARD*
Keith J. Micoli, Ph.D.
Chair
University of Alabama at Birmingham

Derek T. Scholes, Ph.D.
Vice Chair
Wadsworth Center

Douglas J. Rowland, Ph.D.
Treasurer
Washington University in St. Louis

Chris Blagden, Ph.D.
New York University

Amber Budden, Ph.D.
University of California, Berkeley

Raymond Clark, Ph.D.
Science Professionals Consulting Group

John R. LeViathan, M.A.
The J. David Gladstone Institutes

Arti Patel, Ph.D., M.P.H.
National Cancer Institute, NIH

Jayne Reuben, Ph.D.
University of Michigan

Claudina A. Stevenson, Ph.D.
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

J. Lille Tidwell, Ph.D.
National Institutes of Health

Steven K. Wendell, Ph.D.
University of Pittsburgh

Alyson Reed, M.A.
Executive Director
*Institutional affiliations included for identification purposes only

NPA POLICY COMMITTEE

• Samuel J. Howerton, Ph.D., Chair
• Raymond Clark, Ph.D., Vice Chair
• Keith J. Micoli, Ph.D.
• Brian Bailey, Ph.D.
• Elsa Strotmeyer, Ph.D.
• Diane Klotz, Ph.D.
• Derek Scholes, Ph.D.

References

[1] “Enhancing the Postdoctoral Experience for Scientists and Engineers: A Guide for Postdoctoral Scholars, Advisers, Institutions, Funding Organizations, and Disciplinary Societies”. National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine, 2000. http://books.nap.edu/html/postdoctoral_experience/
[2] http://www.nationalpostdoc.org/policy/institutional
[3] http://www.aau.edu/reports/PostdocRpt.pdf
[4] http://www.faseb.org/opar/post_doc_def.html
[5] http://books.nap.edu/html/postdoctoral_experience/ch3.pdf, p. 43
[6] http://www.aamc.org/members/great/schwartzpresentation.pdf
[7] http://nsf.gov/sbe/srs/nsf03320/pdf/sectc.pdf, p. 6
[8] http://www.nationalpostdoc.org/committees/outreach_committee/PDAtoc
[9] http://www.nationalpostdoc.org/committees/outreach_committee/PDO_tool_kit_contents
[10] http://www.faseb.org/opa/ppp/educ/idp.html