For future postdoctoral scholars, finding a postdoc position involves skill sets, publications, recommendations, timing, and serendipity. It can also depend heavily on how networked they are. And that often depends on their doctoral advisor, who's on their committee, and who else knows about and can champion for their work. The recently created Postdoc Portal (postdocportal.org) is designed to complement this "friends-of-friends" process by helping make connections between research groups and future postdocs who may otherwise never have connected.

What is the Postdoc Portal?

Created as a part of the NSF-AGEP-funded Research University Alliance (RUA, researchuniversityalliance.org), the Postdoc Portal is designed to connect prospective postdocs from across the country with research groups at universities and government labs interested in working with postdocs. The Portal is focused on the user’s research, not who they know.

Potential postdocs start by creating a postdoc profile, including biographical information, a CV, research, and diversity statements. Postdoc profiles are automatically matched with research groups, job postings, and other postdoc profiles based on common areas of research interest. Taking the next step to make contact is up to the users. Contact information is shared with both parties when a match is made. Users can build their Portal community by adding other profiles of interest to their Portal network. They can also browse for research groups in adjacent research fields. This allows users to find research colleagues and job postings that may interest them. The RUA Postdoc Concierge (RUAConcierge@caltech.edu) is available to help users upload a profile and start making connections.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that some postdocs are hired into positions that were never advertised because they fortunately contacted the research group at the right time. This model promotes the career advancement of a select network rather than promoting broader inclusivity. Yet, some faculty members have indicated they are always open to hearing from potential postdocs. They would even consider co-writing a grant or fellowship proposal to support the right person.

Finding a postdoc involves the right person contacting the right research group at the right time. That's why the Portal allows research group leads to create a research group profile with information about their group, research areas, and mentoring philosophy, as well as contact information to invite those interested in discussing ideas and opportunities to connect. Once a research group lead has created a profile, they can also link new job postings, if available, with specifics about the position and instructions on applying.

The Postdoc Portal allows future postdocs and research groups to expand their nationwide network in one online place. It’s a one-stop shop to find research groups and potential postdocs in a specific STEM area.

Why Use the Portal?

Networks and connections can make a difference in a competitive market. Graduating with a doctorate from a less well-known, new, or small lab can translate into a smaller network, no matter how brilliant the student is. The same holds for new and smaller research groups looking for a postdoc. They may get lucky with a social media post that happens to be seen by the right person at the right time, but they may not. The Postdoc Portal allows future postdocs and research groups to expand their nationwide network in one online place. It’s a one-stop shop to find research groups and potential postdocs in a specific STEM area.

What is Being Said About the Portal?

“The portal offers a unique opportunity for students to learn about the broad range of research available. It similarly introduces excellent students to faculty who would not meet them otherwise. This model is intended to disrupt the current network-based recruitment practices and expand the opportunities for both students and faculty.” - Sofie Kleppner, Ph.D., associate vice provost and associate dean, Stanford Office of Postdoc Affairs.

“Wouldn’t it be great if there was one place to find potential postdocs in a specific STEM field? There is – the Postdoc Portal! The Portal provides a convenient forum for prospective postdocs to expand their network by highlighting in one place research groups interested in working with postdocs. A key element is our Concierge who works directly with applicants to help navigate the Portal and the search process.” – Doug Rees, Ph.D., Roscoe Gilkey Dickinson professor of chemistry; investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Caltech Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering.

Graduate students in STEM considering a postdoc and STEM postdocs looking for their next postdoc are invited to create a postdoc profile today and start building their networks (postdocportal.org). It’s never too early to start thinking about your next move!

Meagan Heirwegh, is the RUA program coordinator at Caltech and RUA postdoc concierge.

Engaging and effectively collaborating with undergraduate researchers can bring a fresh perspective to your research, grow the scholarly community on your campus, and provide you- the postdoctoral scholars- opportunities to develop your projects and cultivate mentoring skills. To tap this pool of collaborators, we offer advice on recruiting and effectively working with undergraduate researchers. The principles of the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework can help identify practical ways to build successful working relationships with undergraduate researchers. The core of UDL affirms that good design creates experiences that are accessible for everyone and facilitates equitable inclusion.

Grounded in three chief principles, UDL advocates providing multiple means of engagement, representing new knowledge, and various means of action and expression to create optimal learning experiences for all students (CAST, 2018). Multiple means of engagement entail making opportunities relevant, valuable, and authentic. Engagement relies on fostering collegiality, excitement, and confidence to overcome potentially intimidating new and demanding challenges. Multiple means of representation involve presenting new knowledge through various modalities and supportive structures that promote understanding in learners of all backgrounds. Lastly, various means of action and expression entail allowing learners to engage with new knowledge in multiple ways, building on their strengths to grow fluency in the new skills. These principles can serve as guideposts for your collaboration with undergraduates.

Recruitment and hiring. Begin by considering how interested students will access your research opportunities. Inspired by research that suggests involving undergraduate students in research improves academic performance and increases retention, colleges and universities have been growing research opportunities for undergraduates over the last two decades. You are likely able to tap into pre-existing programs and structures at your institution that support the participation of undergraduates in research.

When recruiting, it is often a good idea to reach out to diversity offices, first-generation offices, student organizations, and associations for students with disabilities to tap into networks that will provide opportunities to students who may not be as familiar with how to access your research. Employ multiple avenues of recruitment advertisements, such as listservs, written postings, and in-person presentations to student organizations. If you teach a course or are a teaching assistant, this can also be a great way of recruiting students – and you will already have a sense of their writing and skills.

Consider offering payment, course credit, or other tangible rewards to compensate undergraduate researchers. Unpaid opportunities reinforce inequities because they limit the field of candidates to those with the time and financial resources that make working for free a viable option. Coordinating course credit through a faculty member is often simple if you need the requisite permissions. Aside from a paycheck or course credit, reward options include a field-specific certification, micro-credential, or paid travel to a professional conference.

Allowing for applications in various modalities will increase engagement with a diverse range of students. Inviting students to email a resume and cover letter may be the most traditional means. However, consider also offering a short answer response survey (think Qualtrics or Google Forms) or a menu of ten-minute screening interview times, which could be virtual or in-person. It may be tempting to imagine that the application method serves as a screen of sorts, that a student unwilling or unable to compose a formal email cover letter and attach a resume needs to be more motivated and skilled for the position. However, there are likely student researchers who have far less exposure to this hidden academy curriculum and would make excellent collaborators. You will do yourself a favor by making the opportunity accessible to a broader range of students.

Establish a transparent selection process and timeline to manage expectations and clarify specialized vocabulary, e.g., lab protocols and P.I., to ensure everyone understands. Even if you accept all applicants, the application process will give your new collaborators experience with formal procedures and launch your working relationship in a way that emphasizes professionalism.

Motivation and autonomy. Understanding what motivates each student researcher is pivotal to a good working relationship. During interviews and early interactions, explore their interests and aspirations. Tailor their research experience to align with their intrinsic motivations. Allow room for the student to select the level of challenge, the skills they build, and the sequence for task completion. This not only empowers researchers but also optimizes their dedication and engagement.

After assessing how many hours per week they can devote to your project, assist student researchers in setting goals and creating effective work strategies. Help them to develop a structured plan that outlines objectives, timelines, and checkpoints. Help them monitor their progress, fostering a sense of responsibility and accountability. Be clear with your expectations; tell them what it will take to receive an excellent letter of recommendation from you – you might include skills like timeliness in task completion and communication, thoroughness, and time management. Remembering that their first responsibility is to be a successful undergraduate student, ask that they communicate this as early as possible if they cannot meet a deadline. By guiding them through these processes, you promote professionalism and resourcefulness.

By embracing the principles of Universal Design for Learning, you create an environment that nurtures student researchers' diverse strengths and abilities.

Building skills and knowledge. UDL encourages creating an environment that supports varied means of action and expression – inviting students to demonstrate skills and knowledge in ways that resonate with their learning. This principle can also support the success of student researchers. Accessibility should be at the forefront of your approach. Facilitate multiple communication channels, including group meetings, one-on-one sessions, and written instructions through Teams. Google Drive or Canvas. Acknowledge the potential need for assistive technologies and accommodations. Ensure all students can fully participate, regardless of their abilities or challenges.

Offer a variety of tasks that allow student researchers to build their skills gradually. Reading articles and informally reporting on them helps you stay current and helps the student researchers understand the project and develop critical analytical abilities. Provide reading guides or questions¹ to aid their comprehension and model the kind of reporting you expect to receive. Consider a group account in a citation manager (Mendeley or Zotero) where researchers can jointly comment on articles.

Scaffold the learning experience by providing graduated levels of support and opportunities to practice, mainly through modeling. Whatever research tasks you assign, teach them step-by-step methods for efficient and comprehensive work. If needed, check in with them after assigning a new task for quick re-teaching. Discrete tasks like checking the style of a reference list, transcription, deidentifying data, and data entry offer excellent entry points to your project for brand-new researchers and meaningful contributions to the project. Early on, give tasks that are easy to check for accuracy (formatting citations, writing summaries) and have the students master those skills before moving on to more critical tasks like data entry and transcription to prevent inaccuracies in your data.

Collegiality. Consider engaging more than one undergraduate researcher on a project. A community of novice researchers can offer each other camaraderie and support, which can help foster independence, self-reflection, and grow feedback skills. This sense of belonging is precious for students who feel out of place in the research landscape. Encourage regular group meetings for the undergraduate researchers in which they can share progress, challenges, and insights, but also include them in broader lab or department meetings to learn through listening and observing.

Help your undergraduate collaborators connect with others in your field. Introduce them to colleagues and help them understand the role of different centers and departments in your institution. Even if it isn’t central to their work tasks, it will be helpful for them to understand the role of an institutional review board or the responsibilities of a provost. Expanding their network will also assist them in navigating graduate school opportunities and developing career paths. Professional organizations you are likely already involved with probably have programs and support for undergraduates engaging in research and can be a ready source for mentorship. The Council on Undergraduate Research organizes events, sponsors programs, and awards, and curates targeted advice. Individual memberships are available if your institution is not a member and much of their content is free.

By embracing the principles of Universal Design for Learning, you create an environment that nurtures student researchers' diverse strengths and abilities. Everything should be thoughtfully tailored to foster growth, autonomy, engagement, and productivity, from recruitment strategies to task assignments. Student researchers can thrive through this approach, contributing meaningfully to projects while developing critical skills for their future careers.

CAST (2018). Universal Design for Learning Guidelines version 2.2. Retrieved from http://udlguidelines.cast.org.

Ann Marie Cotman, Ph.D., is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Florida.

Monique Harrison, Ph. D., is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Pennsylvania.

The 2023 NPA Annual Conference in Philadelphia was a resounding success, featuring diverse sessions addressing pertinent topics within the postdoctoral community. The session led by STEMPeers Gurukool, a non-profit organization, was among the most highly attended sessions, offering valuable insights into the world of peer-sourced mentorship for postdocs and doctorates in STEM fields.

The session was led by Tracy Costello, who serves as the executive career coach at Gurukool and is a STEMPeers Board of Directors member. Costello is also the director of postdoctoral affairs and graduate student development at the University of South Florida and is an accomplished career coach and professional development consultant at Coach4Postdocs. Joining her was Priyanka Lahiri, project manager at STEMPeers Gurukool, who recently transitioned to scientist 3 at Genentech from her prior postdoctoral position at Tufts University. Megha Lal, project manager at STEMPeers Gurukool and a postdoctoral fellow at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, completed the panel.

The STEMPeers Gurukool Approach: SMART and Sustainable Mentorship

STEMPeers Gurukool is a peer-driven platform that embraces a Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely (SMART) approach to mentorship. This includes connecting mentees to a network of mentors and enabling multi-faceted guidance across various aspects of the job search process. Topics covered include CV/resume tailoring, networking, interview preparation and practice, and immigration advice for international postdocs.

Through quarterly career panel sessions and the annual STEMPeers conference, postdoc and doctoral mentees can form meaningful connections with diverse groups of in-house and external mentors. This fosters continuous mentor-mentee interactions to educate mentees about different career paths, helping them understand technical and transferable skills required for various jobs and chart pathways to successful careers. Personal anecdotes and shared career resources further enrich these interactions.

The program equips the next generation of mentees with the tools and resources needed to combat self-doubt and fosters a community that values diverse perspectives.

Impacting Careers Since 2017

Since its inception in 2017, STEMPeers Gurukool has created several new footprints, witnessing numerous success stories of career transition. Many mentees have transitioned into the role of mentors for the next generation of mentees, embodying the principles of SMART altruism. This virtuous cycle guides the sustainability of our community, and today, we stand firm at 20k+ members, including mentors, postdoctoral scholars, doctoral mentees, and professionals from diverse STEM backgrounds.

Relevance to Diversity and International Issues

In STEM, imposter syndrome is an all-too-familiar companion. For individuals belonging to an underrepresented or marginalized community - lower socio-economic background, country of origin, race, ethnicity, and gender- feelings of inadequacy may be heightened. STEMPeers addresses this issue by providing a supportive space where individuals can openly discuss personal and professional needs. The program equips the next generation of mentees with the tools and resources needed to combat self-doubt and fosters a community that values diverse perspectives. This is achieved through:

• Facilitating connections between mentees with similar backgrounds and experiences.
• Assisting mentees in navigating immigration and work visa-related challenges.
• Prioritizing mental and personal growth through a diverse mentor network.

Learning Objectives

The session at the NPA Annual Conference underscored several key learning objectives, including:

• Highlighting a community of mentors from diverse backgrounds and providing mentees with various choices.
• Recognizing strength in numbers enables mentees to connect with several mentors and access diverse opinions, thereby reducing implicit and confirmation bias.
• Acknowledging mental health concerns, such as burnout, combating feelings of loneliness, and promoting mental wellness and self-care.
• Providing strategies for overcoming imposter syndrome, enhancing interview skills, and instilling confidence.
• Outlining methods to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEM, including fostering gender balance within the STEMPeers Leadership Board and empowering underrepresented minorities and women.

Looking Ahead to the 2023 Annual Conference

STEMPeers eagerly looks forward to welcoming the STEM community to the 2023 STEMPeers Annual Conference in San Diego, themed "Connecting Scientists, Innovating Futures." on October 7, 2023, at The Alexandria at Torrey Pines. This conference promises to be another milestone in the ongoing journey to shape the future of STEM mentorship, diversity, and career development.

In a nutshell, STEMPeers Gurukool remains steadfast in its commitment to providing SMART and sustainable mentorship, ensuring that postdoctoral scholars and doctorates in STEM fields have the support and resources needed to achieve their career aspirations. Join us in this remarkable journey of discovery and empowerment.

Priyanka Lahiri, Ph.D., works as scientist 3 at Genentech. Formerly, she was a postdoctoral scholar at Tufts University and co-president of the Tufts Postdoctoral Committee. Also, she is a project manager at STEMPeers Gurukool and a member of the STEMPeers Leadership team.

Megha Lal, Ph.D., is a postdoctoral scholar and co-chair of the Postdoctoral Alliance at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. She is the project manager at STEMPeers Gurukool and a member of the STEMPeers Leadership team

Acknowledgments: The authors would like to acknowledge STEMPeers co-founder and board member Abhi Dey, Ph.D., Tracy Costello, Ph.D., and STEMPeers leadership - Rohini Datta, Ph.D., and Shivasankari (Shiva) Gomathinayagam, Ph.D. - for their valuable inputs and their constant mentorship in our Gurukool platform.

The NPA is truly powered by the passion and commitment of our volunteers. Each year, a significant number of dedicated individuals come together and form the heart and soul of our association, contributing their time, expertise, and boundless enthusiasm to our shared mission. They are the driving force behind our success, engaging in various activities such as organizing events, conducting workshops, and advocating for the rights and interests of postdocs. This year, as we prepare to convene in Seattle in 2024, we are excited to continue our exceptional journey of mentorship and community building under the guidance of our Meetings Committee co-chairs, Priyanka Mishra, Vural Tagal, and Sunny Narayanan.

Our volunteers collaborate closely with the Meetings Committee, forming five major subcommittees: awards, communications, keynote & plenary, networking & social, and workshops & posters. In this spotlight, we take immense pleasure in introducing you to the dedicated members of the communications subcommittee. This subcommittee collaborates closely with the POSTDOCket Committee on various articles and potential social media promotions. Their primary goal is to brainstorm, develop, and implement innovative communication strategies to promote the conference and extend the reach of the NPA platform, aiding postdocs in achieving their goals.

Sarita Mishra, Ph.D., is a biomedical researcher who serves as a postdoctoral scholar at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) in New York. She is ardently engaged in her research pursuits within cancer biology and therapy. In 2022-2023, Mishra undertook an impactful postdoctoral research tenure at NYU Langone Health in New York. During this tenure, she delved into the intricate role of an ER chaperone protein in tissue regeneration and wound healing. Simultaneously, her proactive involvement extended to organizing events for fellow postdocs during the National Postdoc Appreciation Week (NPAW). With a doctorate from CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB), India, achieved in 2021, her thesis revolved around innovative non-invasive topical methods for biomolecular delivery. Beyond her scientific commitment, she actively participates in professional communities, joining webinars and workshops for knowledge exchange. Her benevolent passion for societal upliftment is exemplified by her voluntary contributions to the Teach India program. Through this initiative, she has enthusiastically imparted spoken English skills to disadvantaged communities, fostering employability prospects. She demonstrates exceptional mentorship, skillfully training medical and university students and nurturing the next generation of professionals.

NPA’s mission, which centers around providing a nurturing and empowering environment, deeply resonated with Mishra. The NPA's core objectives of facilitating professional development, fostering networking opportunities, and offering mentorship resonated with her aspirations. Her involvement in the association is motivated by her desire to advocate for fellow postdocs and contribute to their developmental journey. For her, the NPA represents a platform for her growth and an avenue to actively shape and elevate aspiring postdoctoral scholars' trajectories. Her current roles within the association include serving as a co-chair of the communications subcommittee and as a valued member of the networking subcommittee.

Our volunteers collaborate closely with the Meetings Committee, forming five major subcommittees: awards, communications, keynote & plenary, networking & social, and workshops & posters.

Lamyae El Khalki, Ph.D., is a postdoctoral scholar at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) in Cleveland, OH. She is working on different signaling pathways responsible for initiating, progressing, and metastasis of triple-negative breast cancer. Previously, she worked on the effects of electronic cigarettes on the pulmonary primary cells as a postdoc fellow at Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. With a doctorate in biochemistry and molecular biology, she got the opportunity to work at Institut Curie of Paris, France, as an intern. El Khalki loves traveling, making a positive impact in the world, and volunteering. Currently, with her role in the NPA as a co-chair of the communications subcommittee and an active member of the networking subcommittee, she is working to contribute to making the postdoc experience a positive step in researchers’ career development.

Megha Lal, Ph.D., is a molecular biologist transitioning from experimental to computational biology. She earned her doctoral degree from the Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, India, in July 2020, where she studied the impact and regulation of imprinted microRNA clusters in human cancer using bioinformatics. She is a postdoctoral fellow at Ruffner Lab, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). She investigates the mechanisms of non-IgE-mediated food allergies like eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), which involves combining computational approaches and experimental assays to explore novel genes and pathways impacting EoE. Her research interests span multi-omics data integration, visualization, and clinical applications. In addition to her postdoc, she is pursuing a part-time Master of Science in bioinformatics from NYU.

Lal is the co-chair of the CHOP Postdoctoral Alliance (CPA) co-chair, where she supports fellow postdocs, discusses their professional needs, and offers career development programming and networking opportunities. She has been a proactive member of STEMPeers, the Association of Women in Science (AWIS), and the NPA International Taskforce. This engagement has entailed collaborating on initiatives to improve women's overall experience in science and international postdocs. She is a curious person who enjoys learning new facts and acquiring knowledge. She enjoys reading thriller/mystery fiction, dancing, and traveling in her free time. Being an advocate of international postdocs and women in STEM, the NPA 2024 communications and workshop & poster subcommittees align perfectly with her commitment to community and career growth, allowing her to contribute and connect with the broader scientific audience.

Nupur Navlakha, Ph.D., is a postdoctoral fellow at Microelectronics Research Center in the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin, United States. Her research focuses on the computation design of novel devices and materials, device physics & modeling. She is investigating material systems for low-power applications. She completed her doctoral degree from the Department of Electrical Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Indore, India. Her work involved the assessment of MOS transistors for capacitorless dynamic memory. Navlakha’s experience in mentorship spans diverse projects and institutions. From guiding doctoral candidates in cutting-edge research endeavors to guiding undergraduate students in engineering projects, she is dedicated to fostering intellectual growth and practical skill development.

In addition to her university commitments, she has extended her outreach efforts to the broader community. Her volunteer work has allowed her to engage with young learners, igniting their passion for science and technology. She has actively contributed to socio-economic initiatives through her involvement with Women in Engineering, Engineers without Borders, and GiveIndia. These experiences have instilled in her a profound sense of dedication to making a positive impact. The primary objectives of the NPA, which involve promoting professional development, creating networking avenues, and providing mentorship, closely reflect her own goals. She is currently engaged in NPA as a co-chair for the keynote & plenary sub-committee and as an active member of the communications sub-committee. These positions give her a chance to actively contribute and establish meaningful connections within the vast expanse of the scientific landscape.

Katie Yanagi, Ph.D., is a postdoctoral scholar at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center (FHCC) in Seattle, WA. A geneticist by training, she uses the microscopic worm, C. elegans, to understand how protein degradation is regulated. She is a co-chair of the student-postdoc advisory committee outside the lab, where she works with the Office of Scientific Career Development at FHCC to support trainees. She helps to organize career development programming, local networking opportunities, and social events for postdocs and graduate students. The NPA provides an excellent opportunity to connect with the postdoctoral community and learn about what other programs postdoctoral associations are organizing to support trainees. She is currently serving as a co-chair of the social & networking subcommittee and as a member of the communications subcommittee for the 2024 NPA Annual Conference. She is excited to welcome everyone to Seattle for the 2024 NPA Annual Conference!

We welcome all attendees to our highly anticipated conference scheduled for March 15 and 16, 2024, in Seattle, WA. We are eagerly looking forward to your participation in this exciting event, filled with ample opportunities for learning, networking, and collaboration.

Lamyae El Khalki, Ph.D., is a postdoctoral scholar at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) in Cleveland.

Megha Lal, Ph.D., is a postdoctoral fellow at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP).

Sarita Mishra, Ph.D., is a biomedical researcher who serves as a postdoctoral scholar at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) in New York.

Nupur Navlakha, Ph.D., is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Texas in Austin.

Katie Yanagi, Ph.D., is a postdoctoral scholar at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center (FHCC) in Seattle.

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, TN, has a rich history centered on founder Danny Thomas's dream that "no child should die in the dawn of life." Building on that dream at the interface of cutting-edge research and access to state-of-the-art facilities and resources, St. Jude has evolved in the past 61 years to understand, treat, and defeat childhood cancer and other life-threatening pediatric diseases. Research experience is critical to St. Jude’s mission, with the “bench-to-bedside and back” approach as its hallmark feature. While the clinical, patient-oriented aspect of St. Jude is widely recognized, awareness of opportunities for research training at St. Jude has been less so.

Sally McIver Ph.D., senior director of research education & training (left) and Laura Wilt, Ph.D., postdoctoral career advancement fellow in research education and training (right) at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

For more than 15 years, St. Jude has focused on recruiting postdoctoral scholars. Historically, these efforts included attending and sourcing from research conferences, targeted university visits, career fairs, and hosting two on-site events for prospective candidates—the National Graduate Research Symposium and the Future Fellow Researchers Conference. These activities and events allowed our recruiters to highlight the impressive scientific resources and the institutional support for research training. For example, postdoctoral scholars are considered employees at St. Jude and receive full benefits, including childcare assistance, in vitro fertilization coverage, and 403(b) retirement plans with matching contributions. A $2,500 professional development allowance is available annually for postdoctoral scholars to attend conferences, and workshops, or use for other career-related needs. Subsidized housing is available for up to three months to assist with relocation needs. Additional support is provided by the Academic Programs Office at St. Jude, which, in addition to assisting faculty with recruitment, offers relocation assistance, leads new postdoctoral fellow orientation, coordinates the postdoctoral leadership committee, and implements structured opportunities for professional development and career transition guidance.

Collectively, these efforts have helped St. Jude successfully recruit and train a postdoc workforce that meets the needs of our research programs. However, as the institution continues to grow, it recognizes the need to ramp up support to recruit and sustain this critical workforce, especially now, in the face of the significant “postdoc shortage.” Over the past year, St. Jude has taken tremendous strides to increase support for postdoctoral scholars financially and professionally. To alleviate the under-compensation of doctoral-trained employees, St. Jude CEO, James Downing, M.D., approved a ~25% increase in postdoc salary in October 2022, with entry-level postdoc salaries now starting at $70,000 and incremental increases for additional years of postdoctoral research experience. A relocation bonus of $8,000 is provided for postdoctoral scholars newly arriving to St. Jude to offset moving expenses. Improving financial support for postdoctoral scholars was a critical first step to enhancing the recruitment of postdoctoral talent.

There is also an outstanding need to promote job security and ease career-related uncertainty, which proves to be challenging because most postdoctoral scholars come in with flexible career goals and are on an ill-defined timeline. Addressing this challenge has been the focus of ongoing efforts coming out of the Academic Programs Office at St. Jude. In 2020, the sr. director, Sally McIver, Ph.D., and the postdoctoral program manager, Karyn Lawrence, developed the Strategic Milestones and Research Training (SMaRT) Plan. The SMaRT Plan features a fillable worksheet to list research and professional goals and set milestones; it references a curated repository of St. Jude and external resources as a central source to identify opportunities to support postdoctoral goals. The SMaRT Plan is individualized for each postdoc and is adaptable to integrate flexible career goals and the dynamic nature of experiments with unmovable milestones like grant deadlines. Postdocs use the goals outlined in the worksheet and matched opportunities from the repository to map out their planned activities onto a research training timeline. Emphasis is placed on maintaining strong research productivity while obtaining transferable and career-specific skills along the way, avoiding overcommitment or rushed attempts to be productive. The SMaRT Plan prototype has been introduced to ~100 incoming postdoctoral scholars since May 2022. Survey results indicate that >80% find the SMaRT Plan “useful” or “very useful” for the key features of identifying resources, reflecting on career goals, and formulating a plan to discuss with principal investigators; overall, the SMaRT Plan was rated 4.5-stars (50% response rate).

In April of 2022, McIver and Lawrence submitted a proposal to create a digital platform for the SMaRT Plan and integrate a segue component—the Career Advancement Program (CAP)—for funding under the St. Jude Blue Sky Initiative program. The goal of the CAP is to provide postdocs an opportunity to develop requisite skills and experiential learning for successful job placement in select careers, achieved through 12-18 month long full-time fellowships in host departments at St. Jude or affiliated institutions in one of several tracks, including academic administration, science program management, science communication, industry, and undergraduate research and education. In August 2023, Downing announced the “SMaRT Plan for Career Advancement” as one of the six proposals selected for funding under the Blue Sky Initiative, demonstrating yet another significant investment in supporting postdoctoral scholars.

The goal of the CAP is to provide postdocs an opportunity to develop requisite skills and experiential learning for successful job placement in select careers, achieved through 12-18 month long full-time fellowships in host departments at St. Jude or affiliated institutions in one of several tracks, including academic administration, science program management, science communication, industry, and undergraduate research and education.

The first CAP fellow, Laura Wilt, Ph.D., was placed in academic administration, focusing on research education & training. Under McIver’s mentorship, Wilt defined her short- and long-term career goals, searched for job postings to identify skills and deliverables for successful job placement, and developed her CAP Plan. High- and low-level competencies were defined and surveyed at the start of her CAP fellowship. The competencies and CAP SMaRT Plan are revisited quarterly during mentoring meetings to monitor growth and address challenges or limitations during her fellowship. She began her CAP fellowship in February 2023: "I was a postdoc in research for four years when I reconsidered my values, strengths, and weaknesses as a scientist and reflected on my career goals. I realized my passions were in grantsmanship, mentoring, communication, and career advising and that my career ambitions best aligned with my grant writing instructor, Sally McIver, Ph.D. I set up a one-on-one meeting with Sally and asked, 'How do I get a job like yours?' Fast forward to now, and I am seven months into my CAP fellowship and enjoy working in Research Education & Training. My experiences as a CAP fellow have given me experiential knowledge and skills to prepare me for a job in Academic Administration."

The SMaRT Plan for Career Advancement was created for postdocs like Wilt, with flexible career goals and an uncertain timeline. The Blue Sky funding for this program includes a full-time position for a career advisor, which is an additional step toward helping secure career guidance and successful outcomes for our postdoc community. St. Jude is committed to supporting postdoctoral scholars by providing salaries and benefits that reflect the talent of doctoral-trained employees and enhancing career development for successful job placement.

Sally McIver, Ph.D., is the senior director of research education & training at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Laura Wilt, Ph.D., is the postdoctoral career advancement fellow in research education & training at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

The fear and uncertainty that accompanied the pandemic profoundly affected all sectors, academia included. In this article, a few postdoctoral scholars, share our experiences about how we coped professionally during these trying times and the practices and habits we developed that would continue to be effective as we transition into a new normal.

Gaining Awareness of Online Resources

I had to actively seek opportunities to connect with others and develop my skill set. It both offered a distraction from the fears of the pandemic and gave me a routine and sense of normalcy. The online postdoc orientation provided by my former institution, Purdue University, highlighted in-house courses and the free memberships available to other organizations, such as the NPA. I also found the myPostdoc Monthly webinars about insurance and grant applications helpful to help orient me to my new home in the States. Through NPA, I learned of the Postdoc Academy and learned a lot from both their courses - "Succeeding as a Postdoc" and "Building Skills for a Successful Career." - Tanya M. Paes

Postdoc trainees like me, who are hands-on bench research scientists, were compelled to sit at home during the pandemic. To make the most of this time, I resorted to online workshops and courses offered by the NIH Office of Intramural Training and Education, LinkedIn Learning, etc. The virtual workshops and seminars helped me gain knowledge that I have since used in my day-to-day life. - Zarna Pala

Taking Action

I am a curious person who enjoys acquiring knowledge. Before joining my graduate program, I was computer illiterate but captivated by data science and visualization. Having never programmed before, I taught myself how to code in R. However, whatever I learned had direct relevance to my research, and if I came across anything extra, I added it to my “I’ll-come-back-to-it” list. Regrettably, I never went back. During the pandemic, I realized that waiting for the perfect time to start that journey of “one day to day one” was futile. I enrolled in a semester-long course at UPenn and participated in the NIH-funded “Data and Analytics for Research” training program. Currently, I’m pursuing a part-time Master of Science in bioinformatics from NYU. The transition has not been flawless, but it has not been a complete disaster either. I remain committed to refining my technical skills and advancing my knowledge in bioinformatics. - Megha Lal

As I began my career exploration journey, I realized that getting a visa sponsorship can be extremely difficult. Along with my job search, I made a list of organizations that provided visa sponsorships for international candidates. This strategy helped me target organizations willing to provide visa sponsorship, and I started getting interview calls from almost all the jobs I was applying to. This gave me a confidence boost and helped me get my dream job. - Zarna Pala

Self-reflection and Advocacy

Starting my postdoc during the pandemic, I struggled both professionally and personally. Professionally, I started on a project that was a new research area for me. I felt frustrated with what I perceived to be my lack of progress, while another project in the lab excited me more. Growing continually more confident in advocating my ability to contribute to the project eventually led to me being on the project and contributing significantly to the project and resulting manuscript. On a personal level, my visa status was under review several times, which caused great anxiety. Having to follow up multiple times with different individuals, submit the same documents multiple times, and refresh websites and emails in hopes that an update would come through soon was hard. I’ve learned and would like to share with other postdocs that you must be the greatest advocate for yourself because no one else will. - Rashmi Raj

Amidst this rat race of getting more research publications, as scientists, we need to remember that career and professional development is an integral aspect of our training. During the pandemic, I realized that I needed to put a conscious effort towards building my resume to land my dream job. Since then, I have started to invest three to four hours a week towards obtaining new skills, which helped me further my career. - Zarna Pala

It was a great starting point for discussion with my PI about my career trajectory. If it weren’t for online courses offered by organizations such as the Postdoc Academy, I would likely still not understand the IDP thoroughly.

Online Networking

Throughout the pandemic, I could attend several seminars and events online that were previously only available in person. The travel and financial constraints were not an issue. One of these events that became seminal to my sanity and productivity during the pandemic was the Women in Cognitive Science online writing groups. Almost two and a half years later, the three of us still meet once, sometimes twice a week, to write but have also developed a friendship for which I am ever so grateful. The pandemic made me realize that I had agency and needed to take it upon myself to try expanding my community while simultaneously relying on the support from my family and friends. - Tanya M. Paes

In-person networking can be challenging in many ways: many of us are uncomfortable starting a conversation with a stranger, we need to fix a time/place to meet, and both parties must commute to meet. I started my career exploration journey during the pandemic and completed over 50 informational interviews. People are generally willing to share their journey towards success and are happy to help you achieve your goals. You only need to ask for help. - Zarna Pala

The Individual Development Plan (IDP)

The first time I’d heard of an IDP was during my postdoc, and I found it challenging to complete because it required in-depth self-reflection and clearly outlined my goals when I wasn’t even sure what those were. Ultimately, it was crucial in helping me figure out my career goals and taking concrete steps to achieve them. - Rashmi Raj

This was the first I had heard of an IDP during my graduate training. It wasn’t until I started my doctorate and completed the virtual Postdoc Academy’s course “Succeeding as a Postdoc” that I learned more about what an IDP was and how it allowed self-reflection. It was a great starting point for discussion with my PI about my career trajectory. If it weren’t for online courses offered by organizations such as the Postdoc Academy, I would likely still not understand the IDP thoroughly. I might have had difficulty initiating a conversation with my PI about my future. - Tanya M. Paes

The premise for this article arose from a casual conversation that we had at the start of an NPA International Taskforce meeting. Despite common themes across our pandemic experiences, we wanted to highlight the breadth, diversity, and individual differences that are seminal to the postdoc phase. We will continue to share more vignettes about the postdoc experience in follow-up articles.

Megha Lal, Ph.D., is a postdoctoral scholar at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Tanya M. Paes, Ph.D., is a postdoctoral fellow at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Zarna Pala, Ph.D., is a former postdoctoral fellow at the National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Rashmi Raj, Ph.D., is a postdoctoral affairs manager at the Stowers Institute for Medical Affairs.