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PhD Vs. PostDoc

20 differences between a phd and a postdoc.

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Deciding on your academic path can be a bit confusing. You’ve probably heard about getting a PhD and doing a PostDoc , but what do these terms really mean? Well, we’re here to help you make sense of it all in plain and easy-to-understand language.

In this article, iLovePhD breaks down the differences between a PhD and a Postdoc. Think of it as two significant steps in your academic journey. We’ve put together a table with 20 points to tell you everything you need to know. Whether you’re just starting out or you’ve been in the academic world for a while, this guide will help you understand the choices ahead.

Let’s start this journey together and explore the world of PhD and Postdoc , making it all clear and simple for you.

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As soon as you step outside the world of academia, the number of people who know what a postdoctorate is, what they involve and how to secure one quickly plummets. Given that a postdoctorate can be a popular option, especially for Science and Technology-related PhD graduates, it’s essential to address this current gap in knowledge.

What Is a Postdoc?

A postdoc is only one of many paths you can take after having completed your PhD. A postdoc (also referred to as a postdoc or postdoctoral) can be best thought as a temporary position designed to refine your research and teaching skills while undertaking practical research work. Because of this, most regard a postdoc position as a temporary stepping stone for developing a career in a more permanent position.

There’s a common misconception that a postdoctorate is an advanced doctoral degree that is undertaken after having completed a PhD. This misconception arises from individuals associating the word “post” in “postdoctorate” with the word “after”. While you will learn a lot during your time in a postdoc position, it is nothing like a degree. There are no fees, coursework, exams or vivas to deliver (thankfully!). A postdoc is, in fact, a job, and as someone in a postdoc position, you will be considered an ‘employee’. And just like any other job, the position will come with its own salary, responsibilities, training and employers.

Most postdocs are awarded by universities or research institutes as temporary contracts. However, they can also be undertaken in private companies, non-profit charities or government bodies.

What Is The Purpose Of A Postdoc?

As mentioned above, the primary purpose of a postdoc is to help bridge the gap between your current skills and your current level of experience. Due to this, postdoctoral positions are popular amongst those who have recently obtained their PhD. This is especially true for individuals who which to pursue a career in academia or research but don’t yet have adequate experience in teaching or publishing.

For the ‘learning’ nature of this role, postdocs provide an excellent option for those to continue their self-development while pursuing research in a field they’re interested in.

What Does a Postdoc Do?

A postdoc works under the supervision of an experienced researcher known as a postdoctoral advisor. What you will do on a day-to-day basis will, therefore, depend on what they require support on at any given time.

While your responsibilities will depend on your postdoctoral advisor, you can expect the following duties as part of your role:

• Contribute to the supervision of PhD students who are undertaking research projects in a closely related field.
• Supporting the research team in managerial tasks related to planning, organisation and administration.
• Undertake research, including but not limited to: qualitative data collection, data analysis and data and lab management.
• Contribute to the production, review and dissemination of academic and non-academic writing, including publications.

Your responsibilities will also depend on who your postdoc position is with. Positions offered by universities will often place a high emphasis on the academic aspects of the role. This involves aspects such as working more independently, developing your supervisory and teaching capabilities, and improving your communication skills through participation in seminars and conferences. In doing so, they’re helping you to become an individual capable of both conducting research and transferring knowledge – in other words, a university lecturer!

The opposite is true for postdoc positions held in industry, such as a private organisation or government body. As you can expect, these roles will place almost all of its emphasis on conducting research and advancing projects forward, with little focus on anything that falls outside of this.

How Long Should I Be A Postdoc For?

There is no set rule for how long you should remain in a postdoc position. Regardless of this, most individuals stay within a postdoc position for between 2 to 4 years. During this period, it’s not uncommon to move between one or two postdoc positions, with one position being abroad for a more rounded experience.

The time you may choose to spend in a given postdoctoral position will depend on several factors. The most influential of these will be:

• The size of the research project’s scope,
• The support needs of the principal investigator/postdoc advisor,
• The amount of funding available.

Although you could undertake a postdoctorate for a year or less, most will advise against this. This is simply because you will likely not have enough time to gain valuable experience associated with producing publications, writing research grant proposals and speaking at conferences. Although it may be possible to complete these within a single year, most researchers will opt for a minimum of two years for a single position. This will provide them with ample opportunity to contribute a significant amount to a project, publish a handful of papers and attend several conferences. On top of this, it will allow you to develop a deeper relationship with the students you help teach or supervise. This will prove invaluable experience should you plan on becoming a university lecturer .

How Are Postdoc Positions Funded?

Postdocs are usually funded in one of three ways:

• The postdoc secures the funding themselves . This can be achieved in several ways, with the most common being applying to opportunities put out by government, research or charity bodies. Examples of these opportunities include the  NWO Talent Programme Veni  and the  Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship . Securing funding under any of these schemes will provide you with a ‘stipend’ (which acts as your salary), and ‘’research funds’ for enabling the project. It’s worth noting that if you secure funding in this way, you won’t typically be restricted to any one university. Although when applying to these opportunities you’ll be required to indicate where you intended to undertake your research, if successful, you can take your funding and associated research project to any university or research institution of your choice.
• A Principal Investigator (PI) secures a research grant  for a project, part of which will go towards hiring one or more postdoctoral assistants. In these scenarios, the university will employ you to work on the project they gained funding for.
• A research body hires postdoctoral assistants irrespective of any new funding . In these scenarios, the researching body, who could be anyone from universities to research centres, charities and private organisations, may put aside their own funds to secure a postdoc assistant as a regular salaried employee.

What is the Average Postdoc Salary?

It goes without saying that the average salary for a postdoc will vary from role to role, with factors such as your country, your employer and your level of experience being influential factors.

If working as a university employee, your salary as a postdoc will be determined via a set pay scale known as the “ HE single pay spine “. Under this pay spine, a postdoc can expect to earn an average of £31,000 per year, though, in reality, a postdoc’s salary can range between £29,000 to £34,800.

On the other hand, the stipend (which will act as your postdoc salary) associated with the funding you have secured yourself will directly depend on the opportunity you acquire. Because of the wide range of possibilities, your potential stipend can vary considerably. As well as having a high variance, they also tend to have a higher ceiling compared to the salaries associated with a PI’s research grant or a research body’s employment. For example, the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship can be worth over £50,000 per year. However, these types of fellowships are not only highly competitive but are also not an entirely fair comparison to postdoc assistant roles. This is due to the fact that a research fellow will be expected to have a greater amount of experience and to assume a higher level of responsibility than a regular postdoctoral researcher.

In case you’re thinking of working abroad, it would be useful to know that the median salary of a postdoctoral researcher in the United States is approximately $42,000 (£33,000 at the time of writing) per year.

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What is a postdoc part 1.

Posted on: 27 April 2020 by Catherine Kennedy in Blog posts

Since Prosper began, we've often found ourselves facing the question 'so what is a postdoc?' Our Research Staff Developers, Dr Catherine Charlwood and Dr Fiona McBride, look at defining the term and what it means in relation to Prosper.

TL:DR PhD = Student, Postdoc = Staff/employee, Postdoc ≠ student, Postdoc ≠ independently funded researcher in control of their own research direction.

As we’ve talked to employers and third parties about Prosper, it’s become clear that for many outside the academic world, the term ‘postdoc’ is often misunderstood or has no meaning. Even within academia, the specific terms used can vary. In the first of a two-part blog, we’ll seek to clarify what the Prosper project means when we use the term ‘postdoc’. In part two, we’ll explore what a postdoc is in terms of skills and outlook. We’ll also cover the attributes that postdocs bring that make them desirable employees in whatever sector they choose to work.

If you work practically anywhere other than a University, you may not have ever encountered a postdoc in the wild. Perhaps the term means nothing to you whatsoever. If that’s the case, this is the blog post for you! Even for those in the know, are you aware of terminology differences between different disciplines? If not, you’re in the right place.

What is a postdoc?

In many ways, it can be easier to define a postdoc by what they are not. First and foremost, postdocs aren’t students. At a simple level a postdoc is someone who has a PhD, and is now working as a researcher, most typically in a university setting. As former postdocs ourselves, we labour this point as many postdocs find even their own families continually asking them “When are you going to get a job?” or “Still studying? Don’t you get bored?”. While a PhD student is a student studying to achieve a qualification, a postdoc is a member of an organisation’s staff. America’s  National Postdoctoral Association (NPA) answers the question  ‘What is a Postdoc?’ like this:

A postdoctoral scholar (“postdoc”) is an individual holding a doctoral degree who is engaged in a temporary period of mentored research and/or scholarly training for the purpose of acquiring the professional skills needed to pursue a career path of his or her choosing.

As members of the Prosper team, we particularly like this definition as it doesn’t foreclose the outcome of a postdoc: not all postdocs will become academics, and many will choose not to do so. The hidden ‘p’ behind ‘postdoc’ is preparation, because being a postdoc prepares you for a variety of futures in a whole host of ways.

So far, so good. However, this is where some difficulties can start, as specific postdoc job titles can vary. Typically, UK postdocs can be Postdoctoral Research Assistants, Postdoctoral Research Associates (often abbreviated to PDRAs), or Postdoctoral Research Fellows. This last title can be a source of particular confusion, as a fellow or a fellowship holder usually refers to an independently-funded researcher, on their way to becoming a fully-fledged academic. The difficulty is that many fellowships offer no guarantee of a permanent role afterwards (or ‘tenure’ to use the American term), so fellowships are fixed-term and can be precarious like postdoctoral positions. Research Assistant is another tricky category, as sometimes these positions don’t require a PhD, but increasingly (given the saturated market) they are filled by those holding doctorates and become postdoctoral positions by default.

A postdoctoral role is not a permanent position and thus, as What Every Postdoc Needs to Know puts it, “Being a postdoc is not a career”. Researchers can have multiple sequential postdoctoral positions, sometimes even in the same research group, team or institution, but also often relocate for work. A postdoc role has traditionally been viewed as a preparatory role before embarking on an academic career: according to the Medical Research Council’s Interactive Career Framework , a postdoc position constitutes the ‘consolidation’ after your ‘training’ (i.e. your PhD), with a second or additional postdocs described as an ‘exploration’. This makes clear that being a postdoc is an interim career stage, but it’s one which takes you far beyond your student days.

Prosper is keen to gain the insight of the Principal Investigator (PI) community in terms of understanding how best to support postdocs. Speaking recently to Professor Rachel Williams, of Liverpool’s Institute for Ageing and Chronic Disease (IACD), she noted that often postdoctoral positions aren’t viewed as roles that prepare postdocs for moving towards their chosen career path. As such, not enough consideration is given to allotting time and funding to those all-important career development opportunities. In a recent video case study for Prosper, new PI and UKRI FLF fellow Dr Ruth Nugent characterised a postdoc as someone who “wants to explore how they want to proceed [… who] may be upskilling,” again underlining the importance of the development undertaken in a postdoc.

Differences between disciplines

Another important distinction to make for our purposes in Prosper is the difference between a postdoc and an early career researcher (ECR). In STEM subjects, a postdoc refers to someone who holds a PhD and works as a researcher under a supervisor or principal investigator (PI), whereas an ECR is someone who is now at the start of their career as an academic (possibly on a tenure track), who holds their own funding and doesn’t work under a PI. This is where there is a disciplinary difference: postdocs have existed in STEM subjects for a long time and are relatively numerous, but postdocs (as a role) are much newer and scarcer in arts and humanities. Typically, anyone in the arts and humanities with a PhD could refer to themselves as an ECR, but this doesn’t necessarily mean that they are contracted to an institution in a research capacity – they may be in other roles within universities and conduct their research in their spare time, often unpaid.

What does this mean for Prosper?

In summary, a postdoc holds a PhD, is an employee, is not fully independent (i.e. is not on a tenure track to become a permanent member of academic staff) and is on a short fixed-term contract. This is the definition the Prosper project means when it refers uses the term ‘postdoc’. So, even if your formal job title is not ‘postdoc’, you may identify yourself as fitting our definition of the term ‘postdoc’. We’re looking to be inclusive of all postdocs, working across all disciplines.

Hopefully this piece helps to clarify the myriad terminology used to describe the postdoc population. It’s important to note that in this piece, we are referring to generalisations – things that are typically correct in the UK academic setting. There are exceptions to these rules but we have tried to keep things as clear and concise as possible.

Are there any uses of ‘postdoc’ we’ve missed? Let us know! We’re finding it’s a much more complex picture than you can know from individual experience!

Do you have thoughts, experiences or reflections relevant to Prosper? We’d love to hear from you – get in touch at at [email protected] , or tweet us  @ProsperPostdoc.  

References: Liz Elvidge, Carol Spencley and Emma Williams, What Every Postdoc Needs to Know (London: World Scientific Publishing, 2017).

Keywords: postdoctoral reseacher , Prosper , Wellcome Trust , research culture , covid-19 .

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National Academy of Sciences (US), National Academy of Engineering (US), Institute of Medicine (US), Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy. Enhancing the Postdoctoral Experience for Scientists and Engineers: A Guide for Postdoctoral Scholars, Advisers, Institutions, Funding Organizations, and Disciplinary Societies. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2000.

Enhancing the Postdoctoral Experience for Scientists and Engineers: A Guide for Postdoctoral Scholars, Advisers, Institutions, Funding Organizations, and Disciplinary Societies.

• Hardcopy Version at National Academies Press

5 The Postdoc and the Institution

Institutions benefit in many ways from the presence and activities of post-docs. Most importantly, their work supports the overall intellectual strength of the institution. Successful postdocs help plan and carry out the institution’s research programs, build alliances and intellectual bridges to other institutions, raise the reputation of laboratories and departments, mentor graduate students, and increase the inflow of grant support.

In return, institutions have the responsibility to support their postdocs with adequate compensation and benefits, a supportive infrastructure and working conditions, appropriate institutional recognition and standing, and mechanisms for advancing their careers and finding subsequent positions.

• The Institutional Status of the Postdoc

In many government and industrial settings, postdocs are treated much like other researchers with regard to institutional status, compensation, and other benefits. In universities, however, most postdocs are identified and recruited by individual faculty members to work on specific research grants. The university’s administration may have only an approximate picture of the postdoctoral population and provide few mechanisms to standardize benefits or institutional status. Postdocs may be regarded as benefiting a particular investigator rather than the institution as a whole. In such cases it is the postdoc who suffers, receiving uncertain or no institutional standing and inadequate levels of compensation and benefits.

Best Practices Sample Surveys of Postdoctoral Populations

Some postdocs seeking to enhance their experience have started with basic questions: How many of us are there and how can we reach each other? This was the motivation at Baylor College of Medicine in 1997: “No faculty or administrator knew how many postdocs were working at Baylor ,” recalls an official, “let alone how to contact them.” It took six months to design a survey that asked the right questions and to establish a web site. The survey asked for issues of importance to postdocs, how postdocs rated their tenure so far, and what goals and priorities should be set for the newly formed postdoc association.

Postdocs at the University of California at San Francisco conducted an extensive survey in 1996 that received 419 responses from 1,076 postdoctoral scholars (one-third with MDs, two-thirds with PhDs). Respondents, whose mean age was 32 years and half of whom were foreign, reported poor perceptions of the job market and of prospects for their own careers. These perceptions were most pessimistic when interactions with their mentors were infrequent. Of the PhD post-docs, 21 percent said they had prolonged their postdoctoral position because of difficulty in finding other employment. This finding led to a recommendation for improved career guidance, mentoring, and performance evaluations, and to ongoing efforts with the administration to enhance those functions.

The postdoctoral association at Johns Hopkins , founded by postdocs, gathers survey information annually from both program directors and postdocs. Of the program directors, it asks if their division: 1) has a committee to help with postdoctoral issues; 2) has a mentoring committee to provide guidance and evaluation of post-docs; 3) does annual performance reviews of postdocs; 4) has a formal orientation for new postdocs; and 5) pays for fellows’ health benefits.

The exit survey of postdocs at Johns Hopkins has grown more sophisticated and extensive over the years, and now poses 81 questions on issues related to compensation, source of support, benefits, goals, responsibilities, career planning, mentoring, accomplishments, future employment, issues of concern, and family issues. The primary concerns of postdocs have changed somewhat over the years moving from personal to professional issues. In 1992, the greatest concerns were personal safety and health insurance; in 1997, the greatest concerns were salary levels and future job placement ( Figure 5-1 ).

In its 1998 study of the postdoctoral experience, the AAU committee wrote that “…the lack of institutional oversight of postdoctoral appointments, coupled with the evolution of postdoctoral education in a number of disciplines into a virtual requirement for a tenure-track faculty appointment, creates an unacceptable degree of variability and instability in this aspect of the academic enterprise.” 1 Through its meetings with postdocs and advisers, COSEPUP has found that uncertain status, low pay and benefits, and lack of professional recognition are indeed issues of concern at many universities. This section describes those issues and lists initiatives that some institutions have found helpful.

Primary Concerns of Postdoctorates at Johns Hopkins University. Source: Data collected by Johns Hopkins University Postdoctoral Association as presented in Science , 1999, Vol. 285, p. 1514.

Variations in titles

Cosepup survey results how are postdocs classified at your organizations.

Most of the organizations surveyed (50 percent) used the term “fellow” with smaller numbers classifying their postdocs as “employee” (40 percent), “trainee” (35 percent), “associate” (23 percent), “faculty” (13 percent), “student” (13 percent), and “staff” (10 percent).

The “other” ways to classify postdocs included “employees-in-training,” “scholars,” “visiting postdoctoral scholars,” and “students in training.”

Recently, for example, one medical school counted 17 appointment categories for postdocs. After establishing a postdoctoral office, this number was reduced to three, and a uniform policy was applied to all. Other institutions report various systemic inequities. For example, postdoctoral researchers paid from the grants of advisers are usually considered temporary employees and qualify for employee health plans, parking facilities, vacations, and other benefits. Postdoctoral fellows, however, who have received their own funding directly, may be considered neither students nor employees and thus may or may not receive health benefits from (or through) their institution or lab. A standardized system of nomenclature can help avoid these inequities. (In addition, funding agencies, especially federal agencies, should require and fund health care benefits; see Chapter 6 .) See Table 5-1 for a summary of some of the differences between classifying postdocs as a student or employee.

Another advantage of consistent status is that it can allow universities to track their postdoc populations after they finish their terms. This is extremely difficult when postdocs are paid and classified in widely different ways.

Examples of Differences in Entitlements based on Classification of Postdocs as Students or Employees.

• Incorporating the Postdoc into the Institution

Institutions have taken a variety of steps to incorporate postdocs into their programs and classifications structure. This section examines postdoctoral policies, offices, and other mechanisms that respond to the needs of postdocs.

Establishing institutional policies

The first step in improving the status of postdocs is to establish institutional policies for them. This often begins with a simplified classification scheme. At the University of Notre Dame, the Graduate Council’s Postdoc Committee recommended a new category of employee for “postdoctoral scholars,” distinct from students, faculty, or staff and placed under the supervision of the graduate school. Each institution needs to adopt policy guidelines that both suit its particular mission and gain the support of postdocs and faculty.

Because of their hybrid training-and-working status, postdocs do not easily fit into simple categories at most institutions. Many institutions have struggled with this challenge, with different results: At Vanderbilt University the postdoc is a research fellow; at the University of Iowa, a postdoctoral scholar; at Stanford University, a student; at Eli Lilly, a postdoctoral scientist/fixed-duration employee.

The vast University of California system tackled this issue in 1998. The Council of Graduate Deans’ Report on Postdoctoral Education recommended that “Postdoctoral scholars should be constituted as a distinct group of individuals … clearly separate from students, other academic employees, staff employees, and resident and house staff…” Although they did not indicate their reason for this decision, it was presumably because the nature of research funding determined the classification of postdocs. The council recommended at least two sets of appointment titles: One set, for postdocs who are paid by an adviser’s research grants, must be employees and “therefore require academic titles,” another set, for postdocs funded through fellowships and traineeships, are not considered employees. The San Diego campus decided on three titles: postdoctoral fellow (individual awarded a fellowship), postdoctoral trainee (supported by a UCSD training grant), and postdoctoral scholar (neither a fellow nor a trainee). 2

The Mayo Graduate School of the Mayo Clinic, which considers itself a “hybrid academic/industrial environment,” devised a different solution. Postdocs are considered “valued professionals in their final stages of development” and are offered a clear progression of positions from training toward full employment. The progression includes research fellow (up to three years), senior research fellow (3–7 years), research associate (a springboard to independence), senior research technologist (employment in technology), and professional associate in research (employment in research). Mayo believes that “some mix of temporary and permanent research workers is necessary to achieve the end results.”

An adviser at the University of Pittsburgh concludes: “Nobody’s categories are perfect. Each institution has to devise something that works. The postdocs should get the best of both worlds, not the worst of both worlds.”

Establishing a postdoctoral office

A second helpful step in improving the status of postdocs is to assign an officer the job of monitoring postdoctoral policies and providing advice and resources. At present, it is common for post-docs in universities to lack a “point person” who can answer their questions and provide information. At the University of Colorado, all postdocs are now appointed through a central office, which allows that institution to apply appropriate policies and track its postdoc population.

One goal of postdoc offices is to ensure consistent application of policies. The University of California at San Francisco, for example, now requires a formal hiring letter, jointly signed by the faculty mentor and department chair or other university official, along with a statement of goals, policies, and responsibilities applicable to postdoctoral education. These details include expected duration of support, compensation, and benefits. Initial postdoctoral appointments may last no longer than two to three years, and can be extended only when adviser and postdoc jointly agree that renewal would advance the postdoc’s career. As a general rule, total time spent is limited to six years.

A postdoctoral office can accomplish other useful functions: organize orientation and professional development programs; maintain a career center; publish an orientation manual; encourage best practices by mentors; act as a liaison between postdocs, advisers, and administrators; provide a certificate of completion; and keep a directory of the postdoctoral population, including more experienced postdocs who are willing to mentor new arrivals. Some offices help post-docs learn about research program development, job seeking, grant writing, teaching, the mechanics of running a lab, and other professional skills, such as management, negotiation, meeting organization, and conflict resolution.

A well-conceived postdoctoral office is sensitive to the needs of the adviser as well as to those of the postdoc. “It would seem that a postdoctoral office is logical if it helps define the postdoc’s status,” said one adviser. “But if it restrains the way the PI can do science, it won’t work.”

The structure of a postdoctoral office will vary with the institution and size of the postdoctoral population. An existing office for graduate students can handle many functions for postdocs as well. Some of the needs of foreign post-docs may be met by an existing office of international students.

In terms of staffing, two kinds of expertise are useful. The first is a person with postdoctoral and research experience who can offer informed advice to both faculty and postdocs. The second is a human resources person with expertise in student, staff, and faculty issues.

Best Practices Creating a Postdoctoral Office

• Offer dual leadership for the office: a faculty researcher who can discuss laboratory and mentoring issues, and two persons trained in human resource issues;
• Design a template for an appointment letter and compile an orientation package containing information on health insurance, housing, visas, taxes, off-campus living, the registration process, and other postdoc issues; faculty use both the letter and package to inform appointees;
• Standardize postdoc appointment procedure and employment policies, including stipends based on the NIH National Research Service Award (NRSA) scale, a six-week parental leave policy, and uniform health benefits;
• Initiate a database of information on postdocs, including date and institution of terminal degree, discipline, research specialty, publications, and visa status (45 percent of the postdocs at Penn are foreign postdocs).

From the outset, planners realized that the office needed to serve not only the postdocs but also their faculty advisers. They created a web page that PIs can use to list their postdoc openings. The web page is advertised in Science and Nature , at no cost to the PI, and has links to postdoctoral associations and other resources. A postdoctoral association was formed to represent the postdocs.

Another pioneering postdoctoral office was started at Albert Einstein College of Medicine four years ago. In addition to many of the functions at Penn, Einstein also sends a letter to all advisers after a postdoc has been in their lab for 18–24 months, advising them that it may be time for a salary increase. In the fourth year a more extensive letter asks for each postdoc’s CV and publication record. The adviser and department chair are then asked to decide whether the postdoc will be renewed for a fifth year, and what might be expected after that; additional years require faculty-level benefits. This policy effectively places a cap on postdoctoral terms.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham established an Office of Postdoctoral Education for its 325 postdocs in 1999. It serves as “a natural extension of the existing services already being offered to graduate students, and emphasizes the training aspects and formal communication link” between postdocs and the administration. The explicit goal of the office is to provide opportunities for postdocs to identify and acquire skills needed for successful career development. A second goal is to “enhance the postdoctoral experience by promoting intellectual growth and facilitating the goals of mentors and scholars.” The office provides a model acceptance letter, specifies an appointment procedure (and provides a checklist), conducts a mandatory orientation for new appointees, sets a term of four years (with the possibility of extension to five), and maintains a “postdoctoral scholar applicant tracking system.”

An institution cannot always solve practical problems of housing, parking, and day care, especially in large and/or expensive cities. But even basic informational resources can improve morale and speed the search for a dwelling or other resource. As one dean put it, “Every minute a postdoc spends looking for a parking space is a minute lost from more productive activities.”

Career guidance

A primary function of the postdoctoral office is to provide support for postdocs who are searching for jobs. While advisers are often best positioned to contact and suggest potential employers in their own field, a postdoctoral office can offer job counseling for other fields or sectors, coordinate and publicize recruiter visits, maintain contacts with former postdocs, post job openings, and hold workshops on employment trends. A career office can also assist with the basic mechanics of job seeking: how to write a CV, prepare a cover letter, organize slides for a talk, and so on. Especially helpful are statistics on recent jobs taken by postdocs, especially permanent positions. According to COSEPUP’s survey, only a few institutions have career service offices that are focused on postdocs (see Box).

A central postdoctoral office constitutes not only a practical resource but also a focal point to unite a dispersed population that may number a thousand or more. At the same time, each large division or school (e.g., the school of engineering, arts and sciences, etc.) needs to address its own particular postdoc population. For example, the Department of Medicine at Johns Hopkins designates a faculty member to discuss professional or personal issues related to the postdoctoral experience with any postdoc or faculty member.

Postdocs need the most assistance when they first arrive. Argonne National Laboratory provides a Newcomers’ Office, whose offerings range from lists of recent appointments (to introduce newcomers) to recycled furniture for arriving families. A volunteer spouse’s program is also available.

COSEPUP Survey Results Does Your Organization Provide Job Placement Services for Your Postdocs?

About half do … either as part of general student/employee services, through the adviser, or from an assigned individual whose sole responsibility is to work with postdocs (and/or graduate students). For the other half, job placement is the dual responsibility of the adviser and the postdoc. A few organizations mentioned such resources as career centers, job fairs, job placement web sites, and general student services. Several reported that job placement activities are localized and vary by institutional unit.

Best Practices Developing ‘Survival Skills’

• How to choose a postdoctoral adviser
• What should and should not be expected from an adviser
• How to establish goals for a postdoctoral experience
• Intellectual property rights
• The resources available at their institution
• How to build a community of mentors
• How to develop a professional network
• How and when to become independent
• How to leave the institution on good terms

As a key mechanism, the task force has developed a Survival Skills and Ethics Workshop for postdocs, graduate students, and faculty. The workshop, held several times a year, offers programs and advice on such topics as writing research articles, making oral presentations, job hunting, teaching, writing grant proposals, personnel and project management, and responsible conduct.

Similarly, the NIH fellows organization sponsors three skills development seminars a year for its on-campus fellows. Topics include writing, speaking, and teaching; it has also arranged for a fall job fair, extra travel awards, and adjunct jobs teaching in the evenings.

Postdocs often need help with practical questions: How do the requirements of research institutions differ from those of undergraduate teaching colleges? What kinds of internships provide the best preparation for professional careers? How is an industry job search different from a university job search? What different skills are required?

Best Practices Postdoc Handbooks

One of the early priorities of most postdoctoral associations (or postdoctoral offices) is to produce a handbook to orient postdocs to institutional and area services. The NIH Fellows’ Handbook , produced by the Fellows’ Committee, could be considered the granddaddy of postdoc handbooks, offering nearly 60 categories of information from Acronyms Used at the NIH to Washington Metropolitan Area Activities. There are informative sections on appointments, conflict resolution, ethical conduct, housing, leave policy, mentoring, ombudsperson services, parking, post-fellowship employment, research conduct, and many other topics.

The fundamental goals of the Fellows’ Committee, as explained in the Handbook, include promoting education and career development, fostering communication among fellows and within the larger NIH community, helping inform fellows about policies, and serving as a liaison to the administration.

Similarly, the NRC’s Research Associateship program produces the Policies, Practices, and Procedures: A Handbook for Research Associateship Awardees to serve its approximately 700 associates, most of whom work in national laboratories. The handbook has chapters on definitions, accepting an award and beginning tenure, stipends, visas, insurance, taxes, travel, relocating, patents and publications, renewing an award, and terminating an award. Like most handbooks, this one is found on the web. 3

For NIH, see ftp://helix ​.nih.gov/felcom/index.html ; for NRC, http://www ​.nas.edu/rap

Most nonacademic organizations offered both orientation sessions to discuss benefits and information about benefits with the letter of acceptance.

• Other Responsibilities of the Institution

There are many useful steps the institution can take, not only by offering services but also by publicizing best practices that help integrate postdocs into the institution and make their work more productive.

COSEPUP Survey Results Which of the Following Benefits Is Provided at Full Compensation to All Postdocs, Regardless of Adviser or Funding Source?

At academic organizations, the only benefits offered by more than half the respondents were e-mail accounts, library access, and vacation time. Smaller numbers offered on-campus parking or the equivalent (45 percent), sick leave (45 percent), parental leave (31 percent), dental insurance (28 percent), and disability insurance (28 percent). Only 7 percent offered child care, and 10 percent paid travel expenses to conferences where the postdoc would be presenting.

Benefits at nonacademic institutions were relatively generous. Nearly 90 percent offered dental insurance, disability insurance, e-mail accounts, vacation time, sick leave, and life insurance. More than half offered parental leave, parking, retirement funds, and library access. One-third offered child care and cost-of-living salary adjustments.

How Is the Postdoc Made Aware of Benefits that Are and Are Not Available?

From academic organizations, the three largest categories with similar numbers of responses were as follows: 1) the adviser bore the responsibility of discussing benefits with the postdoc, 2) an orientation meeting where benefits were discussed was offered to all entering postdocs, and 3) each postdoc received a letter before arrival that outlined the organization’s policies. Three organizations explicitly stated that no information on benefits was formally provided, and additional comments indicated that some institutions report this information informally or have initiated a process of including benefits information in an acceptance letter.

Mentoring committees

Cosepup survey results what neutral parties are responsible for handling grievances of the postdoc.

Responses to this question indicated a wide diversity of mechanisms. The largest number of organizations (76 percent) said that a dean or department chair handled grievances; smaller numbers pointed to a human-resources staff person (51 percent), the adviser (46 percent), or an ombudsperson (43 percent).

Institutions reported a wide variety of “other” methods for handling postdocs’ grievances, from “same as junior faculty” to “office of grad studies and research” and “ombudsfolks—faculty peer adviser selected by postdocs”). A few reported that most of the responsibility lay with a single person; a smaller number described a more flexible process (“Dispute resolution guideline for College of Medicine postdoctoral fellows; Ad hoc committee makes recommendation to associate dean for research and graduate education”).

It is true that experienced investigators have little time to spare for additional duties. However, postdocs have found that even brief discussions (one to two hours per meeting) can bring valuable rewards in new perspectives and suggestions.

Ethical development

Institutions should emphasize the importance of professional development and ethics as a central feature of mentoring. By establishing seminars or workshops on research conduct and ethics, the institution can supplement what is learned from the adviser and provide a baseline code of behavior for all postdocs. 5

The imbalance of power in the adviser-postdoc relationship increases the possibility of misunderstandings and abuses. A desire for a grievance procedure is commonly reported by postdoc surveys, and the AAU recommends that each institution’s core policies should provide mechanisms to resolve grievances. The University of California system, for example, recommends that campuses establish a standard grievance procedure for postdocs that is written, protects due process, contains clear time lines, and requires a clear statement of alleged grievance and requested remedy. 6 The COSEPUP survey shows that institutions handle grievances through a variety of mechanisms (see Box).

The role of the ombudsperson

What can a postdoc do when he believes his department chair or other senior scientist should just be thanked in a paper’s acknowledgements, but the adviser insists on including such individuals as coauthors? What can a postdoc do when she is told to work on a project in which she has no interest?

One reason grievances are difficult for postdocs to resolve is that they often arise from the decisions or actions of their advisers. Similarly, deans or department chairs may be seen as siding with the institution. In an attempt to provide an independent and impartial person to assist in resolving disputes or misunderstandings, some institutions have found that an ombudsperson can be helpful. An ombudsperson serves as an informal information resource, receives complaints, and assists in resolving disputes on a confidential basis. The ombudsperson is a facilitator, not a decision maker.

One university dean praised his institution’s ombudsperson as a sympathetic and confidential person to whom postdocs can turn. The NIH, which has some 2,800 postdocs on its main campus, has hired an ombudsperson to head a Cooperative Resolution Center, defined as “a neutral site for resolving work-related conflicts.”

Special needs of foreign nationals

Postdocs on temporary visas comprise approximately half of all postdocs in the US. Many need help, both before and after they arrive, in resolving visa questions, finding housing, meeting other postdocs, and arranging bank accounts, credit cards, driver’s licenses, and Social Security numbers. Because of cultural and language barriers, foreign postdocs also experience far more social isolation than US postdocs, which potentially reduces their contributions as teachers, research collaborators, and members of the community. (For a thorough discussion of visas, see the US Department of State’s web site at travel.state.gov/visa;exchange.html .)

Many institutions can respond to such needs simply by publicizing an already existing office of international affairs. Access to information about visa issues and grant requirements, in particular, can make an institution far more attractive to foreign scientists and engineers, and increase the possibility that the best of them will choose that institution. Stanford University has enhanced its visa processing by contracting with an outside specialist. 7

Foreign postdocs often need encouragement in strengthening their command of English. Postdoc advisers at Vanderbilt University have found that verbal skills are the best indicators of overall career success, and that those with poor English require an average of two more years to find US jobs than those with language proficiency.

COSEPUP Survey Results Does the Organization Have Staff Who Deal Specifically with the Special Needs of Non-US or Foreign National Postdocs?

Most respondents (70 percent) answered yes; only 8 percent answered no, and 8 percent reported that the needs of non-US postdocs were handled by the adviser.

Most of the “other” responses indicated a pattern of offering postdocs the same access to international services as students and other scholars.

If Offered, in What Areas Do Foreign National Postdocs Receive Assistance?

Virtually all respondents (97 percent) assisted foreign nationals with visa issues, and more than half offered assistance with tax issues, housing, and English language studies. Smaller numbers reported assisting with Social Security questions (43 percent), driver’s licenses (11 percent), and credit references (11 percent).

Several institutions offered help with household furnishings and support groups for spouses and dependents.

Postdoctoral associations

One of the postdoc’s most common complaints is a feeling of isolation and the lack of a peer group through which to communicate with the institution. Postdoctoral associations can fill both needs, helping to build community and improve communication. Because postdocs are a transient population, these associations need institutional support to survive. An institution that encourages a postdoctoral association signals to postdoctoral candidates that their concerns are taken seriously.

These new associations (one of the first was founded at Johns Hopkins in 1992) sometimes begin with the indispensable step of counting the number of postdocs at an institution, as was the case at the University of California at San Francisco (see Box, Postdoctoral Associations ). The UCSF Postdoctoral Scholars Association, formed in 1995, has worked with the university to formalize a grievance process, bring postdoc representatives to committees that set postdoctoral policy, establish an annual orientation for postdocs, and offer access to group health insurance.

COSEPUP Survey Results Is There a Postdoctoral Association or the Equivalent at Your Institution?

Most organizations (58 percent) reported that no postdoctoral associations are available. Just over one-fourth reported the presence of postdoctoral associations run by the postdocs themselves. In some cases, postdoc associations or councils are run by the institution.

The “other” responses included one other postdoctoral association run by post-docs and called a “postdoctoral council.” One institution reported an association run jointly by postdocs and the institution. Most indicated that postdoctoral activities were either informal, located within a laboratory or department, or focused on a particular group (such as a group of Chinese students and scholars).

If Your Organization Has a Postdoctoral Association or Equivalent, What Are Its Main Functions?

Almost all these organizations (93 percent) reported that postdoctoral associations provided professional and social activities for postdocs. Most (79 percent) said that the associations acted as liaison between postdocs and administration. Half noted that associations provided information for postdocs on issues of general interest, and some (36 percent) said that the associations appointed representatives to the organizations’ administrative councils.

COSEPUP’s survey indicated that only a small minority of institutions have formed postdoctoral associations. The primary goals of existing associations are to provide a liaison with the administration and to provide professional and social activities for postdocs (see Box).

Stabilizing the postdoctoral population

Best practices postdoctoral associations.

The first postdoctoral association, organized at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in 1992, grew out of a concern for safety when several postdocs were assaulted outside the laboratory at night.

“Before we started,” recalls current co-president Lisa Koslowski, “we had no benefits, no salary guidelines, and morale was very low. Now we have minimum salary guidelines on the NIH model, health benefits, and a good relationship with the institution. When we bring issues to them, such as safe parking facilities, they are more than willing to help us. In the last few months we’ve worked out a plan for dental insurance.” To stay abreast of current concerns, the group conducts annual surveys of all postdocs, including entrance and exit interviews.

Postdocs at the University of California at San Francisco formed their Postdoctoral Scholars Association (PSA) from a variety of motivations: to create a resource and sense of identity for a largely undefined group, out of the “frustration that PhD scientists feel when they compare their career and mentoring with those of medical professionals,” and out of concern about career prospects for biomedical scientists. The PSA later combined with the Graduate Students Association to spur the creation of a Career Office for Scientists, which offers career counseling, helps with the mechanics of résumé preparation and effective interviewing, and compiles databases of alumni who have connections in academia and industry.

Postdocs at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in North Carolina’s Research Triangle Park developed a Trainees’ Assembly “to foster the professional advancement of postdocs, visiting, and predoctoral fellows and other non-tenured, non-permanent scientists.” The group disseminates information at a web site, publishes an Orientation Handbook , and sponsors a seminar series where trainees can present research projects or lectures and receive critiques. They also have forums on professional topics (e.g., grant writing, industrial and non-academic positions), a science fair with local scientific colleagues, a distinguished lecturer lunch, outreach activities in the community, and monthly pizza socials.

A group at Albert Einstein College of Medicine was formed in 1996, according to cofounder Paula Cohen, to revitalize its postdoctoral programs and image. “Einstein was faced with the problem of being the poor cousin of New York institutions.” Dominant themes in the response to a survey of postdocs were insufficient mentoring, a lack of interaction with other labs, and limited teaching opportunities. Most of the group’s suggestions for improvements had to do with increased information and interpersonal contact. The administration was supportive in designing a series of reforms to improve career guidance, mentoring, and the overall quality of postdoc life.

Although this COSEPUP report does not specify mechanisms for stabilizing the postdoctoral population, it does reiterate the concerns of the Trends report with respect both to hiring more permanent laboratory workers and restraining the size of the postdoctoral population. Mechanisms should be adopted by individual institutions. For example, an institution might restrict the employment of postdocs whose stipends/salaries fall below a certain level. If adequate compensation is not provided by the funding organization, the institution would then appoint the postdoc only if supplementary funding is made available.

Some early predictions that postdoctoral associations would become adversarial or union-like organizations have not materialized. Leaders of the Johns Hopkins association, for example, describe their group as a vehicle for sharing information with one another and communicating their concerns to the administration. “There is no need for a union,” said one member, “when communication is open.”

Informing graduate students about the postdoctoral experience

Many, and perhaps most, postdocs begin their appointment without a clear idea of what to expect from the experience. The success of an appointment may depend heavily on early communication with the adviser about expectations and responsibilities. Therefore, institutions and mentors of graduate students have an important role to play in educating them about the postdoctoral experience before they decide to undertake this advanced training. Important questions to consider are the level of their own research skills, training needs, and career goals. For further discussion of career decision making, see COSEPUP’s “Careers” guide, cited in the bibliography.

Summary Points

In many institutions, the administration may have only an approximate picture of the postdoctoral population and no policy to standardize institutional status or benefits.

An important step is to establish postdoctoral policies on such matters as titles, expected terms, and institutional status. This status may strongly affect benefits and other financial issues.

Some institutions have established a postdoctoral office or officer to serve as an information resource for postdocs and to organize programs for postdoc orientation, professional development, and career services. Such an office can also encourage good mentoring, act as liaison between postdocs, advisers, and administrators, and track the postdoctoral population.

Many institutions offer financial and logistical support for postdoctoral associations, which constitute a vehicle for discussing issues of concern to postdocs, building a social network, and communicating with the administration.

Some institutions are experimenting with the use of “mentoring committees” to provide additional perspective and guidance to the postdoc.

Institutions can help resolve grievances by establishing mechanisms, including an ombudsperson, to work toward conflict resolution.

Each institution should ensure that foreign postdocs have a resource person or office to advise them on such issues as acculturation, visa compliance, income taxes, and language skills.

AAU, 1998. Cited above.

See web site saawww ​.ucsf.edu/psa/

For further details and examples, see the National Academies’ Adviser, Teacher, Role Model, Friend: On Being a Mentor to Students in Science and Engineering , 1997, available via the web ( www ​.nap.edu/readingroom/books/mentor ).

As referenced earlier, the National Academies’ publication, On Being a Scientist: Responsible Conduct in Research , 1995, may be useful in such discussions.

Council on Graduate Deans, University of California, Report on Postdoctoral Education at UC , Fall 1998. See web site www ​.ogsr.ucsd.edu/PostdocEdu/Report.html .

Visa requests at Stanford’s School of Medicine originate in the sponsoring department and are then routed through the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs for approval and forwarded to the Bechtel International Center for processing. Bechtel, which is able to process J-1 requests in one week, also offers seminars for administrators on visa completion.

Office of Scientific and Engineering Personnel, National Research Council, Trends in the Early Careers of Life Scientists , Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1998. [ PubMed : 20845561 ]

• Cite this Page National Academy of Sciences (US), National Academy of Engineering (US), Institute of Medicine (US), Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy. Enhancing the Postdoctoral Experience for Scientists and Engineers: A Guide for Postdoctoral Scholars, Advisers, Institutions, Funding Organizations, and Disciplinary Societies. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2000. 5, The Postdoc and the Institution.
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What is a Postdoc? Understanding the difference between academic, industry, government and non-profit positions

A postdoc (or "post-doc," "postdoctoral," or "postdoctoral research") fellowship is a training-focused position available to people who have earned a doctorate. Postdoc positions usually act as a stepping-stone between the student experience and the full-time professional experience. For the postdoc appointee, a postdoc position offers in-depth training. For the postdoc institution or organization, a postdoc is a dedicated researcher, with specialized knowledge but flexible to explore other topics, often with lower a financial cost than a permanent employee.

The most common type of postdoc position is a research-focused position at an academic institution, but postdocs also exist in industry, government, non-profit, and other non-academic organizations. Most postdocs are focused on research, but there are also opportunities in specialized areas such as technology transfer and policy at all types of organizations.

Academic postdocs

Academic postdocs tend to be focused on research and the academic experience. A postdoc typically has a higher degree of freedom in determining the direction of their research than a Ph.D. student. Postdocs are often expected to secure grants (as lead principal investigators or collaborators) and teach courses in addition to completing research objectives and publishing results.

Some research groups may offer high-performing Ph.D. students the opportunity to stay at the same institution, even within the same research group. Treat any offer like this carefully! It is an honor to be recognized as such a benefit to the research group, but will you be able to get the training you need if you stay in the same location? Also be aware that many future employers prefer candidates who have taken risks by moving to a new area (mentally, if not physically) and have broadened their area of expertise.

Industry postdocs

Industry postdocs can vary significantly between organizations. Most have a focus on teamwork, while valuing independent thought and development. A postdoc may be viewed as a "stepping stone" position, somewhere between an entry-level position and a higher-value research position... or it could be a distinguished staff scientist position with an opportunity for higher pay. For many organizations, while the postdoc position is a one to two year contract, it can serve as a pathway to a permanent position within the organization. Many industry postdocs offer easier access to state-of-the-art facilities, whereas many academic postdocs only provide access to these facilities through collaborations with other organizations.

Government postdocs

Government postdocs have some similarities with academic and industry postdocs. Like academic positions, there is often an expectation to publish a high number of manuscripts; however, the salary offered may be higher than that of an academic postdoc. There may be fewer opportunities to write external grants, which could be a detriment to any future applications to an academic (especially tenure-track) position. Depending on the organization, there may be fewer opportunities to teach compared to an academic postdoc. Like industry postdocs, government postdocs can act as a stepping stone to a permanent position within the organization and can provide access to state-of-the-art federal facilities.

Non-profit postdocs

Non-profit postdocs can offer a less traditional option with similar benefits to academic postdocs. The focus of a non-profit postdoc can cover any topic, from food scarcity to sports management. There is likely a strong focus on grant writing and collaborative efforts, although possibly fewer opportunities to teach.

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Academic vs. Industry Postdocs

By Guest Blogger

Updated Apr 6, 2021.

This post was contributed by Laura Desrochers, a postdoctoral scientist at AstraZeneca.

Why I chose an industry postdoc

I’m currently doing an industry postdoc in neuroscience at AstraZeneca’s Waltham site after doing a brief academic postdoc . Why did I switch? Well, my long-term goal was to enter industry since I was drawn to the idea of working as a team to develop therapies that could directly impact patients. And, to be honest, I’ve never enjoyed grant-writing. The more I talked to people with industry experience, the more I heard that getting into industry early would only help.

Like any major life decision, the transition felt scary. While I knew two people from graduate school who were at AstraZeneca and could assure me that they were having a positive experience, I was still incredibly nervous about leaving academia. A lot of academics tend to view industry as “the dark side,” that you’ve sold out. You’ve given up your intellectual freedom and integrity. (Not the case, as I’ve discovered.)

As someone who has now seen both sides of the postdoc experience, I’m going to share what I’ve learned and hopefully make your decision a little easier if an industry postdoc is something that you’re considering. Like anything, there are pros and cons to postdocs in both industry and academia.

Pros and cons: The academic vs. industry postdoc  

Academic postdocs can be long—5 years or more, especially in the biological sciences—whereas industry postdocs have a set time limit. At AstraZeneca, this is three years. This time limit can feel like a lot of pressure. However, it means that your manager (and you) will be motivated to get your project in a workable direction quickly. Of course, you might have less time to explore scientifically since you can’t afford to spend too much time working on something extremely risky or exploratory.

Getting a job afterwards:

Fairly or unfairly, many believe that industry postdocs, having already been immersed in an industry environment, have a better understanding of the fast, deadline-driven pace of biotech. In other words, industry postdocs already have the prerequisite “industry experience” that I’ve seen listed as a requirement on some industry job postings. Also, if you work in industry for any length of time, you’ll know more people in industry, which means you’re more likely to have the right contacts and get your resume pulled to the top of the pile when you apply for such positions. Of course, if your goal is to enter academia, it is easier to make that transition from an academic setting—especially if job applications require teaching experience or high numbers of publications, which may take a longer time to acquire.

Learning about drug discovery:

Unless your academic lab is closely involved with clinical trials or has ties to industry, the drug discovery process can be a bit of a mystery to graduate students in academia. Getting a drug to the market usually takes over a billion dollars and at least a decade of work. The number of steps, decisions and people involved is staggering. The process is complicated. If you’re interested in the drug discovery process, or you want to end up in an industry job, being immersed in that environment sooner rather than later can be helpful.

Publishing:

As a postdoc at AstraZeneca, you are expected to publish, but this can vary depending on which company you choose. If publishing is important to you, make sure that your project will not involve proprietary compounds or information. Where publication is expected, the process is similar to academia. The only difference is that your paper will be reviewed by an internal committee before submission to ensure that it does not divulge any propriety information.

Working as a team:

Industry is all about teamwork . A single individual could not bring a drug to the market, so people in industry have to work together. Even as a postdoc, you’ll have to work with other people in your group, and they are unlikely to hire you if they think that you won’t be a good fit. As an academic postdoc, while it may benefit you to work as a team with other members of your lab, a lot of the “soft skills” required for teamwork may not be a requirement.

Your manager:

Unlike academia, promotions in industry are based on people’s ability to manage others and work as a team as well as their scientific abilities. At AstraZeneca, scientists who get postdocs and do not support or manage them well are simply no longer allowed to have postdocs. In academia, as many of us know, this is not always the case. There are “difficult personalities” in every work setting and no manager will ever be perfect, but the chances of getting a good manager do tend to be higher in an industry setting.

Scientific community and mentorship:

As an industry postdoc, you might find yourself feeling scientifically isolated if no other postdocs are in your department, and the scientists around you are busy with their pipeline projects. In this scenario, finding someone with whom you can have an in-depth discussion about your project might be challenging. In an academic environment, surrounded by lab members who are all working on related topics, scientific discussion is often part of your daily life. Also, while you’re unlikely to be laid off as an industry postdoc since your funding is usually separate from a project’s or a team’s, it is possible that your mentor (and even their department) could be laid off while you’re there. Of course, similarly, an academic advisor could also lose their funding.

Communication:

In both industry and academia, you will have to communicate your science to others and advocate for the importance of your work. In my experience in industry, you’re more likely to give an oral presentation to highlight any new data or ask for additional resources, and any written proposals are limited to a handful of pages. In academia, however, writing papers and grants is an inescapable and essential part of being able to continue your research. As an academic postdoc, you’re often required to at least attempt to write grants. If you don’t enjoy or excel at writing, an industry postdoc will free you of the never-ending cycle of grant-writing that is academic life. Of course, because you will be part of a team in industry with most team members giving oral presentations, you will also have to attend many more meetings.

How do I get an industry postdoc?

Many companies have industry postdoc positions, including AstraZeneca , Pfizer , Novartis , Biogen , Amgen , New England Biolabs, Regeneron , and Genentech , among others, and the list is growing. Some post positions as they come up, whereas others post their positions all at once. Many companies will hire a postdoc to perform a specific project, while others will hire a group of postdocs and then let them decide what they’d like to work on later. For instance, AstraZeneca posts most of its positions all at once at the end of February or beginning of March, and the jobs are mixed into the general careers section of their web site. Each position is for a specific, pre-approved project. Other companies, such as Novartis, have specific web sites for postdoc listings, so the method of posting varies between companies.

Like most jobs, it does help if you know someone who’s already in industry to land you that position. Work your LinkedIn connections and other contacts to get that referral and find out more about the company’s program.

Once you’ve found a few positions to apply for, compare and contrast industry postdocs at those companies. Do you want a postdoc that’s shorter? Longer? Would you like to eventually work at the company at which you’re doing your postdoc? Some companies, such as AstraZeneca, will hire their postdocs for full-time positions should a position open up. Other companies, such as Genentech, will not. The point is that each company has a unique approach, and some might suit your needs better than others.

Whether you decide to do an industry or an academic postdoc, you’ll hopefully have the opportunity to do some great science in a supportive environment. Both paths will give you myriad opportunities to help you with the next step in your career.

Additional resources on the Addgene blog

• Check out all careers related blog posts here
• Find 9 tips for a successful postdoctoral experience
• Read Joanne Kamen's 8 tactics for choosing a lab

Resources on Addgene.org

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• Check out our   career videos

Topics: Science Careers , Science Career Options , Early Career Researcher

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A Stanford postdoctoral scholar is a trainee in residence at Stanford University pursuing advanced studies beyond the doctoral level in preparation for an independent career. Postdoctoral Scholars are appointed for a limited period of time (minimum stay of 9 months) and may participate on Stanford research projects and/or may be supported by external awards or fellowships. Sponsoring faculty must be active members of the Stanford Academic Council. Prior to beginning the postdoc appointment process, the prospective postdoc must have their diploma in hand or a letter from their university's registrar (not the department) clearly stating that ALL degree requirements have been completed.  Sponsoring faculty are responsible to ensure that minimum Stanford funding package for postdoctoral scholars (including salary/stipend and benefits) is met by a Stanford fund or an external award/fellowship.

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In all cases, postdoctoral appointments at Stanford are for the purpose of advanced studies and training under the sponsorship of a Stanford faculty member. Individuals interested in postdoctoral study should make their inquiries directly to the faculty with whom there are overlapping research interests. Faculty members are expected to respond to all correspondence regarding possible postdoctoral status, to determine whether the area of interest is appropriate for study at Stanford, and whether there is sufficient office/laboratory space and other resources needed to support the Scholar. Please note that the standard visa for a GSE postdoc is a J-1. Requests for other types of visas will be considered on a case-by-case basis only. If you would like to hire a postdoctoral scholar, please contact Jeremy Edwards  three months in advance of the anticipated start date in order to begin the application process. No appointment is finalized until approved by the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs. More information for faculty can be found here , and more information for postdocs can be found here . See also the Postdoctoral Scholars website for more information, including minimum salary and funding requirements, appointment terms, etc.

A Visiting Scholar is a scholar established in his or her field (must hold a Ph.D. or be considered a field expert) who visits Stanford from an outside institution or organization and is funded by external or personal sources (cannot be funded by Stanford). Visiting Scholars are not employees or students of the University, and therefore are not entitled to Stanford compensation or other benefits available to regular staff, faculty or students (including health insurance).

Visiting Scholars must be recommended by a faculty member in the School for a fixed-term designation of Visiting Scholar. Faculty will recommend the appointment for approval by the Area Committee and the Deans. A limited number of appointments are available each year. Interested scholars should contact specific faculty directly regarding the possibility of such an appointment, and faculty can work with the Academic Affairs Officer to begin the appointment process. See also the Research Policy Handbook regarding visiting scholar appointments.

Please see the "For Visitors" page on Health Alerts regarding current COVID-19 safety responsibilities.

The benefits given to visiting scholars are as follows:

• Official affiliation with Stanford University (Stanford ID) issued to Visiting Scholars who are in residence for a minimum of one quarter. ($25 fee to be paid at the ID card office)
• Audit University lecture courses without fee, subject to permission of the instructor (Classes that require individual instruction and participation, such as laboratory and language courses, studio and performance courses, or creative writing courses are not authorized for auditing.)

Off-campus Housing Resources for Visiting Scholars

• Faculty Staff Housing

In limited instances, it is to the benefit of Stanford faculty to permit persons who have not yet obtained a Ph.D. (or its foreign equivalent) to engage in research on the Stanford campus using Stanford research facilities. Such instances might include students at other universities who are engaged in graduate-level research in a field of interest to the faculty member, a person doing a laboratory rotation as part of a larger research study or grant, or employees of companies who are conducting research which requires specialized equipment available only at Stanford. Invitations can be extended for up to four quarters.

In order to be a Visiting Researcher at Stanford GSE, one must be invited from a Stanford GSE faculty member by an official invitation letter that includes the amount of time for which the visitor will be conducting research (no appointments are finalized until approved by the Office of the University Registrar and confirmed by the GSE Office of Academic Affairs). Interested researchers should contact specific faculty directly regarding the possibility of such an appointment, and faculty can work with the Academic Affairs Officer to begin the appointment process. Please note that the appointment process can span up to three months, and the process will depend on various factors (student status, citizenship, etc.).

Visiting Student Researchers must be registered as “Non-Matriculated Graduate Students.” They are charged a registration fee of $1,224/month (for the 2022-2023 academic year). There is no prorating of the fee, so corresponding the start and end dates of the appointment with the quarter start and end dates is important. In addition, international students must show proof that they will have a quarterly estimated living expense of $4,529/month while here on campus (this can be a fellowship, personal savings, etc.). All visiting researchers must show proof of health insurance or buy Cardinal Care through Stanford while they are appointed. The Cardinal Care fee is $6,768 for the 2022-2023 academic year. Students must also pay the quarterly campus health fee of $241.

International visiting student researchers will need to have their visa paid for by the faculty sponsor. Stanford charges a $125 fee for preparation of the initial and transfer DS-2019 documents for J-1 Visiting Scholars and family members, which the faculty member may request to be reimbursed by the Visiting Researcher upon arrival at Stanford GSE.

The benefits given to Visiting Student Researchers are as follows:

• Official affiliation with Stanford University (Stanford ID, $25 fee to be paid at ID card office)
• Access to Vaden Health Center (campus health fee applies: $241/quarter)
• Not permitted to enroll in or audit any classes. If VSR wish to take classes at Stanford, they should contact the Office of the University Registrar and request an application for nonmatriculated graduate student enrollment status.

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Post-Docs at the UW

We understand postdoctoral fellows have needs that are different from graduate students. To help serve UW-affiliated post-docs, we’ve created an Office of Postdoctoral Affairs (OPA) to help navigate challenges, provide opportunities, and offer mentoring.

Make an Appointment

Awards & Funding

Resources for postdocs.

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Advice Knowledge Base

Over the years, the Graduate School has created hundreds of articles aimed at helping students and post-docs get the most our of their experience at the UW. For the first time, we’ve collected all of these articles in one searchable database, from stories on how to work with your PI or secure funding to insights on how to deal with mental health challenges and impostor syndrome, and much more…

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Division of graduate studies menu, division of graduate studies, postdoctoral scholars.

A postdoctoral scholar is recognized as an individual who holds a doctoral degree or equivalent terminal degree who is engaged in a temporary and defined period of formally mentored research or scholarly training for the purpose of acquiring the professional skills needed to pursue a career path of their choosing.

Postdoctoral Appointment Guidelines

Career Planning and Self-Assessment

Postdoctoral life is a continuum of one’s career and is often an opportunity to broaden horizons and explore different regions of the world. Living in Eugene provides an array of opportunities for research and rest.

The University of Oregon Postdoc Association is full of resources for new postdocs who are continuing their careers in Eugene. Their goal as an organization is to assist University of Oregon postdocs by providing resources for:

• Career development
• Work-life integration
• Postdoctoral researchers in transition
• International postdoctoral researchers

International Student and Scholar Services has resources for international postdoc students. You’ll find opportunities for global engagement, resources around campus, and tools to promote equitable engagement.

National Postdoctoral Association provides a variety of career planning resources for postdoc students. These include self-assessment tools, career exploration, and more. 

Postdocs can search for awards from among 625 scholarships, grants, fellowships, and postdoctoral awards through GRAPES , sponsored by UCLA.

External fellowships and awards are administered by governmental agencies, private foundations, and corporations. Graduate students and postdoctoral scholars are encouraged to explore further in order to expand their areas of interest and research.

Assessing Skills and Interests

ImaginePhD is an online career exploration and planning tool for PhD students and postdoctoral scholars in the humanities and social sciences. It’s a free program for all users and provides knowledge on doctoral education and the of opportunities.

Imagine PhD

Individual Development Plans

An individual development plan (IDP) is a resource generated by graduate students and post docs to help guide their career development. When creating your IDP, take into account your interests and strengths, while considering what skills and qualifications are necessary for your chosen career.

An IDP provides a shared point of reference for conversations with your UO advisor (and other mentors) about how to achieve your goals and/or evolve them .

IDP Resources

PhD Student vs Graduate Student [Correct terminologies]

As you progress down the academic pathway it can become confusing to work out what the appropriate terminology is for your current level of education. Is it PhD student? Is it graduate student? Is the PhD student the same as a graduate? Well, this article will answer all your questions.

Graduate student is an umbrella term for someone with an undergraduate qualification (bachelors, diploma), they are often performing graduate research in a Masters or PhD program. All PhD students are graduate students but not all graduate students are PhD students.

To fully get our heads around each of these definitions, we need to understand exactly what each term really means.

This is where we can look at the actual definitions of PhD student vs graduate student.

Definition of PhD student

A PhD student is someone who is currently enrolled in a doctorate degree program and is in the early stages of their course.

Some institutions require students to undergo a coursework component of their graduate program and are called a PhD student.

After the completion of the coursework component, with the research component still to go, they can be called a PhD candidate .

Definition of Graduate student

A graduate student is a known for a student who continues their studies after completion of their undergraduate degree.

The Cambridge dictionary defines it as:

A student who is studying for a degree that is higher than the one received after four years of study at a college or university.

Who is considered a graduate student?

Graduate students can include:

• Masters students
• PhD students
• Professional Masters
• Graduate academic certificate programs
• undergraduate/graduate hybrid degree programs

Even if you have got an undergraduate degree, there are many more options for you to obtain many more qualifications and build on your education. In these instances, you will be known as a graduate student.

Is a PhD student a graduate student?

Yes, a PhD student is a graduate student.

They have spent up to 4 years in their undergraduate programs in order to qualify for admission into a PhD program.

PhD students are able to call themselves graduate students but many choose to refer to themselves as PhD students or candidates.

Is PhD the same as graduate?

A PhD is the highest education attainable as a graduate.

In order to obtain a PhD one must graduate from an undergraduate degree. From the moment of graduating in their undergraduate degree they are known as a graduate.

The order of becoming a PhD from a graduate is shown in the table below. It also includes what happens after you get a PhD.

Is a doctoral student the same as a PhD student?

Strictly speaking, a PhD student is someone who is pursuing a doctor of philosophy.

A PhD student is a type of doctoral student but not all doctoral students are PhD students. Anyone aiming to achieve the title of ‘Dr’ is a doctoral student.

There are many other different types of doctoral students including:

• Doctor of Arts (DA)
• Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)
• Doctor of Design (DDes)
• Doctor of Engineering or Engineering Science (DEng, DESc, DES)
• Doctor of Education (EdD)
• Doctor of Fine Arts (DFA.)
• Doctor of Juridical Science (JSD, SJD)
• Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA)
• Doctor of Music Education (DME)
• Doctor of Modern Languages (DML)
• Doctor of Nursing Science (DNSc)
• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
• Doctor of Public Health (DPH)
• Doctor of Sacred Theology (STD)
• Doctor of Science (DSc, ScD)
• Doctor of Theology (ThD)

There are also professional degrees that lead to the person being called Doctor. These professional degrees result in honorific doctor titles, including those found in the table below.

In my 15 years in academia, I would only really refer to someone as a PhD student. However, if someone was to introduce themselves as a doctoral student I would understand them to be a PhD student.

Wrapping up

In this article, we have learned the difference between PhD student vs graduate student.

In summary, a graduate student is an umbrella term that includes anyone that has done an undergraduate qualification and is continuing their education. It includes Masters students, PhD students and others.

All PhD students are graduate students but not all graduate students are PhD students.

Dr Andrew Stapleton has a Masters and PhD in Chemistry from the UK and Australia. He has many years of research experience and has worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow and Associate at a number of Universities. Although having secured funding for his own research, he left academia to help others with his YouTube channel all about the inner workings of academia and how to make it work for you.

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PhD, Professor, and Postdoc Salaries in the United States

The United States is home to several of the world’s best universities making it a top destination for international researchers. Here’s a breakdown of the most common American job titles and their associated average annual salaries. All salary statistics in this article are in American Dollars (USD) and are pre-tax.

PhD Student

A Master’s degree is not always required to do a PhD in the US. Several top universities offer direct entry PhD programs. An American PhD begins with two to three years of coursework in order to pass qualifying exams. During this time doctoral students are able to develop their research interests and hone in on their thesis topic. They will then write a thesis proposal which must be approved before they can start their dissertation. Most programs require PhD students to gain two to three years of teaching experience as well, either by leading their own class or as teaching assistants for a professor. It takes an average of six years to earn a PhD in the US.

Unlike some European countries, there is no mandated minimum salary or national salary scale for PhD students in the US. PhD students ear n between $ 15,000 and $30,000 a year depending on their institution, field of study, and location. This stipend can be tax-free (if it is a fellowship award) or taxable (if it is a salary e.g from a teaching position). American PhD students are usually only paid for nine months of the year but many programs offer summer funding opportunities. A PhD funding package will also include a full or partial tuition waiver.

After earning a PhD, many researchers go on to a postdoc. A postdoc is a continuation of the researcher’s training that allows them to further specialize in a particular field and learn new techniques. Postdoc positions are usually two to three years and it is not unusual to do more than one postdoc. There is no limit on the number of years you can be a postdoc in the US. The average salary (2023 ) for postdocs in the US is $61,143 per year.

A lecturer is a non-tenure-track teaching position. They often have a higher teaching load than tenure track-faculty and no research obligations. These positions are more common in the humanities or as foreign language instructors. Lecturers hold advanced degrees, though not always PhDs. The average salary for a full time lecturer in 2021-2022 according to the American Association of University Professors was $69,499.

Assistant Professor

This is the start of the tenure track. An assistant professor is responsible for teaching, research, and service to the institution (committee membership). Assistant professors typically teach two to four courses per semester while also supervising graduate students. They are also expected to be active researchers and publish books, monographs, papers, and journal articles to meet their tenure requirements. The average salary for assistant professors in 2021-2022 was $85,063 according to the American Association of University Professors . 

Associate Professor

An assistant professor who has been granted tenure is then promoted to an associate professor. An associate professor often has a national reputation and is involved in service activities beyond their university. The average salary for associate professors in 2021-2022 was $97,734 according to the American Association of University Professors . 

This is the final destination of the tenure track. Five to seven years after receiving tenure, associate professors go through another review. If they are successful, they are promoted to the rank of professor (sometimes called full professor). Professors usually have a record of accomplishment that has established them as an international or national leader in their field. The average salary for professors in 2021-2022 according to the American Association of University Professors was $143,823. 

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