It's National Postdoc Appreciation Week! #NPAW2021 #LovePostdocs
Who are postdocs?
Researchers with PhDs who work for universities but don't have permanent job contracts.
Here are concrete actions for funders & institutions to appreciate their postdocs:
Who are postdocs?
Researchers with PhDs who work for universities but don't have permanent job contracts.
Here are concrete actions for funders & institutions to appreciate their postdocs:
Do a census and make it public!
Funders: how much of your money is spent funding short-term research contracts?
Who are you funding in these posts?
Age, gender, nationality are key to know, since there are strong biases in who can accept a job with a temporary contract
Funders: how much of your money is spent funding short-term research contracts?
Who are you funding in these posts?
Age, gender, nationality are key to know, since there are strong biases in who can accept a job with a temporary contract
Follow postdocs over time!
Postdocs are billed as training posts - are they?
Funders: Where do your postdocs go after you fund them? Include all postdocs (beyond fellowships)
Universities: how many of your staff have been employed for >4 years on temporary research contracts?
Postdocs are billed as training posts - are they?
Funders: Where do your postdocs go after you fund them? Include all postdocs (beyond fellowships)
Universities: how many of your staff have been employed for >4 years on temporary research contracts?
Credit them!
Funders don't allow postdocs to be named on most grants because they don't have permanent job contracts. So postdocs are forced to anonymously write and run these grants.
Funders don't allow postdocs to be named on most grants because they don't have permanent job contracts. So postdocs are forced to anonymously write and run these grants.
Universities: recognise the reality of contributions on grants. Allow postdocs to be credited internally for their % contribution to grants awarded. Recognise them as line-managers.
Funders: Allow postdocs to be investigators on the grants they are actually writing and running
Funders: Allow postdocs to be investigators on the grants they are actually writing and running
Credit them! (continued)
Universities: Revise postdoc titles to reflect the work they do.
Many postdocs have the same title from after PhD to just before Senior Lecturer (because these posts weren't designed to be careers). This limits professional mobility.
Universities: Revise postdoc titles to reflect the work they do.
Many postdocs have the same title from after PhD to just before Senior Lecturer (because these posts weren't designed to be careers). This limits professional mobility.
Help them leave!
Funders: Make postdocs true training or secondment posts. Ring-fence time and money to be controlled by the postdoc for career development.
Universities: If postdocs aren't permanent staff they should have little administrative obligations to the institute.
Funders: Make postdocs true training or secondment posts. Ring-fence time and money to be controlled by the postdoc for career development.
Universities: If postdocs aren't permanent staff they should have little administrative obligations to the institute.
Ask them to stay!
Universities: If your postdoc has been there for several years, writes and runs grants, and contributes to management, teaching, and administration - they are staff.
Universities: If your postdoc has been there for several years, writes and runs grants, and contributes to management, teaching, and administration - they are staff.
Profit!
Funders and unis: Your research will be better quality if done by staff with job security.
Job security mean time and incentive to make research rigorous, open, and reproducible. And to make it more accessible and impactful.
Funders and unis: Your research will be better quality if done by staff with job security.
Job security mean time and incentive to make research rigorous, open, and reproducible. And to make it more accessible and impactful.
Postdocs:
Don't despair! There's lots of exciting work improving #ResearchCulture just now. Check out Wellcome's Research Culture resources, the Concordat for Researcher Development, Russell Group's Backing Talent report, UKRI's ECR Forum, @UofGCultureLab, @MetisTalk & @ukrepro
Don't despair! There's lots of exciting work improving #ResearchCulture just now. Check out Wellcome's Research Culture resources, the Concordat for Researcher Development, Russell Group's Backing Talent report, UKRI's ECR Forum, @UofGCultureLab, @MetisTalk & @ukrepro
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