The Evolution of Postdocs

Singer, Maxine

doi:10.1126/science.1104916

Cited by 16 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 1 publication

(1 reference statement)

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“…Therefore, postdoctoral career development and outcomes are critical aspects of postdoctoral training, an important topic covered extensively in several reports (e.g. Singer, ; McDowell et al . ; Sinche, ; Blank et al .…”

Section: Concerns and Issues With Current Postdoctoral Training Practmentioning

confidence: 99%

Enhancing career development of postdoctoral trainees: act locally and beyond

Omary

Shah

Schnell

et al. 2019

The Journal of Physiology

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Section: Concerns and Issues With Current Postdoctoral Training Practmentioning

confidence: 99%

Enhancing career development of postdoctoral trainees: act locally and beyond

Omary

Shah

Schnell

et al. 2019

The Journal of Physiology

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“…In return, the postdoctoral researcher is expected to be the workhorse of the team, delivering high‐quality research that is published jointly with the mentor. In addition, as researchers undergoing advanced training, postdoctoral researchers are expected to supervise junior members (e.g., Ph.D. candidates, undergraduate students) in the laboratory …”

Section: The Mentor–mentee Relationship In Academiamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition, as researchers undergoing advanced training, postdoctoral researchers are expected to supervise junior members (e.g., Ph.D. candidates, undergraduate students) in the laboratory. (4,6) When expectations on both sides have not thoroughly been discussed beforehand, misunderstandings arise, endangering the trust of the PI-trainee relationship. To address these gaps in understanding, in December 2017, junior investigators from both sides of the Atlantic participated in a unique 2-day, intensive, educational collaboration, entitled "The Masterclass."…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Great Expectations: Principal Investigator and Trainee Perspectives on Hiring, Supervision, and Mentoring

Kaps

Stine

Mellinger

et al. 2018

Hepatology Communications

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A functioning mentor–trainee relationship is of high importance in academia. Discrepancies in expectations between principal investigators (PIs) and trainees are a source of misunderstandings and conflicts, endangering scientific progress and career advancement. In this pilot study, we sought to explore the expectations of PIs and trainees, providing consensus data from physician‐scientists and junior researchers who attended an educational workshop, entitled “The EASL/AASLD Masterclass,” in December 2017. Twenty‐three Masterclass attendees, comprising nine trainees (four Ph.D. candidates, five postdoctoral researchers) and 14 PIs, responded to an online survey. Both parties were asked to score 29 predefined statements of important expectations, enabling a comparative analysis for each statement between the groups. For the trainees, the success of the PI, either mirrored by successful mentoring or scientific work, as well as a clear road for academic development are of utmost importance. PIs did not prioritize these aspects, highlighting discrepancies of expectations. PIs prioritized trainee competence, reliability, and strong daily initiative/work ethic, qualities that were also recognized to be important by the trainee group but not to same degree as PIs. Conclusion:Discrepancies in expectations pose a preventable threat to the mentor–trainee relationship if considered and discussed beforehand. The discrepancy in the most common expectations between the two groups could have resulted from the fact that trainees prioritize outcomes of success while PIs focus on the necessary qualities leading to those outcomes.

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“…Previous research on postdocs is sparse and is mostly descriptions of postdocs’ discontent with the current system. For example, previous studies indicate that postdocs are concerned about the quality of mentoring (Singer, ; Davis, ; Scaffidi and Berman, ), career structure and prospects, nurturing environment (Davis, ; Aschwanden, ; Scaffidi and Berman, ), networking opportunities, professional development training (Bonetta, ; Lee et al ., ), benefits, and disparities in stipends (Davis, ; Aschwanden, ). These studies offered limited understanding of postdocs’ experiences, except their experience of job insecurity (Scaffidi and Berman, ).…”

Section: Cckwsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The uncertainty challenge of contingent collaboration

Auer

Kao

Hemphill

et al. 2014

Human Res Mgmt Journal

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Contingent knowledge workers will play an increasingly important role in organisational success as workers transition in and out of project-based innovation teams with more frequency. Our research finds that collaborators in the contingent, high-skill workforce face uncertainty challenges to their work that are unique from the independent, contingent professionals more often studied. The article proposes a theoretical framework of uncertainty to guide us in understanding collaborative contingent knowledge workers' work experience. Interviews with postdoctoral researchers reveal four findings about the influence of these highly uncertain work environments on collaborative contingent knowledge workers -collaboration isolation, frustrated independence, performance anxiety and internalised blame. Perhaps most concerning is that the workers internalise the negative impacts as personal failings instead of recognising them as consequences of a poorly designed work environment. This study argues for the need to manage and mitigate different sources of uncertainty to avoid creating an unnecessary burden on contingent knowledge workers, and to enable a sustainable, contingent knowledge workforce.

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The Evolution of Postdocs

Cited by 16 publications

References 1 publication

Enhancing career development of postdoctoral trainees: act locally and beyond

Enhancing career development of postdoctoral trainees: act locally and beyond

Great Expectations: Principal Investigator and Trainee Perspectives on Hiring, Supervision, and Mentoring

The uncertainty challenge of contingent collaboration

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