A report by Cynthia Verba, GSAS director of fellowships

In addition to sharing  individual experiences of applying for postdoctoral funding and positions, the three scholars who took part in a recent GSAS panel discussion on postdocs effectively demonstrated how the process plays out across widely varying disciplines. Their insider's tips made the session broadly applicable to a range of student listeners.

The panel, which took place on September 29, included Katherine Mirica, Harvard PhD in chemistry, now in postdoctoral position at MIT, funded by the American Cancer Society (ACS); Candice Etson, Harvard PhD in biophysics, now on a postdoctoral fellowship at Tufts, as part of a trainee program (Training in Education and Critical Research Skills) that provides mentors to recent PhDs in the biomedical sciences; David Russell, PhD in English from Princeton, now at the Mahindra Humanities Center at Harvard; and Evan MacCarthy, Harvard PhD in musicology, now a Harvard College Fellow.

One striking example of a practice that seems to be more common in the sciences than in other postdoctoral disciplines is that there can be a first and second round for submitting an application: In this case, Mirica said that she was able to resubmit her application to ACS after receiving feedback on her first submission. The reviewers had requested more details on who would care about the research project and why. In this manner, the application process became a learning experience as well as a way of enhancing chances of a successful application. While this is by no means practiced by all granting agencies in the sciences, and is rarely the case in the humanities or social sciences, it would be great if it could become a more widespread practice.

Another striking feature distinctive to the sciences is that there is more built-in potential for close interaction with one’s dissertation advisor on a regular basis, since the advisor and advisee are often working in the same lab and usually on the same research project. Both scientists on the panel seemed to have received a considerable amount of input from their advisors in the postdoctoral application process. Their advisors helped in determining which postdocs to apply for and helped to develop the proposals. (There can be a down side if the advisor is overly involved, or it becomes difficult to make one’s own decisions.) Another feature that was noteworthy and seemed to run counter to anecdotal impressions of the sciences is that both women scientists had also started a family and had small young children while also moving on with their careers.  Both of them noted that the time to degree was on the lengthier side, going into seven years, rather than an anticipated five or six years or less. To the many humanities or social science students in the room this hardly seemed like a slow-down.

Hearing from our humanities panelists gave students an opportunity to receive concrete and helpful suggestions. They noted that many postdoctoral fellowships explicitly state that your project should not be to work on your dissertation. Even if it is not forbidden, the speakers emphasized that you need to point out in your proposal how you are going beyond your dissertation, giving a strong impression of forward motion and engaging in new research. In addition, since many postdoctoral fellowships are held in university research centers that bring together people in a range of fields, this is a good opportunity to broaden your topic, finding ways to reach a wider audience.  One speaker also suggested that the proposal should clearly map out your goals for the duration of the fellowship program, many of which offer multiple years of support. Most of these require some teaching responsibilities, so you need to be prepared to describe courses you would teach. Another suggestion was to seek advice from junior faculty in your field, since they have recently experienced the search for opportunities.

Finally, while all of the panelists were interested in an academic career, one had also taken a workshop at the Office of Career Services on management consulting. She found this a valuable experience in helping to solidify her goal of aiming for a career in academe as the best fit for her.