Postdoc Definition and 66 Threads

A postdoctoral researcher or postdoc is a person professionally conducting research after the completion of their doctoral studies (typically a PhD). The ultimate goal of a postdoctoral research position is to pursue additional research, training, or teaching in order to have better skills to pursue a career in academia, research, or any other fields. Postdocs often, but not always, have a temporary academic appointment, sometimes in preparation for an academic faculty position. They continue their studies or carry out research and further increase expertise in a specialist subject, including integrating a team and acquiring novel skills and research methods. Postdoctoral research is often considered essential while advancing the scholarly mission of the host institution; it is expected to produce relevant publications in peer-reviewed academic journals or conferences. In some countries, postdoctoral research may lead to further formal qualifications or certification, while in other countries it does not.Postdoctoral research may be funded through an appointment with a salary or an appointment with a stipend or sponsorship award. Appointments for such a research position may be called postdoctoral research fellow, postdoctoral research associate or postdoctoral research assistant. Postdoctoral researchers typically work under the supervision of a principal investigator. In many English-speaking countries, postdoctoral researchers are colloquially referred to as "postdocs".

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  1. T

    Length of postdoc before getting faculty position?

    What is the longest amount of time you can remain a postdoc before you are no longer a viable candidate for faculty positions? Have you heard of anyone getting a faculty position if they've been a postdoc for more than 5 years? 8 years? Longer?
  2. Simfish

    Schools Foreign students who move up from grad school to postdoc

    So it's often said that the prestige of the grad school does matter when it comes to getting a postdoc at a prestigious institution (and that the prestige of the postdoc matters the most when it comes to getting an assistant professorship). One thing I've noticed though - a lot of foreign...
  3. J

    What is so bad about these postdoc positions?

    what is so bad about these "postdoc" positions? I'm in the last year of my MPhys course and now considering applying for a PhD in some aspect of physics, and I keep coming across statements like "do a physics Ph. D. and you will get stuck working postdoc positions for years". The tone is always...
  4. MathematicalPhysicist

    The effect of PhD topic on postdoc

    I wonder how does the topic you choose to specalise in during your PhD affect what you'll research later on in your postdoc years? I mean assuming you specalise in number theory and decide you want to change to geometry or analysis in postdoc who would even give you a job if your'e not...
  5. I

    Physics Question: Is it worth pursuing a postdoc in finance as a physics Ph.D.?

    (In case you don't know me, I just finished a physics phd) Based on my current job hunt, it appears that physicists are no longer highly sought after on Wall st. Physicists can get quant jobs, but the positions are highly competitive. To make myself a more competitive candidate, I'm...
  6. D

    What kind of life can one afford with a postdoc position salary?

    Hello everyone, I'm about to finish my undergrad physics degree, and I'm going to apply to a US grad school for a physics PhD. I'm not from the US. Once I get my PhD, the logical next step would be to look for a postdoc position in the US, as I want to dedicate myself to physics and possibly...
  7. maverick280857

    Programs Questions about Physics PhD and Postdoc options/mechanisms

    Hi, I'm beginning Physics graduate school this Fall. I have an undergrad in EE, and I have interests in various areas. I intend to make up my mind about the exact field of Physics I would like to specialize in, by the end of my first year in grad school. I have a few questions about how the...
  8. P

    Programs How many papers should I publish during PhD to get a decent postdoc position?

    I will start a PhD in physics (high energy theory) this fall, probably in a British graduate school. How many papers should I publish during PhD to get a decent postdoc position? I know this is a vague question, but I just want to get a feeling for the level of competitiveness for an academic...
  9. Truecrimson

    Programs PhD in science & technology education, but postdoc in pure science

    Is this the right subforum? This is my friend's question but he is not very fluent in English. He has a bachelor degree in biology and now he is working towards a PhD in science (biology-oriented) and technology education in a Southeast Asian university. However, it seems that his true...
  10. A

    Switching to a vastly different field for postdoc

    This is probably going to sound like a ridiculous question, but I'll throw it out there anyway. I'm a third year PhD student in particle astrophysics (experimental). As such, almost all of my graduate coursework is in physics (quantum, E&M, stat mech, nuclear, particle, quantum field theory...
  11. G

    Math Math Tenure Track and other postdoc questions

    Since we seem to have a few professors and grad students on this forum, I was hoping to open a discussion on the current employment trends in math academia. It seems as is the road to tenure is incredibly difficult and it takes more than just writing a good thesis to get a job. I am posting...
  12. G

    Math Picking math grad schools and postdoc placement rates

    I need some help picking which math PhD program to attend. My interests are Differential Geometry/Riemannian Geometry, geometric analysis, General Relativity (or Lorentzian geometry in general) and Mathematical Physics. I have been fortunate enough to receive some nice offers from a few...
  13. M

    What is Considered Normal for a Postdoc in Spain?

    I am a postdoc in Spain, ending my first year of research. My bosses are currently trying to terminate my contract a year early, since (a) I haven't published anything (given 8 talks and attended 3 teleconferences, though), and (b) the PhD student whose dissertation they assigned me to direct...
  14. T

    Is It Normal to Feel Lacking Confidence as a Postdoc?

    For those of you who have had postdocs, how much did you expect of them when they first arrived? Did you expect them to already know a lot? I just started my first postdoc and I'm finding I'm really lacking confidence, and I'm starting to feel really isolated. The reason is, compared to...
  15. M

    Undergrad, Grad, Postdoc, Tenure Stream

    How many people out of the original number entering as a physics or physics/math undergrad (overall, not at any specific university) will: 1. Get their B.Sc.? 2. Get their Ph.D.? 3. Become a PostDoc, or stay in the academic stream in some way? 4. Become a professor? 5. Become a tenure...
  16. marcus

    If I were Garrett Lisi, I'd postdoc at Nottingham

    A deepset culture bias says that too much limelight destroys scholars. The tradition goes back to monastery roots or even earlier. We expect scholars to withdraw to a quiet place: labor in the scriptorium and meditate in the monastery garden. I know (my culture prepares me to expect) that...
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