Before considering pursuing a postdoctoral fellowship, it’s important to fully understand what a postdoc means and how it might fit into your career pathway following the completion of a PhD. The postdoc gets its name from the period of time in which it takes place; a postdoctoral fellowship or position takes place after the individual has completed a PhD.
Becoming a postdoc or completing a postdoctoral research fellowship does not confer any additional degrees. Typically funded by universities, postdoctoral research positions allow for the hiring of scholarly researchers to continue work on their research projects for a pre-determined period of time.1 A postdoc fellow may also publish their research findings and may attend academic conferences, perhaps presenting their work there.
During their time in the position, a postdoc researcher works closely with a mentor, such as a tenured university professor or researcher. They’ll have opportunities to develop their research skills further under the mentor’s guidance. If the postdoc researcher is in a STEM field, they may also have opportunities to help manage a lab.
What exactly does a postdoc spend their time on? It varies, but may include the following:
- Conducting experiments, analyzing the results and conducting other forms of research
- Applying for grants
- Meeting with other researchers
- Reading published literature
- Helping with the management of a lab (for STEM postdocs)
What is postdoctoral research? It varies considerably, depending on the postdoc’s chosen field and interests within that field. Postdocs may work on their mentor’s research project, and they may also have opportunities to develop their own independent research.