Ecology Postdocs in Academia: Primary Concerns and Possible Solutions

The postdoctoral research phase is intended to allow researchers to further develop and strengthen skills needed to succeed in an academic career (NAS et al. 2000). For example, doctoral programs train students to conduct research and publish papers, but often do not include opportunities to develop professional skills, such as project management, balancing multiple research projects, applying for large grants, managing research teams, teaching, and developing the mentorship skills necessary for future careers both within and outside of academia. Many postdoctoral positions, however, do allow early-career researchers to practice these skills sets while deepening their research skills and expanding their collaboration network. Thus, job candidates that have postdoctoral experience are often viewed as more competitive in the academic market (Nerad 1999). For these reasons, and because the ratio of Ph.D.s to available academic positions is increasing (Schillebeeckx et al. 2013), postdoctoral positions have nearly become a prerequisite for modern careers in ecology. The postdoctoral phase is clearly an important, and potentially exciting, time to develop the skills needed to succeed in an academic career. Yet the uncertainty of advancing successfully to the next career stage Ecology Postdocs in Academia: Primary Concerns and Possible Solutions