Leap from Postdoc to Independent Scientist Can Be Daunting
How do scientists become scientists?
Part of the answer is encouragement from an early age to engage in science. Many highly successful programs have been developed to nurture childhood curiosity, and to provide elementary and high school students with hands-on science experience in school, after school, and in summer camps.
A key goal of these efforts is to prepare students with interest and aptitude to take college science courses and to major in scientific fields of study. For those students who envision careers in the physical and life sciences, the pathway is long: Undergraduate studies are typically followed by graduate school and one or more appointments as a postdoctoral fellow, positions in which trainees are guided by established scientists.
Through elementary and high school, undergraduate and graduate school, and postdoctoral training across the country, reasonably similar norms, opportunities, and support structures can be found. At each step, experienced teachers act as mentors and role models.
But for the biggest leap – the transition from supervised to independent research – early-career scientists are typically on their own. Applying for faculty positions, interviewing, negotiating appointment details, often moving to a new city and institution, and setting up a research group can be exhilarating but can also be extremely stressful. All the anxieties that mentors may have alleviated over the years can resurface in a rush. Imposter syndrome can take hold. Making decisions, after years of final authority resting with a supervisor, can be daunting.
Those on faculty search committees or those formulating offers might expect the best future scientists and faculty colleagues to be the best prepared at this transition stage, and that – especially in the sciences – this is a highly meritocratic process. Certainly, many postdocs shine brightly, are hired, and go on to tremendous success. Others with talent and personal drive might not present themselves as compellingly, however, and might be left on the sidelines of a playing field that is not as level as in an ideal world.
In reality, the hiring process can be riddled with unwritten rules and expectations, and not every candidate has access to the same professional networks or comes from one of the institutions that traditionally launch academic careers.
The interview process can present further pitfalls for institutions trying to hire faculty who will excel as independent scientists. The appearance of self-confidence in an interview is not necessarily the same as ability; success on a project designed by a senior scientist might not predict who will identify and pursue the most promising new research directions; and cultural “fit” with a department might not be immediately evident, especially if prospective new faculty have backgrounds that are not reflected in that department’s present membership.
Various initiatives have aimed to address the challenges of this leap from postdoc to independent scientist. The National Science Foundation’s ADVANCE program and MPS-Ascend External Mentoring program, the National Institute of Health’s Maximizing Opportunities for Scientific and Academic Independent Careers (MOSAIC) program, and the new Sloan Scholars Mentoring Network are just a few examples.
One such initiative supported by a Cottrell Scholar Collaborative Award from Research Corporation for Science Advancement, was developed and tested by faculty from various institutions starting in 2019. Led by Keivan Stassun at Vanderbilt University, this initiative provided postdoctoral fellows in the physical sciences from underrepresented backgrounds – those for whom the playing field is often least level – with the opportunity to go through a full “mock” faculty interview at another institution.
These mock interviews helped demystify the process and provided valuable experience for interviewees. At the same time, they gave host departments the incentive to consider how they do or do not create welcoming environments for a diverse group of potential colleagues, and to translate those analyses into procedural and cultural change if needed.
Based on the promise shown by this project, RCSA is now converting the Cottrell Scholar Collaborative effort into RCSA Fellows, a multi-year program to address the entire transition period from postdoc to faculty in chemistry, physics, and astronomy, through job search preparation and community building.
Year one of the RCSA Fellows initiative, like the collaborative project, will include mock interviews, with the addition of a community-building annual meeting. Year two will provide mentoring throughout the search and negotiation process, with year one and year two fellows coming together at the annual meeting. In year three and beyond, first-year, tenure-track assistant professors, who have participated in year one and two of the program, will serve as peer mentors to those following them through the initiative and engage in further professional development opportunities to have a greater chance of success. Throughout the initiative, RCSA will support and guide participating host departments and institutions in sharing their challenges and best practices in working toward inclusivity.
All too often, underrepresented faculty can feel isolated in a new department. RCSA’s aim with this program is to create cohorts of early career physical scientists across the country who can turn to each other to discuss challenges that many of them might be facing. We hope this mutual support network will enhance the ability of promising teacher-scholars to progress in – and fully enjoy – their independent academic careers.
