9  Postdocs and staff

Postdocs (or postdoctoral fellows or postdoctoral trainees) are a strange position within academia. It is an awkward couple of years when you have lots of expertise, yet you are not in a permanent position. Unlike graduate school, you are expected to be more independent, although this depends on the lab and PI. The time as a postdoc can also feel lonely as you are not a graduate student and also not faculty. It is key to make connections with other postdocs or scientists on campus. During your time as a postdoc in the QEML, you will have several responsibilities:

  1. Working on projects/papers related to your postdoc position
  2. Finishing up old work
  3. Developing independent work
  4. Mentoring students
  5. Applying for funding and jobs

One of the most stressful parts of a postdoc position is the short-term and finite nature of the role. You only have a couple of years to find funding, find another postdoc position, or find a more permanent job. This means you should be applying for opportunities throughout your time as a postdoc.

My goal as an advisor with postdocs is to help them do good science and get the job they want.

Find more resources for postdocs at UNH here. https://www.unh.edu/research/about/postdoctoral-researchers