Postdoc program structure, themes, and content
Collaborative design and peer exchange of information are the foundation of our postdoctoral program (Figure 1). Our program is bolstered by mentorship from a committee of staff scientists who provide continuity as postdoctoral researchers cycle through the institute on relatively short-term contracts. The group is not exclusive to people in positions with “postdoctoral” titles; we include other early career scientists who contribute their perspectives and knowledge while also sharing the camaraderie of being at a similar career stage. Critically, we are able to adapt our model and content to continuously mold the program to the changing professional and social needs of individuals and the community.
We meet weekly to engage with the content of our program, which we organize under five themes (Table 1), and occasionally schedule additional activities outside of these weekly meetings. Meeting content is discussed in advance, but we retain flexibility to shift our plans to what feels important at the moment. For example, in spring 2020 we delayed scheduled content in order to spend several weeks discussing racial justice and encouraging anti-racist initiatives at our institution. Between our weekly gatherings, we have also self-organized other forms of accountability and mutual aid. For example, we maintain a shared spreadsheet where we can record daily goals, accomplishments, and struggles and receive feedback and encouragement from others. Others engage in short daily video check-ins for accountability and social contact.
The themes and content of our weekly meetings primarily serve the goals that gave rise to this program. Preparation for the future of our careers is an explicit focus of some meetings. Activities that address this include: building a broad knowledge base by describing current questions and grand challenges in our respective sub-fields (“State of the Science”); sharing and developing specific skills; and navigating potential career paths through workshops and group informational interviews with contacts in alternative-to-academia careers such as start-ups, NGOs, private industry, and government (Table 1). Every year, our institute allocates funding for postdoc professional development. Some of the uses we had planned for this budget (and postponed due to COVID-19) included funding a writing retreat and visiting Washington DC to meet with National Science Foundation program officers and Congressional staffers.
Including a blend of social, scientific, and professional activities as part of the program provides multiple “entry points” and co-benefits. Different types of meetings, with varied personal or professional activities, incentivize attendance for those with different needs and goals. During each weekly meeting, we often spend a few minutes checking in with one another, admiring each other’s children and pets, and brainstorming activities for future meetings. We occasionally schedule purely social events, such as crafting, games, and happy hours, which not only improve inclusivity with remote members, but also blunt the isolation of working through a pandemic. Every few months, we revisit our mutual and individual goals so that we can make course corrections to more effectively move forward as a group (Table 1).