Questions to ask a potential postdoc advisor

4/20/2022 1:45 am

By Dr. Frankie Wade

When we applied to grad school, there was advice aplenty for what to look for in advisors/programs/research. You knew you’d be in the same spot for 4+ years. But the transition to life after grad school is a little less standardized. If you’re finishing the end of your PhD and are thinking about a postdoc, what should you be considering? Of course, everyone has their own priorities – whether that is location, skills you want to develop, family considerations, health considerations, financial considerations etc. Before putting together applications and reaching out to people you might like to work with, I would recommend spending some time thinking about what your priorities are (not what your advisors, your parents, your partners think your priorities should be). A postdoc is a great time to develop a new technical skill, gain experience in grant writing, in mentorship, in general lab management, and many other academic life skills, but you should have a good idea about what you want to gain out of the temporary position (typically 1-5 years in length). Once you’ve established your goals, they should help you identify people you might like to work with and learn from. An informational interview with a potential postdoc mentor is VITAL and here, I present common questions you should consider asking to find out if that lab is going to be a good fit for you. Not all may be relevant to you, but hopefully this is a good starting point to get you thinking about fit and potential career moves!

Expectations:

• Why is this lab/mentor hiring a postdoc? Is it for a specific project/grant? Are extra lab personnel required? In other words, what is the lab’s need for a postdoc?

• How would your time be split up? For example, I have a 75-25 split, where 75% of my workload should be related to the grant I was hired to work on, and 25% for professional development/job applications/personal projects.

• Does the PI anticipate time for you to finish publishing your PhD work?

• Are you expected to teach? If so, how much? If not, but this is important to you, are there opportunities to guest lecture or be an instructor of record?

• Are you expected to mentor graduate students? Manage undergraduate student researchers? How much mentorship is expected from you as a postdoc? Is this important to you and if so, what are the mentorship opportunities for you, both as a mentor and a mentee?

• Are you meant to obtain independent funding for the position? If so, is it within a certain time-frame? What support is available to help you be successful in that?

• What are the expectations for you to be involved in data collections (both your own and other lab projects)? What sort of time commitment is this?

• Is there a lab handbook/mentor-mentee compact with written expectations for lab members?

Finances:

• How long have they budgeted for a postdoc? Are extensions expected or possible? Relatedly, how long do they expect to have you as a postdoc and does this align with financial budgets and your own expectations?

• Are you eligible for annual/performance raises?

• Are there included benefits (including health, vision, dental, 401k contributions, life insurance)?

• What (if any) are the paid time off and leave policies? Are there any covid-related dispensations?

• Is there funding for conference attendance from the PI? the department? the college/institution? If not, how are you expected to attend conferences/pay for travel?

• How does the budgeted salary align with cost of living for the area? (As a grad student, the increase to postdoc pay can feel amazing, but it’s really important to make sure it is livable for the quality of life you need. For example, for the first year after grad school I allowed expenses to be less budgeted to feel some financial freedom after a tight budget, and so this factored into my salary expectations.)

• Is there a budget for relocation expenses?

• If you are applying internationally, is there support for change of visa status and other additional hoops international scholars must jump through prior to starting the position? 

Career Development:

• How supportive is this mentor going to be of you in your job search? What sort of positions have prior postdocs gone on to? Can the PI put you in contact with any prior postdocs to discuss their experiences in the lab? Do they have a track record of placing individuals in jobs similar to the one you are aiming for (whether that is academic/industry)? What is the PI’s network like and how accessible is it to you as their postdoc?

• What is the lab authorship policy? Are there opportunities for you to be senior author on projects (especially if you bring in your own funding)? Do all lab members become co-authors on other lab member publications? Or are there thresholds that must be met for authorship? This may be different to your grad school experiences so it is important to ask.

• Is there potential for you to establish your own independent collaborations with external (or internal) individuals without your advisor? With your advisor? If so, is there a suggested approach for this and what are the rules for data sharing/authorship in these situations?

• If you are planning on going into an academic career – are you able to take data with you? Is there a plan in place for your transition to an assistant professor role and how to maintain your publication record while you establish your own lab? Essentially, what is your intellectual property and what are you able to take with you when you leave this position?

The list of questions above is by no means exhaustive but provides an initial probe into whether the position and PI will be a good fit for you. Essentially, these questions allow you to establish whether your priorities and expectations align. I highly recommend taking notes during this conversation and ensuring you follow-up so you both have important expectations written down and accessible. This is vital once you start a postdoc position. Before you start, ask if a funded on-site visit is possible. If the location is car-dependent, ask for a rental car to explore potential living areas and commutes. Of course, you may already have a visit lined up and these questions may be more appropriate then.

If you are fortunate to have multiple offers, these questions may help you evaluate the strengths of one position over another and figure out what the right move is for your career. Good luck!

Author: Dr. Frankie Wade