Post-Doctoral Fellowships Attract Outstanding Early Career Scientists
To attract the best early career scientists to the Jackson School, Dean Sharon Mosher is exploring an initiative to create a set of new, more flexible post doctoral research positions, sometimes called institutional post docs. Unlike a traditional post doc brought in to work with a more senior scientist on a specific project - essentially tied to that researcher, that project, and that source of funding - this new post doc would develop their own project and collaborate with whomever they choose across the school. It's a bold and exciting step that puts the school on par with a handful of other leading geoscience institutions.
The Institute for Geophysics, one of the school's two research units, is taking the lead in establishing the first of these with temporary seed funding. The idea came about independently of the dean's initiative, but will likely serve as a proof of concept. Ultimately, Mosher envisions permanently establishing several school-wide post doctoral positions with funding from outside donors. The idea was proposed in the Jackson School's strategic plan but has not been implemented. This initiative is a key part of the school's capital campaign.
Institute Seeks New Kind of Post Doc
This past fall, scientists at the Institute for Geophysics gathered for a science retreat. One idea that kept coming up over and over was to create an institutional post doc position.
"The recommendation was made in early December and a few days later, we were distributing a flyer at the AGU meeting in San Francisco," says Terry Quinn, director of the Institute.
Many of the Institute's most successful peer institutions, such as Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, CalTech and Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, offer institutional post docs.
"They view this as a preview of who they might want to hire down the road," says Quinn. "You get to know their personality. Do they get along with others? Are they team players? You have them there for two years and you know whether or not they're going to work out. You make fewer mistakes in long term hiring."
It also enhances an organization's reputation. When you look back at the lists of people who have received them at peer institutions, you find that many post docs went on to be leaders in their field. Many are now fellows of the AGU and GSA. Their future career success will point back to the quality of the program at the Jackson School.
Expanding Horizons
The Institute already excels in marine geophysics, seismology, and climate, among other areas of research. But it's a big world out there with lots of problems to solve. Cliff Frohlich, associate director and senior research scientist at the Institute, sees these new post docs as challenging their colleagues to try new things and pushing the Institute's work in new directions.
"Some people, when you get them around you, they're so good you wonder how you did without them," he says. "You hire them to do X and they end up doing Y and we say, 'We should have been doing Y all along.'"
The Institute is taking applications for its first institutional post doctoral researcher. To get started, Quinn is paying for the position through the use of non-recurring funds at the Institute.
Quinn would like to grow it into several positions and put it on a more stable long term financial footing through the creation of endowments. Donors would have an opportunity to name a Jackson School postdoctoral position for themselves or a loved one. Over time, because the positions will be highly competitive, that name would develop a certain cachet within the scientific community. Comparable programs at other institutions get dozens of applicants for one spot.
Having institutional post docs will drive the Jackson School to a new level of excellence. The influx of young, energetic talent will build our prestige.
Next time the big pads of paper come out at an Institute retreat, there will be a bright new face, or maybe several, to throw a few more great ideas into the mix.
