By Carlos Resstel
It is no secret that the path to joining academia is arduous, but for those determined to enter this career, there is no such thing as being overly prepared. Join us in this panel discussion about getting that classical, research-intensive, faculty position. Our amazing panelists discuss their experiences and share tips and tricks on selecting postdoctoral (postdoc) fellowships, setting up a lab, and much more.
Dr. Tina Liu discusses the importance of choosing a postdoc that aligns with your postdoctoral goal; this can look like learning grantsmanship skills, presenting work at conferences, and developing mentoring skills, for example. Dr. Liu mentions being especially aware during interviews and visits whether the lab environment is conducive to developing those skills and setting up a robust publication record. Dr. Tulsi Patei highlights the importance of discussing which projects the postdoc will take with them early on. Dr. Patei makes a great point that signs of early resistance from the Principal Investigator (PI) on letting projects be developed to be taken elsewhere is a major red flag. Discussions regarding project direction and development should happen often and at each step of the process. Dr. Patei also mentions being proactive in advancing your career; you should frequently attend conferences, run seminars, identify faculty mentors, and write fellowships.
Dr. Jian Cao's biggest recommendation is to have a robust publication record and, ideally, a secured funding source when applying for faculty positions. Furthermore, Dr. Cao suggests polishing your presentational skills, having a clear project/research process vision, and building a solid network. Dr. Santiago Cuesta suggests you consider whether a research-intensive position vs. a teaching-intensive position will best suit you and your goals. He notes neither position is “easier,” and you should know their inherent differences.
Secured funding may be one of the golden tickets to a faculty position, and while that is not always the case, it can heavily impact faculty applications. Dr. Patei suggests outlining the submission for your K99/R00 application, a grant for early career researchers, during the first year of your postdoc (and remember, it might be easier to get your K99/R00 during resubmission after receiving feedback!). She suggests you seek writing support groups, develop a robust ‘Research Strategy and Career Development’ section, and emphasize how your aims are independent from the work your PI is conducting.
Now that you have applied for funding and researched the types of positions, it is time to apply for faculty positions. Dr. Ricardo Martinez Zamudio emphasizes that the research statement is critical to your application. It should be a big-picture, novel concept/idea that remains a question mark in your field. He states, “Your objective is to draw interest and excitement from the recruitment committee to follow up on your application.” Dr. Natasha O’Brown discusses approaching the teaching statement as a summary of your educational experiences, what you would change, and your teaching and mentoring experiences. Furthermore, Dr. O’Brown discusses the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion statement in which you should tell your story and examine the issues of historically marginalized groups in STEM at large and what you have done/plan to do to help address those issues.
After securing that interview invite, you should be prepared to discuss your achievements with the hiring committee. Dr. Liu mentions that this is an excellent opportunity to use your teaching skills to communicate the concepts critical to your research to a potentially lay and diverse audience. Alongside your chalk talk, this is also an opportunity to discuss your future research and its potential impact in the field. Dr. Martinez Zamudio elaborates on this point by explaining that this is a critical aspect of the hiring process in which you should be exceptionally well prepared, look and sound confident, and command the room. Finally, when preparing for the interview, Dr. Patel recommends genuinely engaging with the people you meet, maybe preparing talking points, and trying to make a lasting impression.
With the job offer being made, Dr. Cuesta advises you to “ask for what you will need to be successful.” He assures that negotiating offers can be an awkward process, but it is necessary to set yourself up for success. His tips include leveraging competing offers, getting all the negotiated items in writing, and researching the typical salaries and startup packages. Setting up your lab can be challenging, and before joining a department, Dr. Martinez Zamudio recommends you have a list of equipment in mind/ordered, a project that can be quickly started, and an idea of what staff you want to have in the lab. Once these things are secured, you can breathe more easily.
Applying to research-intensive faculty positions can be a daunting task. The tips and tricks provided by the panelists serve as a wonderful starting point in one's application journey. In addition to focusing on preparing the application, the panelists encourage the audience to consider these key tips after obtaining a research-intensive faculty position:
- Think wisely about whom you are recruiting to the lab.
- Consider recruiting a skillful laboratory technician.
- Think of ways to balancing other responsibilities, such as teaching, with being a mentor.
This article was edited by Senior Editor Joycelyn Radeny.