"pathway to an independent academic research career"

Career Fair, Feb 9, 2006

James J. Tomasek, Ph.DDean, Graduate College

Presidential Professor of Cell Biology

Pathway to an Independent Academic Research Career

In an Era of Scientific Opportunity, Are There Opportunities for Biomedical Scientists?

Howard H. Garrison, Susan A. Gerbi and Paul W. KincadeFASEB Journal, 17:2169, 2003

Careers in Immunology: The New RealityHoward H. Garrison and Paul W. Kincade

Nature Immunology, 2:5, 2001

AKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Dr. Paul W. Kincade, Ph.D. Member and Program Head,

Immunobiology and Cancer Research ProgramOklahoma Medical Research Foundation

B.S. Postdoc.M.S. P.I.

M.D.

Ph.D.

Teacher

Industry

Staff ScientistP.M.S.

Administrator

Training Pipelines

Government

Source: Bridges to Independence, 2005

Some Career Paths

0.0

1.0

2.0

3.0

4.0

5.0

6.0

7.0

8.0

9.0

1973 1977 1981 1985 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001

Continued Low Unemployment for Ph.D.sIn Biomedical Sciences

(US citizens/perm. residents only)

Source: Survey of Earned Doctorates

Un

emp

loym

ent

Rat

e (%

)

25,000

34,800

10,100

Academic50%

Gov.14% Industry

36%

Employed Biomedical Scientists(with doctorates)

Source: NSF, SESTAT 1999

Rising Percentage of U.S. Biomedical Science Ph.D.s Employed in Industry

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Pe

rce

nt

Academe

Industry

Government

Other Sectors

Source: National Science Foundation, Survey of Doctorate Recipients

Americans Support Medical Research

U.S. should be world leader in medical and health research. 60%

Medical and health research is important to the economy. 90%

Believe government pays for most of the medical research. 59%

In favor of doubling national spending on science and engineering. 64%

Basic science research is necessary. 80%

Congress should encourage industry to conduct more medical research. 73%

Source: Research America Poll, 2004

Congressional Appropriations to NIHM

illi

on

s o

f C

on

stan

t 20

02 D

oll

ars

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

Average Annual Growth: 7.2% for last 20 years 7.3% for last 10 years 10.8% for last 5 years

27.528.028.529.029.530.030.531.031.532.0

1970

1973

1976

1979

1982

1985

1988

1991

1994

1997

Age of Ph.D. Recipients

Note: The average age of postdocs is now 35

Med

ian

Ag

e

0.00

1.00

2.00

3.00

4.00

5.00

6.00

7.00

8.00

Time to Biomedical Ph.D.(graduate school)

Non-US

Citizen or Perm. Resident

Source: Survey of Earned Doctorates

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

1972

1974

1976

1978

1980

1982

1984

1986

1988

1990

1992

1994

1996

1998

2000

Biomedical Science Ph.D.s Awarded to Non-US Citizens and Non-Permanent

Residents

Total

Non-US

Source: Survey of Earned Doctorates

What about a postdoc?

•The appointee was recently awarded a Ph.D. or equivalent doctorate (e.g.,Sc.D., M.D.) in an appropriate field; and

•the appointment is temporary; and

•the appointment involves substantially full-time research or scholarship; and

•the appointment is viewed as preparatory for a full-time academic and/or research career; and

•the appointment is not part of a clinical training program, unless research training under the supervision of a senior mentor is a primary purpose of the appointment; and

•the appointee works under the supervision of a senior scholar or a department in a university or similar research institution (e.g., national laboratory, NIH, etc.); and

•the appointee has the freedom, and is expected, to publish the results of his or her research or scholarship during the period of the appointment.

FASEB Postdoc Definition

Some Important Features of theTraining Environment

Stipends & benefits.

Reasonable training period.

Independent fellowship support.

Respect from mentors and faculty.

Freedom to innovate and grow.

Chance at an “academic” position.

STABILITY.

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

1977

1979

1981

1983

1985

1987

1989

1991

1993

1995

1997

1999

2001

Numbers of US Postdocs in Biological ScienceHave Been Stable for Some Time

Citizens & Perm. Residents

Temporary Residents

SOURCE: NSF WebCASPAR

Sources of Support for Postdocs

Source: Bridges to Independence, 2005

Individual NRSA Application Individual NRSA Application TrendsTrends

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

F32s

F31s

2419

2153*

1558

442

1131*

Fiscal YearFiscal Year

729

1949

972

*As of March 1, 2004*As of March 1, 2004

21461984

19101691

508 503 551698

Nu

mb

er o

f A

pp

licat

ion

s R

evie

wed

Nu

mb

er o

f A

pp

licat

ion

s R

evie

wed

F31s are predoctoral & F32s are postdoctoral.

NRSA Minimum Stipend Levels for Postdoctoral Research Fellows

(0 Years if Experience)

1998 $ 21,0001999 $ 26,2562000 $ 26,9162001 $ 28,2602002 $ 31,0922003 $ 34,2002004 $ 35,5682005 $ 35,5682006 $ 35,996

How To Find and Select a Post-Doc

• Start early in your doctoral program thinking about a post-doc

• Present research at scientific meetings• Network!!• Do not be afraid to ask if interested in having a

post-doc• Large versus small lab• Go to posters at meetings of post-docs/graduate

students• Publications of lab

Individual Development Plan for Postdoctoral Fellows

Individual Development Plans (IDPs) provide a planning process that identifies both professional development needs and career objectives. Furthermore, IDPs serve as a communication tool between individuals and their mentors. While IDPs have been incorporated into performance review processes in many organizations, they have been used much less frequently in the mentoring of postdoctoral fellows. An IDP can be considered one component of a broader mentoring program that needs to be instituted by all types of research institutions. 

Source: FASEB.org web site.

NIH Pathway to Independence Award

• An award program that provides 2 years of mentored research support (post-doc)

• An additional 3 years of transition support from the mentored phase to the independent phase as part of "an ongoing NIH effort to support new scientists as they transition to research independence"

• NIH plans to issue between 150-200 awards for this program in its initial year

Finding a Tenure-track Academic Research Position

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

1973 1975 1977 1979 1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999

Full & Associate Professors

Assist. Professors & Instructors

Other Full TimePostdocs

Ph.D. Academic Appointments

Science & Engineering Indicators - 2002

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

Nu

mb

er

Tenured

Other Academic Positions

Academic Postdoc

Tenure-Track

Source: National Science Foundation, Survey of Doctorate Recipients

No Growth in Tenured or Tenure-track PositionsHeld by U.S. Biomedical Science Ph.D.s

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

1973 1975 1977 1979 1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999

Age Distribution of Full Time Academic Faculty

< 35

35-44

45-54

55-64 + 65

Science & Engineering Indicators - 2002

Cu

mu

lati

ve %

Biomedical Science Ph.D.s in Tenured or Tenure-Track Faculty Positions

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

1981 1985 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001

Pe

rce

nta

ge

5-6 Year Cohort - US Citizens/Perm Res. SOURCE: Survey of Doctorate Recipients

A function of: competition from foreign trainees? no growth in tenured faculty? changing employment practices?

What are the prospects of funding for new investigators?

Young Investigators Have the Best Success Rates

Source: Bridges to Independence, 2005

Norka Ruiz Bravo, Ph.D., Deputy Director for Extramural Research, NIH

At the Helm. A Laboratory NavigatorK. Barker. Cold Spring Harbor Press, 2002.

Academic Scientists at Work. Navigating the Biomedical Research Career.

J.M. Boss and S.H. Eckert, Plenum Publishers, 2003.

Making the Right Moves. A Practical Guide to Scientific Management for Postdocs and New

Facultyhttp://www.hhmi.org

Resources for trainees and new investigators