POSTDOCTORAL TRAINING PROGRAM

1
POSTDOCTORAL TRAINING PROGRAM

• MEDICAL SCHOOL STRATEGIC PLANNING RETREAT

2
POSTDOCTORAL TRAINING PROGRAMS PLANNING COMMITTEE

• Committee Chair Joe Lipsick (Pathology)
• Committee Members
• Linda Boxer (Medicine)
• Karen Christopherson (Postdoc, Dev Biology)
• Michael Cowan (Deans Office)
• Uta Francke (Genetics)
• Mark Kay (Pediatrics)
• Liqun Luo (Biological Sciences)
• Jody Puglisi (Structural Biology)
• Marci Schaner (Postdoc, Medicine)
• Anne Villeneuve (Developmental Biology)

3
POSTDOCTORAL TRAINING PROGRAMS BACKGROUND DATA
Postdoctoral Scholars at Stanford 1350
4
POSTDOCTORAL TRAINING PROGRAMS BACKGROUND DATA
Individual faculty attract and train outstanding
Postdoctoral Scholars
So, what is there to fix?

• The unseen engine driving research in the School
  of Medicine
• Responsibility of individual Faculty (not the
  Institution per se)
• Increasing number of Postdoctoral Scholars
  versus constraints

• Recognition and representation
• Livable compensation and housing
• Emerging opportunities and directions
• Job market is changing

5
POSTDOCTORAL TRAINING PROGRAMS BACKGROUND DATA
Annual Support Research grants (salary) 17,
871, 292 Benefits 2, 073,
070 Fellowships 10, 524, 729 Agency
fellowships 4, 169, 324 Mixed funding 6,
707, 819 TOTAL 41, 346, 234
1,014 (74 SU Total) U.S.
citizens 461 (45)
Foreign nationals 553 (55)

Age Ranges 25-29 167 (16)
30-34 505 (50)
34 339 (33)

Family Life Married 474 (47) with
Children 168 (17)
Research Pt. Care
Total Basic Sci. Depts 277 2
279 Clinical Depts 528 207
735 TOTAL 805 209 1014
6
POSTDOCTORAL TRAINING PROGRAMS BACKGROUND DATA
Postdoc Issues are National not just Local
NAS-COSEPUP Report (2000) used as guide by
Provosts Committee and Medical School Committee
at Stanford
7
POSTDOCTORAL TRAINING PROGRAMS BACKGROUND DATA

• Principles from COSEPUP Report
• Postdoctoral experience is an apprenticeship for
  career development, not a cheap pair of hands
  in the lab.
• Postdocs deserve appropriate recognition and
  compensation for their contributions to the
  research enterprise.
• Nature and purpose of postdoctoral appointments
  should be well-defined at the postdoc, advisor,
  and institutional levels.

8
POSTDOCTORAL TRAINING PROGRAMS BACKGROUND DATA

• Recommendations from COSEPUP Report
• Institutional recognition and compensation of
  postdocs should reflect their contributions to
  the research enterprise.
• Monitor progress and provide formal annual
  evaluations.
• Ensure all postdocs have access to health
  insurance.
• Set limits for total time of postdoc training
  (five years, summing time at all
  institutions).
• Involve postdocs in process of setting
  institutional policies.
• Provide substantial guidance in career planning.
• Establish a separate office of postdoctoral
  affairs.
• Encourage and financially support a postdoc
  organization.
• Institutions should not encourage unlimited
  growth of postdoc population in the face of
  limited employment opportunities.

9
POSTDOCTORAL TRAINING PROGRAMS BACKGROUND DATA

• Progress on Postdoc Issues at Stanford
• Postdoc pay levels have increased significantly
• All postdocs covered by health insurance
• Benefits now include paid disability/life and
  voluntary dental
• Postdocs develop SUPD organization funded by SoM
  (1998)
• Provost appoints University Committee on
  Postdocs (1999)
• Appointment of Associate Dean for Postdoctoral
  Scholars (2000)
• Tuition no longer charged at 920/qtr as taxable
  income (2000)
• Postdoc representation on Univ. Committee on
  Research (2001)
• Senior Assoc Dean appoints SoM Committee on
  Postdocs (2001)
• Grievance procedures for postdocs adopted by
  Provost (2001)

10
POSTDOCTORAL TRAINING PROGRAMS BACKGROUND DATA
Housing Issues are VERY Local
Median Postdoc Salary 36,000 Recommended
30 Max for Housing 11,000 Rent for local one
bedroom apt 1,800/mo x 12 21,600
You do the math...
11
POSTDOCTORAL TRAINING PROGRAMS
MEDICAL SCHOOL MISSION A premier
research-intensive school of medicine that
improves health in the 21st century through our
discoveries, leadership and innovation in
education, patient care, and biomedical and
clinical research
POSTDOCTORAL TRAINING MISSION We facilitate
the development of postdoctoral scholars into
independent scientists
12
POSTDOCTORAL TRAINING PROGRAMS STRATEGIC
INITIATIVES
STRENGTHS SoM and University-wide research
environment and facilities Cross-disciplinary
translational research opportunities
GOAL Environment Ensure that the intellectual,
research, and work-life environments at Stanford
attract the highest quality postdoctoral scholars
who are broadly representative of all economic
and ethnic groups
WEAKNESSES/THREATS Lack of available /
affordable housing Lack of available / affordable
childcare National budget / funding priorities
for research Visa process changes Increasing
disparities between academic and industry
compensation
OPPORTUNITIES New programs resulting from Bio-X
and other initiatives
13
POSTDOCTORAL TRAINING PROGRAMS STRATEGIC
INITIATIVES

• INITIATIVES
• Environment
• Develop and achieve an institutional standard for
  total compensation through
• more affordable housing
• equitable compensation
• improved benefits package
• improved childcare programs
• Develop outreach and mentorship programs to
  establish Stanford as a national leader in
  postdoctoral training of under-represented
  minorities.

GOAL Environment Ensure that the intellectual,
research, and work-life environments at Stanford
attract the highest quality postdoctoral scholars
who are broadly representative of all economic
and ethnic groups
14
POSTDOCTORAL TRAINING PROGRAMS STRATEGIC
INITIATIVES
STRENGTHS Overall high quality of postdoctoral
population
GOAL Identity Recognize the contribution
of postdoctoral scholars to the success of the
Universitys research and teaching.
WEAKNESSES/THREATS The ambiguous status of
postdoctoral scholars in the University PI
and Departmental variability of postdoctoral
experience
OPPORTUNITIES Access of postdoc alumni for
training and development programs
15
POSTDOCTORAL TRAINING PROGRAMS STRATEGIC
INITIATIVES

• INITIATIVES
• Identity
• Develop a single designation for postdoctoral
  scholars at the University level.

GOAL Identity Recognize the contribution
of postdoctoral scholars to the success of the
Universitys research and teaching.
16
POSTDOCTORAL TRAINING PROGRAMS STRATEGIC
INITIATIVES
STRENGTHS Relative small sizes of faculty-based
research programs
GOAL Mentoring and advancement Provide
postdoctoral scholars with an appropriate balance
of freedom and support.
WEAKNESSES/THREATS Individual isolation Inconsist
ent mentorship
OPPORTUNITIES New programs resulting from Bio-X
and other initiatives
17
POSTDOCTORAL TRAINING PROGRAMS STRATEGIC
INITIATIVES

• INITIATIVES
• Mentoring and advancement
• Use COSEPUP guidelines for faculty mentoring of
  postdoctoral scholars
• Provide added support for training and
  educational opportunities by strengthening the
  Office of Postdoctoral Affairs.

GOAL Mentoring and advancement Provide
postdoctoral scholars with an appropriate balance
of freedom and support.
18
POSTDOCTORAL TRAINING PROGRAMS STRATEGIC
INITIATIVES
STRENGTHS Faculty connections with local
industry Employment opportunities in the area
GOAL Career Provide support for postdoctoral
scholars to pursue the career paths of their
choice.
WEAKNESSES/THREATS Inconsistent career
counseling National budget / funding for
basic research Local economy
OPPORTUNITIES Links to biotech / industry Access
to postdoc alumni for training and
development programs New programs (Bio-X)
19
POSTDOCTORAL TRAINING PROGRAMS STRATEGIC
INITIATIVES

• INITIATIVES
• Career
• Develop a professionally staffed Career Center
  together with the Office of Graduate Education.

GOAL Career Provide support for postdoctoral
scholars to pursue the career paths of their
choice.
20
POSTDOCTORAL TRAINING PROGRAMS RETREAT
INITIATIVES

• Develop and achieve an institutional standard
  fortotal compensation for postdoctoral
  scholars (including salary and stipends,
  benefits, housing programs, childcare programs)

• Develop a professionally staffed Career Center
  together with the Office of Graduate Education.

21
POSTDOCTORAL TRAINING PROGRAMS PRIORITIZED
INITIATIVES

• Develop and achieve an institutional standard
  fortotal compensation for postdoctoral
  scholars (including salary and stipends,
  benefits, housing programs, childcare programs)
  by
• Increasing the inventory of affordable Stanford
  housing available to postdoctoral scholars and/or
  housing subsidies.
• Developing a more comprehensive benefits package
  for postdoctoral scholars.
• Developing enhanced childcare programs that
  address the economic and work schedule
  constraints of postdocs.
• Developing an equitable compensation program.
• Develop a professionally staffed Career Center
  together with the Office of Graduate Education.

22
POSTDOCTORAL TRAINING PROGRAMS PRIORITIZED
INITIATIVES

• RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMMEDIATE ACTION
• Increase minimum annual salary for postdoctoral
  scholars in the School of Medicine to 35,000 or
  the NIH scale, whichever is greater.

Note Stanford minimum will be raised to
36,000 in two years (Fall 2003).
23
POSTDOCTORAL TRAINING PROGRAMS PRIORITIZED
INITIATIVES

• RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMMEDIATE ACTION
• Increase minimum annual salary for postdoctoral
  scholars in the School of Medicine to 35,000 or
  the NIH scale, whichever is greater.
• Address duration of postdoctoral training
• 5 years post degree, summing all institutions
  (COSEPUP)
• 3 1 years post degree at Stanford?
• 4 1 years post degree at Stanford?
• Eliminate the use of volunteer or
  self-employed postdoctoral scholars in the
  School of Medicine.
• Work with the Provost to build as much
  postdoc/resident housing on campus as
  possible(420 units at Quarry site versus
  population of 1800).