phd postdoc professor

PhD, Professor, and Postdoc Salaries in the United States

The United States is home to several of the world’s best universities making it a top destination for international researchers. Here’s a breakdown of the most common American job titles and their associated average annual salaries. All salary statistics in this article are in American Dollars (USD) and are pre-tax.

PhD Student

A Master’s degree is not always required to do a PhD in the US. Several top universities offer direct entry PhD programs. An American PhD begins with two to three years of coursework in order to pass qualifying exams. During this time doctoral students are able to develop their research interests and hone in on their thesis topic. They will then write a thesis proposal which must be approved before they can start their dissertation. Most programs require PhD students to gain two to three years of teaching experience as well, either by leading their own class or as teaching assistants for a professor. It takes an average of six years to earn a PhD in the US.

Unlike some European countries, there is no mandated minimum salary or national salary scale for PhD students in the US. PhD students ear n between $ 15,000 and $30,000 a year depending on their institution, field of study, and location. This stipend can be tax-free (if it is a fellowship award) or taxable (if it is a salary e.g from a teaching position). American PhD students are usually only paid for nine months of the year but many programs offer summer funding opportunities. A PhD funding package will also include a full or partial tuition waiver.

After earning a PhD, many researchers go on to a postdoc. A postdoc is a continuation of the researcher’s training that allows them to further specialize in a particular field and learn new techniques. Postdoc positions are usually two to three years and it is not unusual to do more than one postdoc. There is no limit on the number of years you can be a postdoc in the US. The average salary (2023 ) for postdocs in the US is $61,143 per year.

A lecturer is a non-tenure-track teaching position. They often have a higher teaching load than tenure track-faculty and no research obligations. These positions are more common in the humanities or as foreign language instructors. Lecturers hold advanced degrees, though not always PhDs. The average salary for a full time lecturer in 2021-2022 according to the American Association of University Professors was $69,499.

Assistant Professor

This is the start of the tenure track. An assistant professor is responsible for teaching, research, and service to the institution (committee membership). Assistant professors typically teach two to four courses per semester while also supervising graduate students. They are also expected to be active researchers and publish books, monographs, papers, and journal articles to meet their tenure requirements. The average salary for assistant professors in 2021-2022 was $85,063 according to the American Association of University Professors . 

Associate Professor

An assistant professor who has been granted tenure is then promoted to an associate professor. An associate professor often has a national reputation and is involved in service activities beyond their university. The average salary for associate professors in 2021-2022 was $97,734 according to the American Association of University Professors . 

This is the final destination of the tenure track. Five to seven years after receiving tenure, associate professors go through another review. If they are successful, they are promoted to the rank of professor (sometimes called full professor). Professors usually have a record of accomplishment that has established them as an international or national leader in their field. The average salary for professors in 2021-2022 according to the American Association of University Professors was $143,823. 

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PhDs/Postdocs

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• Postdocs: The Definitive Guide
• After a PhD

As soon as you step outside the world of academia, the number of people who know what a postdoctorate is, what they involve and how to secure one quickly plummets. Given that a postdoctorate can be a popular option, especially for Science and Technology-related PhD graduates, it’s essential to address this current gap in knowledge.

What Is a Postdoc?

A postdoc is only one of many paths you can take after having completed your PhD. A postdoc (also referred to as a postdoc or postdoctoral) can be best thought as a temporary position designed to refine your research and teaching skills while undertaking practical research work. Because of this, most regard a postdoc position as a temporary stepping stone for developing a career in a more permanent position.

There’s a common misconception that a postdoctorate is an advanced doctoral degree that is undertaken after having completed a PhD. This misconception arises from individuals associating the word “post” in “postdoctorate” with the word “after”. While you will learn a lot during your time in a postdoc position, it is nothing like a degree. There are no fees, coursework, exams or vivas to deliver (thankfully!). A postdoc is, in fact, a job, and as someone in a postdoc position, you will be considered an ‘employee’. And just like any other job, the position will come with its own salary, responsibilities, training and employers.

Most postdocs are awarded by universities or research institutes as temporary contracts. However, they can also be undertaken in private companies, non-profit charities or government bodies.

What Is The Purpose Of A Postdoc?

As mentioned above, the primary purpose of a postdoc is to help bridge the gap between your current skills and your current level of experience. Due to this, postdoctoral positions are popular amongst those who have recently obtained their PhD. This is especially true for individuals who which to pursue a career in academia or research but don’t yet have adequate experience in teaching or publishing.

For the ‘learning’ nature of this role, postdocs provide an excellent option for those to continue their self-development while pursuing research in a field they’re interested in.

What Does a Postdoc Do?

A postdoc works under the supervision of an experienced researcher known as a postdoctoral advisor. What you will do on a day-to-day basis will, therefore, depend on what they require support on at any given time.

While your responsibilities will depend on your postdoctoral advisor, you can expect the following duties as part of your role:

• Contribute to the supervision of PhD students who are undertaking research projects in a closely related field.
• Supporting the research team in managerial tasks related to planning, organisation and administration.
• Undertake research, including but not limited to: qualitative data collection, data analysis and data and lab management.
• Contribute to the production, review and dissemination of academic and non-academic writing, including publications.

Your responsibilities will also depend on who your postdoc position is with. Positions offered by universities will often place a high emphasis on the academic aspects of the role. This involves aspects such as working more independently, developing your supervisory and teaching capabilities, and improving your communication skills through participation in seminars and conferences. In doing so, they’re helping you to become an individual capable of both conducting research and transferring knowledge – in other words, a university lecturer!

The opposite is true for postdoc positions held in industry, such as a private organisation or government body. As you can expect, these roles will place almost all of its emphasis on conducting research and advancing projects forward, with little focus on anything that falls outside of this.

How Long Should I Be A Postdoc For?

There is no set rule for how long you should remain in a postdoc position. Regardless of this, most individuals stay within a postdoc position for between 2 to 4 years. During this period, it’s not uncommon to move between one or two postdoc positions, with one position being abroad for a more rounded experience.

The time you may choose to spend in a given postdoctoral position will depend on several factors. The most influential of these will be:

• The size of the research project’s scope,
• The support needs of the principal investigator/postdoc advisor,
• The amount of funding available.

Although you could undertake a postdoctorate for a year or less, most will advise against this. This is simply because you will likely not have enough time to gain valuable experience associated with producing publications, writing research grant proposals and speaking at conferences. Although it may be possible to complete these within a single year, most researchers will opt for a minimum of two years for a single position. This will provide them with ample opportunity to contribute a significant amount to a project, publish a handful of papers and attend several conferences. On top of this, it will allow you to develop a deeper relationship with the students you help teach or supervise. This will prove invaluable experience should you plan on becoming a university lecturer .

How Are Postdoc Positions Funded?

Postdocs are usually funded in one of three ways:

• The postdoc secures the funding themselves . This can be achieved in several ways, with the most common being applying to opportunities put out by government, research or charity bodies. Examples of these opportunities include the  NWO Talent Programme Veni  and the  Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship . Securing funding under any of these schemes will provide you with a ‘stipend’ (which acts as your salary), and ‘’research funds’ for enabling the project. It’s worth noting that if you secure funding in this way, you won’t typically be restricted to any one university. Although when applying to these opportunities you’ll be required to indicate where you intended to undertake your research, if successful, you can take your funding and associated research project to any university or research institution of your choice.
• A Principal Investigator (PI) secures a research grant  for a project, part of which will go towards hiring one or more postdoctoral assistants. In these scenarios, the university will employ you to work on the project they gained funding for.
• A research body hires postdoctoral assistants irrespective of any new funding . In these scenarios, the researching body, who could be anyone from universities to research centres, charities and private organisations, may put aside their own funds to secure a postdoc assistant as a regular salaried employee.

What is the Average Postdoc Salary?

It goes without saying that the average salary for a postdoc will vary from role to role, with factors such as your country, your employer and your level of experience being influential factors.

If working as a university employee, your salary as a postdoc will be determined via a set pay scale known as the “ HE single pay spine “. Under this pay spine, a postdoc can expect to earn an average of £31,000 per year, though, in reality, a postdoc’s salary can range between £29,000 to £34,800.

On the other hand, the stipend (which will act as your postdoc salary) associated with the funding you have secured yourself will directly depend on the opportunity you acquire. Because of the wide range of possibilities, your potential stipend can vary considerably. As well as having a high variance, they also tend to have a higher ceiling compared to the salaries associated with a PI’s research grant or a research body’s employment. For example, the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship can be worth over £50,000 per year. However, these types of fellowships are not only highly competitive but are also not an entirely fair comparison to postdoc assistant roles. This is due to the fact that a research fellow will be expected to have a greater amount of experience and to assume a higher level of responsibility than a regular postdoctoral researcher.

In case you’re thinking of working abroad, it would be useful to know that the median salary of a postdoctoral researcher in the United States is approximately $42,000 (£33,000 at the time of writing) per year.

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National Academy of Sciences (US), National Academy of Engineering (US), Institute of Medicine (US), Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy. Enhancing the Postdoctoral Experience for Scientists and Engineers: A Guide for Postdoctoral Scholars, Advisers, Institutions, Funding Organizations, and Disciplinary Societies. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2000.

Enhancing the Postdoctoral Experience for Scientists and Engineers: A Guide for Postdoctoral Scholars, Advisers, Institutions, Funding Organizations, and Disciplinary Societies.

• Hardcopy Version at National Academies Press

1 Postdoctoral Scholars in US Institutions

Since the 1960s, the performance of research in the United States has relied more and more on graduate scientists and engineers who have recently earned a PhD or equivalent doctorate and are pursuing further education and training in their field or learning a new specialty. These postdoctoral scholars, or postdocs, work on a full-time but temporary basis for one or more years to gain additional research experience in preparation for a professional research career. Figure 1-1 1 shows that the vast majority of all postdocs who received doctorates at US institutions work in universities (approximately 80 percent), with smaller percentages working in government (13 percent) and industry (7 percent). The number of postdoctoral scholars has increased in all sectors since 1981. Within academia (see Table 1-1 ) 272 institutions have postdocs, with the largest number concentrated at the research-intensive institutions.

• Population growth

The roots of the postdoctoral phenomenon reach back just over a century to the 1870s, when high-level apprenticeships became part of the new European-modeled research institution. Johns Hopkins University adopted the apprenticeship model shortly after its founding in 1876, and in the 1920s the Rockefeller Foundation established formal postdoctoral fellowships in physical science, recognizing that physics had become too complex to learn within the time limits of traditional programs.

The hiring of postdocs grew only modestly during the first half of the twentieth century. The first period of rapid growth began in the late 1950s, when the Cold War stimulated federal spending and a sudden demand for scientists and engineers. PhDs awarded in science and engineering approximately tripled from 1960–1970. 2 Increasingly, those completing graduate school (20–30 percent in most sciences, 50 percent in biomedicine) took postdoc positions to broaden or deepen their experience before moving to faculty or other research career opportunities. The nation’s laboratories began to count on this new corps of skilled, low-cost apprentices to increase the productivity and quality of research.

Total Number of Postdoctoral Appointments in the Life Sciences, Engineering, Physics, Chemistry, and the Social/Behavioral Sciences, by Sector, 1981–1997. Source: 1981, 1985, 1989, 1993, and 1997 Survey of Doctorate Recipients.

By the end of that decade growth had slowed. In the early 1970s the baby boom cohort passed through the system, recession came, and the government reduced support of graduate fellowships quite abruptly. 3 The smaller pool of graduate students left laboratories short-handed and, partly as a response, the number of non-US graduate students increased.

Top 25 Academic Institutions with the Largest Total Number of Postdoctoral Appointments in 1998.

• A changing pattern

By the late 1970s, the pattern of postdoctoral behavior began to change. Numbers of postdocs increased as PhD labor markets weakened. The time spent as postdocs began to lengthen, suggesting difficulty in finding jobs. A substantial number of those receiving PhDs reported that they became postdocs because they had few other options. 4

Employment conditions improved somewhat in the mid- and late 1980s, but the recession of the early 1990s brought longer-lasting sluggishness and caution in university hiring. 5 With limited permanent job prospects, the population of postdocs reached unprecedented size 6 and postdoctoral terms lengthened. 7 Meanwhile the number of non-US graduate students and new PhDs in science and engineering leveled off in the early 1990s having grown for many years.

Postdoctoral Appointees in Academic Institutions by Broad Fields, 1980–1998. Source: Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering, 1980–1998.

Overall, the most significant growth in the postdoctoral population has taken place in the last 15 years ( Figure 1-1 ). According to data gathered by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the number of postdocs in university departments of science and engineering more than doubled between 1981 and 1998, rising from approximately 18,000 to 39,000 (see Figure 1-2 ). A figure for the exact population of science and engineering postdocs across all sectors (including government and the private sector) is not available, but it is estimated to be approximately 52,000. 8 Slightly more than half of these postdocs are non-US citizens.

It is difficult to predict whether this upward trend will continue. Figure 1-3 provides a history of the number of doctorates who are planning postdoctoral study compared to the total number of doctorates for the three fields that account for most of the postdocs in science and engineering: biological science, chemistry, and physics/astronomy. Interestingly, the proportion of doctorates planning postdoctoral study was roughly constant from 1975–1994. However, beginning around 1994 the trends were no longer parallel, as a declining number of recent US doctorates have been planning postdoctoral study in the three fields examined.

Number of Doctorates and the Number Planning Postdoctoral Study, 1975–1998, by Field. Source: 1975–1998 Survey of Earned Doctorates.

Postgraduation Plans of Science and Engineering Doctorates at the Time They Received Their Degree, 1998. Source: 1998 Survey of Earned Doctorates.

• The importance of postdocs to research

As a whole, the postdoctoral population has become indispensable to the science and engineering enterprise, performing a substantial portion of the nation’s research in every setting. For example, a survey of research articles in two recent issues of Science found that 43 percent of the first authors were postdocs. 9 In many labs, postdocs also educate, train, and supervise junior members, help write grant proposals and papers, and present the laboratory’s research results at professional society meetings. More than 15 universities have postdoctoral populations that exceed 500 (see Table 1-1 ).

Postdoctoral experiences are increasingly seen as central to careers in research. As illustrated in Figure 1-4 , about 40 percent of the 1998 doctorates that plan to remain in the US will enter postdoctoral study rather than regular employment. A postdoctoral appointment is a virtual prerequisite for those wishing to carry out long-term, independent research in the life sciences, physics, chemistry, and a growing number of other fields. 10 In addition, postdocs with experience in non-research settings (e.g., AAAS Congressional fellowships, National Academies internships) can substantially enhance their potential for employment in government and non-governmental organizations.

Median Number of Years Spent in Postdoctorate Appointment for Doctorates in the 1989–1991 Year Cohort, by Degree Field and Citizenship at Time of Degree. Source: 1997 Survey of Doctorate Recipients.

• Postdoctoral terms

COSEPUP Survey Results How Is the Duration of a Postdoctoral Appointment Determined?

Responses to this question were divided fairly evenly. The largest number (58 percent) reported that the duration of an appointment may be determined primarily by the adviser at any time during the appointment. Almost as many (55 percent) reported that duration is determined primarily by the source of funding and/or funding availability. Some 45 percent reported that duration is determined before a postdoc’s arrival.

Many institutions reported firm limits on postdoctoral terms (typically 3, 4, or 5 years). Others allowed for extensions “in special cases,” which sometimes required the approval of an administration officer. Other policies were 1) to appoint post-docs for a year at a time, with renewal depending on funding and performance, and 2) to allow the length of training to vary by field and source of funding, with no suggested limit.

• Multiple postdoctoral positions

In some fields, such as neuroscience, genetics, and epidemiology, more than one postdoctoral position may be useful to gain multidisciplinary expertise. In other fields, a tight job market forces some researchers to complete two or even three postdoctoral appointments while they hunt for jobs. In some cases, multiple postdoctoral appointments may bring many years of low compensation and a lack of security and stability that is demoralizing and stressful. This is of special concern for postdocs with families. In other cases, researchers may continue beyond their postdoctoral term to spend their careers in successive soft-money positions they find challenging and rewarding.

• Unmet expectations

By design, the experience of postdocs should be professionally productive and career enhancing. For many of them, however, the experience falls short of expectations. They often fail to achieve the recognition, standing, or compensation that is commensurate with their experience and skills (See Table 1-2 for salary comparisons). It is not uncommon for postdocs to hold uncertain standing in the institutions where they work, to receive inadequate mentoring or technical supervision and, in some fields, to accept stipends and benefits substantially below those of their professional peers in academia, government, or industry, as well as below those of non-PhD technicians. Some researchers continue to be categorized as “postdocs” for a decade or more after completing their doctorate.

Comparison of Postdoc Annual Median Earnings with Other Populations, 1997–1998.

Many postdocs voice frustration at not finding the kinds of positions they anticipated—notably, academic positions—when they began their many years of graduate and postdoctoral education. According to the Survey of Doctoral Recipients, the opportunities for doctorates and postdoctorates to move into faculty positions have decreased significantly since 1987 (see Figure 1-6 for the ratio of tenured faculty positions to number of doctorates). A substantial minority of postdocs in all fields reported difficulty in finding the jobs they wanted, and that the reason for taking a first postdoctoral appointment was that “other employment was not available” (see Figure 1-7 ). The NRC’s Trends report on the life sciences noted a 42 percent increase in PhD production between 1987 and 1996 that “was not accompanied by a parallel increase in employment opportunities.” 12 The report stated that many recent graduates who are unable to find full-time positions use the postdoctoral experience as a “holding pattern.” 13

Similarly, an on-line survey of Baylor University School of Medicine’s post-docs in 1997 indicated that 34 percent had prolonged their terms because of difficulty in finding other employment; only 6 percent reported a “permanent career position that will start in the next 12 months.” 14

• Variations by field and sector

It is difficult, however, to draw broad conclusions about postdoctoral experiences, which vary widely by field and by sector. In some fields, such as computer science and engineering, there is relatively little incentive to pursue a postdoc—or even a PhD—because rewarding jobs are available at the bachelor’s and master’s levels. In other fields, such as biology and physics, a postdoc is virtually mandatory, especially for academic employment. Some postdocs, especially in government or industrial laboratories, are paid better than some junior faculty. Stipends for academic postdocs, however, especially in the life sciences and chemistry, may be $15,000 to $20,000 lower than for government or industry postdocs ( Figure 1-8 ). Even within a single discipline, experiences differ across advisers, programs, employment sectors, and geographic regions.

At its focus groups and workshop discussions, COSEPUP heard lively debates on the quality of the postdoc experience (see Appendixes ). There was little disagreement about the potential value of research activities—almost all discussants agreed that the postdoctoral period can be one of the most professionally rewarding of their lives. The debate focused instead on institutional standing, compensation, benefits, and other issues, which cause many postdocs to question the value of the experience. As some indicated, the lost-opportunity costs of forsaking other employment begin to outweigh the benefits of an otherwise fulfilling experience.

Ratio of the Number of Tenured Faculty to the Number of New Doctorates Awarded in 1987 and 1997. Source: 1987 and 1997 Survey of Doctorate Recipients.

Reasons for Taking First Postdoctoral Appointment, by Field of Doctorate, 1997. Source: Survey of Doctorate Recipients, 1997.

Median Salaries in 1997 for Doctorates in the Six-Year PhD Cohort, 1991–1996, by Field, Sector, and Type of Appointment. Source: 1997 Survey of Doctorate Recipients. Note: Non-faculty researchers are full-time academic personnel who do not have (more...)

Some postdoc advisers and representatives of funding organizations indicated that the low compensation received by many postdocs is justified because it is offset by the benefits of supervised education and training. 15 Some postdocs, however, stated that they are regarded primarily as a “skilled pair of hands” that support the work of the principal investigator (PI), rather than as junior colleagues who only require further education and training to move toward their own research independence.

• Increasing age

Issues of standing and compensation are exacerbated by the increasing age of the postdoctoral population. Today’s junior scientists and engineers take longer to complete their doctorates (the average PhD recipient in the life sciences is 32 years old), 16 and many then take two or even three postdoctoral positions. In the Baylor survey, 67 percent of respondents were over age 30 and 21 percent were over age 35; 46 percent had children. The NSF reports a similar picture among the postdocs it funds (see further discussion in Chapter 2 ). Although many postdocs have families that include children, few institutions or funding organizations provide family health insurance, child care, or other family benefits received by others of similar professional stature. The same is true of their salary ( Table 1-2 ).

• A debate over responsibility

Another debate that emerged during focus groups concerned whether the host institution or the funding organization bears the primary responsibility for providing benefits and oversight for the postdoc.

Some PI’s are reluctant to increase the salaries of their postdocs due to limited funds and the possible reduction in the number of postdocs they could fund. Even if they wish to do so, postdoc advisers indicated they face barriers from both the institution and the funding organization at the proposal acceptance stage and once funding is received. Some major funding organizations stated that institutions are directly responsible because they set salary compensation levels and receive funding (as a designated portion of each grant) from which to provide fringe benefits. Many institutions contend that funding organizations are primarily responsible, because they set the standard at which most postdocs are compensated. In particular, many universities use the scale NIH has developed for its National Research Service Award as it is the only standard available. Further, some federal funding organizations (including NIH) prohibit supplementing a fellowship from other federal grants. The postdocs themselves expressed frustration at having no role in these debates.

In this guide, COSEPUP provides information, principles, and recommendations for all involved in the postdoctoral experience with the goal of enhancing the postdoc experience while preserving the excellence of the research enterprise.

Summary Points

Since the 1960s the performance of research, especially in universities, has relied more and more on a growing population of postdoctoral scholars.

The size of the postdoctoral population has increased without a parallel increase in the number of academic faculty positions.

Postdoctoral experience is now seen as a virtual prerequisite for academic careers and many other research positions in the life sciences, physics, chemistry, and some other fields.

The postdocs themselves do not always achieve recognition, status, or compensation commensurate with their experience and skill.

Many postdocs remain in their positions for an indefinite number of years, beyond the five years or so during which they are reasonably considered trainees.

Many postdocs report frustration at not finding the employment positions they anticipated in return for their years of intensive effort.

The demographic characteristics of postdocs are changing. Many postdocs are in their middle to late 30s, with families that include children, and their medical and family support needs have increased.

The data for the figures and a detailed description of the data sources for the tables and figures in the guide can be found in Appendix B .

Fechter, A. E., and Gaddy, C. D. “Trends in Doctoral Education and Employment.” Higher Education: Handbook of Theory and Research , Vol. XIII. New York: Agathon Press, 1998.

Breneman, D. W. Graduate School Adjustments to the ‘New Depression’ in Higher Education . National Board on Graduate Education Technical Report No. 3. Washington, DC: National Academy of Sciences, 1975.

Zumeta, W. Extending the Educational Ladder: The Changing Quality and Value of Postdoctoral Study . Lexington, MA: D. C. Heath/Lexington Books, 1985.

Zumeta, W. “State Higher Education Finance and Policy Developments: 1997.” The NEA 1998 Almanac of Higher Education . Washington, DC: National Education Association, 1998.

Association of American Universities. Committee on Postdoctoral Education, Report and Recommendations . Washington, DC, 1998.

Regets, M. “Has the Use of Postdocs Changed?” National Science Foundation, Division of Science Resources Studies Issue Brief . NSF 99-310, 1999.

Figure 1-2 only provides information for postdoctoral scholars who received their degrees from US universities. No source of data includes all sectors that employ postdoctoral scholars regardless of where they received their degree. This is important, given the large number of postdoctoral scholars who come to the United States from other countries. However, a rough estimate can be made by comparing data from several NSF sources (see Appendix E for discussion of sources). In 1997, the last year for which sector data exists, the number of postdoctoral appointments in academic institutions was 73 percent of the total appointments across all sectors. From the 39,619 academic appointments one can infer a total population of about 52,000.

Vogel, G. Science , 1999, Vol. 285, p. 1531.

Nearly a decade ago, Steven Sample, president of the University of Southern California and chair of the Postdoctoral Education Committee of the Association of American Universities, stated that “…in an increasing number of fields, the postdoctorate is becoming the terminal credential, with the result that the PhD in those fields, while still very important, is becoming de facto an interim milestone.” See: AAU, Committee on Postdoctoral Education, Report and Recommendations , Washington, DC: March 31, 1998.

AAU, Committee on Postdoctoral Education, Report and Recommendations , 1998.

Office of Scientific and Engineering Personnel, National Research Council, Trends in the Early Careers of Life Scientists . Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1998. [ PubMed : 20845561 ]

The report states: “The frustration of young [life] scientists caught in the holding pattern is understandable. These people, most of whom are 35–40 years old, typically receive low salaries and have little job security or status within the university. Moreover, they are competing with a rapidly growing pool of highly talented young scientists—including many highly qualified foreign postdoctoral fellows—for a limited number of jobs….”

See www ​.bcm.tmc.edu/pda/reference/proposal ​.html

E.g., good supervision, depending on the postdoc’s level of experience and skill, might include guidance in planning a research program, obtaining funding, managing a lab, mentoring others, and finding a permanent position.

The NRC’s report Trends in the Early Careers of Life Scientists found that life scientists in the 1990s took two years longer to complete a doctorate than their predecessors of the 1960s and 70s.

• Cite this Page National Academy of Sciences (US), National Academy of Engineering (US), Institute of Medicine (US), Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy. Enhancing the Postdoctoral Experience for Scientists and Engineers: A Guide for Postdoctoral Scholars, Advisers, Institutions, Funding Organizations, and Disciplinary Societies. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2000. 1, Postdoctoral Scholars in US Institutions.
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What is a Postdoc? Understanding the difference between academic, industry, government and non-profit positions

A postdoc (or "post-doc," "postdoctoral," or "postdoctoral research") fellowship is a training-focused position available to people who have earned a doctorate. Postdoc positions usually act as a stepping-stone between the student experience and the full-time professional experience. For the postdoc appointee, a postdoc position offers in-depth training. For the postdoc institution or organization, a postdoc is a dedicated researcher, with specialized knowledge but flexible to explore other topics, often with lower a financial cost than a permanent employee.

The most common type of postdoc position is a research-focused position at an academic institution, but postdocs also exist in industry, government, non-profit, and other non-academic organizations. Most postdocs are focused on research, but there are also opportunities in specialized areas such as technology transfer and policy at all types of organizations.

Academic postdocs

Academic postdocs tend to be focused on research and the academic experience. A postdoc typically has a higher degree of freedom in determining the direction of their research than a Ph.D. student. Postdocs are often expected to secure grants (as lead principal investigators or collaborators) and teach courses in addition to completing research objectives and publishing results.

Some research groups may offer high-performing Ph.D. students the opportunity to stay at the same institution, even within the same research group. Treat any offer like this carefully! It is an honor to be recognized as such a benefit to the research group, but will you be able to get the training you need if you stay in the same location? Also be aware that many future employers prefer candidates who have taken risks by moving to a new area (mentally, if not physically) and have broadened their area of expertise.

Industry postdocs

Industry postdocs can vary significantly between organizations. Most have a focus on teamwork, while valuing independent thought and development. A postdoc may be viewed as a "stepping stone" position, somewhere between an entry-level position and a higher-value research position... or it could be a distinguished staff scientist position with an opportunity for higher pay. For many organizations, while the postdoc position is a one to two year contract, it can serve as a pathway to a permanent position within the organization. Many industry postdocs offer easier access to state-of-the-art facilities, whereas many academic postdocs only provide access to these facilities through collaborations with other organizations.

Government postdocs

Government postdocs have some similarities with academic and industry postdocs. Like academic positions, there is often an expectation to publish a high number of manuscripts; however, the salary offered may be higher than that of an academic postdoc. There may be fewer opportunities to write external grants, which could be a detriment to any future applications to an academic (especially tenure-track) position. Depending on the organization, there may be fewer opportunities to teach compared to an academic postdoc. Like industry postdocs, government postdocs can act as a stepping stone to a permanent position within the organization and can provide access to state-of-the-art federal facilities.

Non-profit postdocs

Non-profit postdocs can offer a less traditional option with similar benefits to academic postdocs. The focus of a non-profit postdoc can cover any topic, from food scarcity to sports management. There is likely a strong focus on grant writing and collaborative efforts, although possibly fewer opportunities to teach.

Meet some of the ORISE participants who are advancing scientific research and discovery

ORISE administers STEM education programs on behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy and other federal agencies. The diversity of these programs enables individuals—whether undergraduate, graduate, postdoc, or faculty—to conduct collaborative research with national laboratories or at one of DOE's federal agency partners. Learn about how their research experiences have advanced their academic and professional careers.

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• NATURE CAREERS PODCAST
• 03 December 2020

Planning a postdoc before moving to industry? Think again

• Julie Gould 0

Julie Gould is a freelance journalist in London, and produces the Nature Careers Podcast.

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Credit: Getty

Do you need a postdoc to thrive as a scientist outside academia? Julie Gould explores the pros and cons with industry insiders.

Nessa Carey, a UK entrepreneur and technology-transfer professional whose career has straddled academia and industry, including a senior role at Pfizer, shares insider knowledge on how industry employers often view postdoctoral candidates. She also offers advice on CVs and preparing for interviews.

“It is very tempting sometimes for people to keep on postdoc-ing, especially if they have a lab head who has a lot of rolling budget and who likes having the same postdocs there, because they're productive and they know them,” she says. “That’s great for the lab head. It’s typically very, very bad for the individual postdoc,” she adds.

Carey is joined by Shulamit Kahn, an economist at Boston University in Massachusetts, who co-authored a 2017 paper about the impact of postdoctoral training on early careers in biomedicine 1 .

According to the paper, published in Nature Biotechnology , employers did not financially value the training or skills obtained during postdoc training. “Based on these findings, the majority of PhDs would be financially better off if they skipped the postdoc entirely,” it concludes.

Career resources for postdoctoral researchers

Malcolm Skingle, academic liaison at GlaxoSmithKline, adds: “You really will get people who have done their PhD, they’ve done a two-year postdoc, they think they’re pretty much going to run the world and single-handedly develop a drug.

“They have got no idea how difficult drug discovery is, and their place in that very big jigsaw.”

“And why don’t postdocs get great salaries straightaway? Well, actually, they haven’t proven themselves in our environment, where, if they’re any good, then their salaries will go up quite quickly.”

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-020-03109-3

This six-part Working Scientist podcast series is sponsored by the University of Queensland (UQ).

UQ research creates change right across the world, every day. Find out more about this content.

Kahn, S. & Ginther, D. Nature Biotechnol. 35 , 90–94 (2017).

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Sponsor message 0:00 This six part Working Scientist podcast series is sponsored by the University of Queensland. UQ research creates change right across the world every day.

Julie Gould 0:18 Hello, and welcome to Working Scientist, the Nature Careers podcast. I’m Julie Gould. And we're in the middle of a series of episodes all about the postdoc.

In part three of the series, I spoke to several people about the challenges that COVID-19 had brought to the postdoc community.

They were far reaching, and many of the challenges that had already existed for this community had become exacerbated.

One of the biggest challenges was finding that next position.

We heard from Michael Moore, about his now-rescinded faculty position from a Michigan institution.

We also heard from Paula Stephan, who said that basically, the academic job market is in tatters.

As fewer faculty positions become available, more postdocs will stay as postdocs, meaning that more PhD researchers (or graduate students, depending on where you are in the world), will be unable to take that postdoc position that they want, because they’re all taken.

So basically, there’s a giant blockage in the system now.

So what can you do? Well, it has been made clear over the last few decades that the chances of landing that coveted full time tenure track academic position, are slim anyway. The numbers vary a little bit, but across the western world, about 5% of PhD researchers will have that job.

The rest? Well, more than ever, now, people who aren’t doing a PhD or a postdoc will end up working outside of academia, whether in research or not.

But that’s okay. It’s actually a really good thing, because that’s exactly what we need.

And this is something that David Bogle, the pro Vice Provost of the doctoral school at University College London, thinks is important for people to remember,

David Bogle 2:05

Most people see science as driving innovation.

In the UK, the industry strategy, we want 2.4% of GDP to be R&D. The European Commission would like to see it 3% across Europe, I can’t remember what it is in the US, but they certainly see it as growing.

So if we want to grow research and development in the economy, most of that is going to be in the private sector, not in the public sector.

These are our researchers that we should be training to help drive that innovation in all these economies, be they from developing countries or developed countries.

Julie Gould 2:42

Now, I also know that it’s really hard to move away from academia, especially when you're in an environment that often still considers it a failure to leave.

It can be scary. It makes you think about who you are as a person and about why you decided to do science and research in the first place. It challenges you to think about who and what you are.

So what I want to do in this episode is share some insights on what industry is looking for, to arm you with the information about what they want from postdocs, (and what they don't want from postdocs), to help you feel prepared and good about finding your next job.

But before we go down the road of what it is like to work in industry, I want to share this small quote from Pearl Ryder from the Broad Institute in the US. (Hello again, Pearl).

She’s doing a postdoc and has made the decision to leave academia to work in industry. And here’s how she feels about it.

Pearl Ryder 3:34

For me, it feels like I’m choosing different opportunities. And so the people...I have had enough support from the people around me to be able to continue that path forward.

Julie Gould 3:49

Let’s keep that positive mindset throughout this episode.

Going into industry does not mean that you’ve lost an opportunity to work in academia. It means that you've gained an opportunity to work in another environment.

And this opportunity is something that many of you postdocs will be taking during and after this current pandemic.

So let’s dive in and see what industry is really like.

Dr Nessa Carey is a freelance consultant and trainer, and a visiting professor at Imperial College London.

And she spent many years as an academic, and also as a researcher in industry, with Pfizer and other biotech companies.

Nessa’s advice during these challenging times is to make sure that you spend some time doing self reflection.

What do you really want from your career and out of your life?

Nessa Carey 4:36

I would certainly try not to think of COVID as being something that’s driving you out of academia.

Because the reality is that most people who do a PhD, don't stay in academia anyway.

If you look at the UK figures, it’s something like one in 200 people who start a PhD will eventually become a professor.

So think of it from the point of view of maybe COVID is actually just Just giving you an opportunity to press reset, to think about actually do you really want to stay in academia anyway?

Is COVID maybe just making you review your options more rapidly or earlier than you otherwise might have done?

I don’t mean to underestimate the difficulty and the stress if a contract is coming to an end, you know,

I’m really not trying to dismiss those very legitimate concerns of people on fixed term contracts.

But it is worth thinking, "Actually, would I really have stayed as a postdoc forever, I have to make a plan for what I'm going to do at the end of being a postdoc anyway.

"And maybe it’s just a time to press reset, and to think, okay, let’s take this time where I'm not in the lab, for example, all the time, and do some work on what do I really want out of my career and out of my life."

Because it is very tempting sometimes for people to keep on "postdoc-ing", especially if they have a lab head who has a lot of rolling budget, and who likes having the same postdocs there, because they’re productive, they know them.

That's great for the lab head. It’s typically very, very bad for the individual postdoc,

Julie Gould 6:04

The next step is to look at what people in industry want from a postdoc.

Nessa Carey 6:09

Either it was people with very, very deep knowledge of a really well-defined technical area. So, people who were phenomenally skilled in a technique that was unusual, and very demanding.

Or we were looking for somebody who could demonstrate that, essentially, they had mature transferable skills. And those were the things that made positions postdoctoral positions,

Julie Gould 6:33

Big tick, you’ve got that one. That is what postdocs spend their time developing anyway. So why is it sometimes so hard to get a position in industry that requires postdoc level training?

Nessa Carey 6:43

Because a lot of the time, if they’ve done a PhD, then you know that they have a certain level of technical capability, a certain ability to learn new knowledge.

And often, that's all that you need, if it's a role where the techniques are fairly well established within the company, and where you can actually give training in any particularly quirky bits.

Also, if it’s a technique that's really well established, then somebody with a PhD is probably just as suitable.

On the other hand, if it’s very much an emerging field of technology, than somebody who has a postdoc, and really deep experience might be more appropriate.

Julie Gould 7:23

Before we go any further, it's time to let you know what industry really thinks about postdocs.

I spoke with Shulamit Kahn, an economist at Boston University, about her research on postdocs and their transitions into industry.

And during her research, she spoke to many different industry representatives. And this is what they said,

Shulamit Kahn 7:42

Some of them said, "Yeah, we like the people with postdoc, you know, they have, they tend to be better people that, you know, the smartest people will get good postdocs, and we’ll go on them.

And you know, some of the businesses industry appreciate it.

And there were other people from industry who say, "Oh, they learn such bad habits on research in academia, especially like pharmaceutical research."

If you think about pharma, they have very high standards of how to do research and how to be very careful and things like that.

And there are other people who say, "I’d rather the people don't spend more time in academia and academic postdocs.

"I’d rather they learn how to do research our way, the good way, the clean way, the way that will get us FDA approval quicker."

Julie Gould 8:29

So the moral of the story is, what industry thinks of postdocs depends on who you talk to you? That’s good to know.

Now, what about if we look at money, the stuff that makes the world go round?

How much do people in industry really value those with postdoctoral training in a financial sense? This is something else that Shulamit Kahn and her co author Donna Ginther looked into.

In 2017. They published an article in Nature Biotechnology about this.

And here's a quote from the conclusions of their paper:

"Outside of tenured academia, employers did not financially value the training or skills obtained during postdoc training. Instead, x postdocs pay an earnings penalty for up to 15 years....(We skip a little bit).

And then it says, "The time spent in a postdoc position not only constitutes a sizable financial sacrifice, but does not yield the desired academic career. Based on these findings, the majority of PhDs would be financially better off if they skipped the postdoc entirely." End quote.

So really, the idea of thinking very carefully about your research. and about your future career, and about going into a postdoc, is a really good thing to do.

Shulamit Kahn 9:40

If you know where you want to work, and kind of what you want to do, (the postdoc) and you think that you're prepared by when you graduate. You know, your work, did your PhD in subjects that you're pretty good at what you want to be doing, then postdocs really are just the way to delay your life.

You know, if you want to start being a grown up and an adult, if you want to set roots somewhere, if you want to make some money, make more than 50,000 a year which, you know, otherwise you'd be getting more like 100,000 even, to begin with.

Really, our feelings aren't being my co author and I after looking at all the postdoc is, it's not the way you should go.

Julie Gould 10:27

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Wait a minute, though. Shulamit is a researcher...

Shulamit Kahn 10:30

I will say, research is fun you know, it is fun.

And if you have no reason that you need to grow up sooner, and start making more money and having children and stuff like that. It's a fun thing to do.

So that's the other thing. It is fun. Especially if you have a good PI. If you have a bad PI. I've heard it could be hell.

Julie Gould 10:54

What does industry have to say about this, about the fact that even if you do several years worth of extra training as a scientist, and as a postdoc has been described to do, why aren't you financially valued outside of academia?

Here's Malcolm Skingle. He's the academic liaison for GlaxoSmithKline

Malcolm Skingle 11:11

You really will get people who have done their PhD. they've done a two year postdoc, they think they're pretty much going to run the world, singlehandedly develop a drug. They have got no idea how difficult drug discovery is, and their place in that very big jigsaw.

Now, why don't postdocs get great salaries straightaway?

Well, actually, they haven't proven themselves in our environment, where if they're any good, then their salaries will go up quite quickly.

Julie Gould 11:41

Okay, things might not be sounding too good right now. I hear you. But I don't mean to put you off any of these industry positions. Don't forget, I'm trying to help you here. Those who are in the know are in a better position. So now that you know these things, how do you navigate that world of industry? There are some key differences that you need to be aware of, between working in industry and academia, says Nessa Carey.

Nessa Carey 12:04

I think one of the things that can be difficult, (but that's actually more of a personal thing), is getting to grips with the fact that your research isn't your own.

Usually in industry, you're part of a team. And you're all trying to work to the same end.

I think that can be quite challenging, because it's very different from most academic environments.

I think also, one thing that can be difficult for people who come from an academic background, is to understand the pragmatism of industry.

In industry, for example, if you're in a role which is about drug screening, what you need is to be able to triage several hundred, several thousand compounds. You don't need precise data on every single compound. You don't need everything to have been done to a very high number of replicates, because what you're doing is triaging.

You're picking out the best from a bunch. That can be quite difficult for people who have come from an academic background, where the emphasis is on publishing, and therefore the emphasis is typically on a large number of replicates on a smaller number of samples, for example.

So that can be quite challenging, I think, for people to get their head around, that actually there's a pragmatism.

The other thing, of course, is that a project can be killed in industry, and there's probably not very much you can do about it.

And that is deeply difficult for everyone. But I think that's difficult for everyone whether they spent a lot of time in academia or not, because people pretty much put their heart and soul into research no matter what sector they're in. So that's challenging.

Julie Gould 13:34

So now that you've got the information about what industry thinks about postdocs, and some of the challenges that you might face when you're looking for the research position outside of academia, let's focus on how to get those jobs.

First off, the most important thing that anyone can do right now, whether job hunting or not, is to build networks.

And networking is not a negative enterprise, says Alaina G Levine, a professional speaker and STEM career consultant.

Alaina G Levine 14:00

It's actually the exact opposite of it. And it makes me smile when I think about it, because it's the most positive and even generous act that you can do. Because networking is "What can I do for you? How can I help you? How can I help advance your team, your research group, your project?"

So the definition of networking is a spectrum of activities in which we are aiming to build a mutually beneficial partnership, where we're both providing value to each other over time, in various ways.

And it's aiming for the long haul. And so when you think about this from the perspective of a postdoc, or somebody who is looking to get into a postdoc, or to leverage their postdoc, to go on to the next stage in their career, what we find is that networking can help you with this because what I can do as a postdoc is I can start to reach out to professors, and researchers and other professionals that are in my field or in a related field that I want to go into, and ask them for informaal conversations which we can do over Zoom, of course, because all networking these days is on virtual platforms.

And so I reach out to them. And I say, I think there's ways that I could potentially help. I see alignment between my own interests and goals and experience.

Would you be open to an informal discussion about collaborating? And that entry, that point where you make that for them, where you clarify that you are not trying to get something from them, what you're trying to provide something to them, and that's what the conversation will explore, is the bedrock of networking.

Juile Gould 15:36

Once you've done the networking, it's time to start looking for jobs.

Nessa has got some good advice on how to write your CV and make it suitable for jobs outside of academia.

Nessa Carey 15:45

What happens when a postdoc applies for a job is if they're applying for an academic job they know what an academic CV looks like.

That's great for academia. Don't send your academic CV to a non academic job. Do the thing of structuring your CV properly, so that people can see what you can do and how well you do it.

Make sure that you emphasize skills, and yes, skills and knowledge, but particularly skills.

Make sure you're emphasizing your transferable skills.

And make sure you match the job spec and the person spec.

Go through those point by point and structure your CV so it's really easy for someone like me reading it to go, "Oh, yeah, they fit seven out of the eight of the person specifications."

And make sure you're evidencing them. Don't just repeat what's in the person spec.

Nobody is convinced by a statement that says "I can work well on my own but I'm also a team player."

Give evidence of both of those things. Make sure absolutely everything is in there. And do it from the point of view of thinking "What is the employer looking for?"

They really don't care what you've got as your A-levels.

So if you do want to put those down, put them at the end of the CV, but focus on the things that the employer is looking for, and make it really easy for them to pick you.

Julie Gould 17:12

Let's say you've written your stellar CV and cover letter, and you've gotten the chance to go for interview. Hurrah!

What does one of these look like? Often the interviews are tricky to prepare for, says Malcolm Skingle from GlaxoSmithKline.

They really like to see how you apply those transferable skills like problem solving, in the real world, whilst you're under pressure

Malcolm Skingle 17:32

At GSK we have problem solving at interview.

And so you can't actually swat up for it. You have to think on your feet. At certain selection processes we will have applicants working together. And you'll see who...you will almost have as many observers as you've got people who are being interviewed.

And they're just watching the behaviours, on how people are getting the answers to the challenges, how they're getting to where they need to be.

It depends what it is. Sometimes it's you know, a formal talk, where you have to think about the strategy of whatever you should be doing, and how that might work.

Something that I always do, when I interview, I usually have a subordinate who's going to be a peer of the person who's going to get the role.

Because then the dynamics are very different because you're trying to impress the boss, and you're saying the things actually work with this person.

So it has to be a bit measured. And then sometimes I'll let my boss you know, for good measure.

Julie Gould 18:37

Here's another thing to keep in mind. The next job you take is unlikely to be the dream job, especially if you're a postdoc who's been dreaming of becoming a professor or PI within academia, Alaina says that this is an opportunity to learn, to research, to apply your scientific skills to yourself.

Alaina Levine 18:54

But every opportunity that you pursue, every job that you take, and indeed every networking connection that you build, and grow and nurture, you are getting insight and data about the world, about career paths, about opportunities, about organizations that you might want to work for. And you are also gathering data about yourself because you are a complex system in a complex system that changes. As you are engaging new people you are learning new information, it changes how you see things, it changes how you view yourself.

And so to be aware of the idea that we often have to take constant data about ourselves and about the ecosystem and being aware that the ecosystem is going to change us as we move forward is going to be very, very helpful.

And it's also going to alleviate some of the fear and uncertainty that we may have, particularly during this extremely challenging time with COVID.

Julie Gould 19:48

Alaina calls it career planning in a crisis. But don't let it get to you, she says, because as a STEM professional, you've got the skills to do this to own this, to drive forward and to control your own career development,

Alaina Levine 20:02

You won't have all the answers at any given point in the system. However, you have an advantage in that you've studied science and engineering and mathematics. And having studied these fields gives you an understanding and an ability to take data from the world and mine it and gather information from that data that allows you to make an informed decision. That's something that you get from studying STEM. We're going to take that exact same training and mindset. And we're going to apply it to our career development by taking data about ourselves while taking data about the universe of possibilities as we move forward as we network with people as we learn more about different companies, different organizations, different opportunities.

Julie Gould 20:50

Now, what I want you to take away from this is that doing work outside of academia, whatever role you take, does not mean you have to stop being a scientist, and it does not mean you have to stop being you.

In the next penultimate episode of this series about postdocs, I'm going to take a look at how the research culture is changing within academia.

And whilst you wait, why not take a look at what else the Nature Careers team is doing?

There's a series of articles being published at the moment with the results and insights from the first postdoc survey Nature has done which I think makes for a really interesting reading. You can find all of them on their website at www.nature.com/careers

Thanks for listening.

Sponsor message 21:39

This six part Working Scientists podcast series is sponsored by the University of Queensland. UQ research creates change right across the world every day.

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• Call 4.1.: Cut-off date is March 1, 2024, which means you can apply if you have completed your PhD on March 1, 2021 or later. The date on the doctoral certificate is binding.
• Call 4.2.: Cut-off date is September 1, 2024, which means you can apply if you have completed your PhD on September 1, 2021 or later. The date on the doctoral certificate is binding.

You are also eligible, if you have recently handed in your doctorate thesis or if you will complete your PhD within the next 12 months. In each case, you must submit an official letter of confirmation from your supervisor stating that you will complete your PhD within the next 12 months. A PhD certificate is mandatory to be able to start the fellowship.

Support of a TUM Host

For a successful application, you need the support of a TUM host.

In Phase I of the application, you name up to three potential TUM hosts you want to work with. On successful completion of Phase I, you will conduct a matchmaking session moderated by TUM with the potential TUM hosts you have named.

In Phase II of the application, your identified TUM host must support your application by providing a Letter of Support. The Letter of Support by the TUM host is mandatory, as it contains the confirmation of the 20% co-financing by the host.

Please note: Researchers can only apply for the fellowship once.

They are free to apply for the current or a later call so long they fulfil the above-mentioned eligibility criteria.

If you have further questions concerning the application requirements, please check our  FAQ document   (PDF).

Application Documents

To apply for the  TUM Global Postdoc Fellowship  2024, you need the following documents in English :

• Letter of Motivation (approx. 1 page) Please tell us about your motivation to join TUM for your postdoctoral research. A well-crafted letter of motivation is crucial for the assessment of your application. Therefore, it is essential that you describe your professional goals with precision and explain your motivation thoroughly for pursuing a postdoc at TUM. Also, explain in detail how the TUM professor(s) you are interested to work with match your research interests and scope. Bear in mind that members of the selection committee might not be experts in your specific field of expertise, therefore, your letter of motivation should be clear and accessible to a broader audience.
• CV , including list of publications (max. 5 pages)
• Copy of your best paper
• PhD certificate or a confirmation of your PhD submission or a statement from your PhD supervisor that you have completed your PhD or that you will complete your PhD within the next 12 months.
• Reference Letter from your PhD supervisor There are two options to upload the Reference Letter: The applicant can directly upload the letter in the application portal and submit their application. Alternatively, if the referee wishes to upload the letter himself/herself, the applicant can send the referee an automated email from the application portal. The referee will receive an email with a link that allows them to upload the letter themselves. 
• Names of potential TUM hosts that are of interest to you

Please name up to three TUM Hosts who you want to work with. Please note that only active TUM Professors/Head of Institutes/Chairs/Junior Fellows can be hosts. It is not possible to name other scientists, including Honorary Professors, Distinguished Affiliated Professors, and retired professors including the TUM Emeriti of Excellence and TUM President Prof. Dr. Thomas F. Hofmann.

The following websites will enable you to find professors who fits your research profile: TUM Schools and Departments, TUM Clusters of Excellence or TUM Research Centers. You can also go through the list of TUM Professors or TUM Junior Fellows.

• Research Proposal  (max. 4 pages). Please present the research project you plan to conduct at TUM in a comprehensible way so that reviewers who are not experts in your specific field can follow your argument. In your research proposal, you should also address synergies with the TUM host and your career plans: Why is TUM the best possible place to do your research project? Why is your TUM host  the  person with whom you want to conduct your research project? What are your future career plans? For which subsequent funding would you apply during the fellowship? Your proposal should not exceed four pages (including references and footnotes).
• Letter of Support  from your TUM host (for details on what the letter of support should entail, see  Information for Hosts ).

Please note that it is not possible to receive the fellowship without the support of a TUM host (i.e., a TUM professor or TUM Junior Fellow) . As a host cannot support more than two applications per Call, we strongly recommend that you obtain the confirmation of TUM Host supporting your application before you prepare the documents. Since this is a relatively new program, note that potential hosts may not be aware of all the details of the TUM Global Postdoc Fellowship.

For questions, you may also refer to our  FAQ document  ( PDF).

Information on the Selection Process

The Call is structured into two phases.

In Phase I , the Scientific Board will evaluate each application by the following criteria:

• Scientific excellence of the applicant
• Career perspectives of the applicant
• Quality of the motivation letter
• Synergies with the TUM host

The best applicants will be selected and a matchmaking process with the TUM Host/s (identified by the applicant in Phase I) will be initiated. Once a match is found, the selected applicants will proceed to Phase II . In this phase, the applicant has to submit a support letter from the TUM Host along with the research proposal. The Scientific Board will evaluate each application by the following criteria:

• Relevance and originality of the proposed research project

Information for Hosts

The TUM Global Postdoc Fellowship is an important initiative of the TUM Agenda 2030. It offers talented, recently graduated postdocs an opportunity to continue their career at TUM. To attract global researchers, we therefore award a two-year fellowship . Postdocs with family are entitled to receive additional benefits for their partner and children should they reside in Munich. This fellowship may be considered as a startup fund, allowing postdocs a smooth start in research at TUM. The  TUM Talent Factory   will support the fellows with their applications for third party funding and offer advice on career planning. 

For you as a host, the following information is particularly relevant:

• TUM Professors and TUM Junior Fellows can be hosts. Other researchers at TUM cannot become hosts (see also our  FAQs ).
• Call 4.1. (March 2024): Upon positive evaluation, fellowship can be commenced within a year from October 1, 2024 to October 1, 2025.
• Call 4.2. (September 2024): Upon positive evaluation, fellowship can be commenced the fellowship within a year from April 1, 2025 to April 1, 2026.

Please keep this in mind when planning your support of an applicant.

• You can support no more than two applicants per call. If you support two applicants, at least one applicant must be female. Please bear this is mind when deciding on potential applicants.
• The fellowship requires the host to co-fund 20% of the fellowship. The exact amount of the fellowship depends on the fellow’s family situation and – in the case of a successful application – will be calculated based on the fellow’s current family situation. This implies, for a two year period, a host may have to cover total costs of approx. 14.500€ for a single fellow (~ 600€/month) and approx. 18.800€ for a fellow with a partner and two children (~780€/month).

Important note:   You cannot use Haushaltsmittel or Planstellen for fellowship payment. Payment can come from e.g. overhead and free third-party funding.

• The fellowship only covers the researcher’s living costs. You will need to cover any additional payments for consumables, conferences and so forth.
• Letter of Support from TUM host must be in English language to aid reviewers who are not fluent in the German language. The applicant can upload the letter of support in the application portal. Alternatively, you can upload the letter of support yourself; the applicant can send you a link via the application portal. It is important to submit the letter before the application deadline . Otherwise, the application may not be considered.
• The letter of support  must be on an official TUM letterhead with your signature. In addition to evaluating the candidate’s qualification and the project, you need to confirm the following:
• If the application is successful, you provide the fellow with sufficient working and laboratory place to conduct the project.
• If the application is successful, you agree to cover 20% of the costs of the fellowship.
• The Senior Vice President of Research and Innovation will sign the fellowship contract on behalf of TUM. From an administrative point of view, the fellows will receive a scholarship and will have the status of a “guest researcher” instead of an employee status.

For questions, you may also refer to our F AQ Document here (TUM ID required, PDF).

Additional Funding and Support

TUM Talent Factory  will support the TUM Global Postdoc Fellows  to apply for third party funding during the time of their fellowship. The support includes individual advice on funding possibilities or upskilling events to invited fellows.

During the first 12 months  of the fellowship, the fellows should submit at least one application for third party funding at one of the main funding bodies for postdoc fellowships (e.g. AvH, MSCA, DFG). Due to mobility rules, many of these programs are only open to researchers during their first year in Germany.

At the onset of the fellowship, the host and fellow chart out a training plan to define the fellow’s steps and goal. Upon completion of first year, the fellow must submit an  interim report  detailing the progress and accomplishments.

Besides the TUM Talent Factory  , there are other central services at TUM supporting postdocs during their time at TUM, such as TUM Welcome Services, TUM Gender and Diversity, TUM Family Service, or the TUM Institute for LongLife Learning.

Get to know our fellows

Who are the  TUM Global Postdoc Fellows (TGPF)  ? Find out more about the fellows and their projects, as well as the recipients of the  TUM University Foundation Fellowship  (2013–2020).

TUM Global Postdoc Fellows (3. Call / 2024)

TUM Chair:  Chair of Data Science in Earth Observation , Prof. Dr. Xiaoxiang Zhu

TUM Department: School of Engineering and Design,  Department of Aerospace and Geodesy

Academic career and research areas:

Dr. Xizhe Xue earned her doctoral degree in 2024 from Northwestern Polytechnical University (NPU) in China, specializing in earth observation. During her Ph.D. studies, she was a visiting student at the National University of Singapore from 2021 to 2023 and also served as a research intern at TikTok in Singapore. At the School of Engineering and Design at TUM under the guidance of Professor Xiaoxiang Zhu, Dr. Xue's research will focus on the multi-scale analysis of landscape heterogeneity in global urbanization. Her work aims to deepen our understanding of how urbanization impacts climate change. Additionally, her research contributes to the development of sustainable urban planning and land management policies, ensuring the preservation of natural environments and ecosystems.

Shruti Vikram

TUM Chair:  Chair of Energy Systems , Prof. Dr.-Ing. Hartmut Spliethoff

TUM Department: School of Engineering and Design,  Department of Mechanical Engineering

Shruti Vikram completed her Master's degree in Thermal Engineering from Thapar University, India in 2017. After that, she received her doctoral degree from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay (Mumbai,India) in 2024. Her PhD research focused on experimental and modeling studies on pyrolysis and gasification of biomass in varying reactive media. As a researcher of bio-energy and sustainable technologies, she investigated the influence of reactive agents on the in-depth understanding of the thermo-chemical conversion routes; and biochar and biofuel generation for decentralized and downstream applications. At TUM, Dr. Shruti Vikram will focus on CO2-assisted pyrolysis of waste feedstock  to achieve high gasification efficiency. The goal is to enhance hydrogen concentration in syngas, while ensuring circular economy, and net-zero carbon emissions. Her research will also be driven to scrutinize the environmental aspects and potential effects on carbon-efficient resource utilization and economic sustainability.

Maryam Khatibi

TUM Chair:  Associate Professorship of Urban Design , Prof. Dr. Benedikt Boucsein

TUM Department: School of Engineering and Design,  Department of Architecture

Maryam Khatibi is an architect who holds a PhD degree (2022) with honors in Architectural, Urban and Interior Design (AUID) from the Department of Architecture and Urban Studies (DAStU), Politecnico di Milano. She has been a postdoctoral researcher at the Université de Lyon (2022-2023) and holds a Master of Advanced Studies in Housing from ETH, Zürich. Her area of research portrays the landscape of collaborative-motivated housing cultures as an efficient way for urban habitation in the European context through which environmentally conscious and participatory process designs are tackled. At TUM, she will pursue her efforts in addressing the socio-ecological impacts of the cooperative housing models through their collective open spaces as an essential resource underpinning urban food gardens and biodiversity conservation.

Ismail Bekar

TUM Chair:  Professorship of Ecoclimatology , Prof. Dr. Annette Menzel

TUM Department: School of Life Sciences, Department of Life Science Systems

Dr. İsmail Bekar received his master's degree from Hacettepe University, Türkiye. Towards the end of his master's studies, he received a Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship and started his PhD at ETH Zürich. His doctoral research aimed to enhance understanding of fire regimes using a modeling perspective with a particular emphasis on fire occurrence, fire weather, and large fires. At TUM, his research will focus on investigating fire seasons at a global scale. Using an interdisciplinary approach, he plans to identify the spatial and temporal variability and differences in fire seasons across ecosystems and investigate the role of climatic and anthropogenic factors. His research will be extended to project how climate change may further influence the dynamics of fire seasons.

Malte Toetzke

TUM Chair:  Public Policy for the Green Transition, Prof. Dr. Florian Egli

TUM Department:  TUM School of Social Sciences and Technology

Malte Toetzke conducted his doctoral studies at ETH Zurich focusing on the global transition towards net-zero emissions. In his Ph.D., he developed natural language processing models to inform public policy with new evidence, monitoring different aspects of the transition such as the global provision of climate finance or the emergence of industrial clusters around clean energy technologies. His research has been published and presented in leading academic journals (Nature Sustainability, Nature Climate Change) and machine learning conferences (NeurIPS, ICLR). At TUM, Malte Toetzke will develop a comprehensive platform to inform green industrial policy with real-time evidence, mapping global innovation collaborations around clean energy technologies at the firm level.  

Mattia Piccinini

TUM Chair:  Professorship of Autonomous Vehicle Systems , Prof. Johannes Betz

TUM Department: School of Engineering and Design,  Department of Mobility Systems Engineering

Dr. Mattia Piccinini received his doctoral degree from the Department of Industrial Engineering at the University of Trento (Italy) in 2024, specializing in minimum-time trajectory planning, control and state estimation for autonomous vehicles. In 2022, he was a visiting doctoral researcher at the Universität der Bundeswehr, in Munich. Before his doctoral research, he received his M.Sc. degree (cum laude) in mechatronics engineering from the University of Trento (Italy) in 2019. At the TUM Professorship of Autonomous Vehicle Systems, Dr. Piccinini will develop new methods for adaptive collision avoidance in uncertain dynamic environments.

TUM Chair:  Professorship of Quantum Sensing , Prof. Dr. Dominik Bucher

TUM Department: School of Natural Sciences,  Department of Chemistry

Dr.Linyan Nie has a master degree of Biological Engineering at Jilin University, China. After that, she completed her doctoral studies under the supervision of Prof.Romana Schirhagl at the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Groningen, the Netherlands, graduating in October 2021. Her research focused on monitering cellular stress levels by tracking the generation of free radicals using a sensitive technique called diamond relaxometry. This technique allowed her to investigate whether single live cells or organelles were under stress. At TUM, her research focuses on addressing sensitivity issues in MRI imaging at the single cell level by using diamond quantum sensors. 

Milad Malekzadehkebria

TUM Chair: Chair of Traffic Engineering and Control , Prof. Klaus Bogenberger

Dr. Milad Malekzadeh successfully obtained his doctoral degree in the field of control engineering, specializing in intelligent transportation applications from Technical University of Crete, Greece. His Ph.D. research primarily concentrated on Internal Boundary Control of Lane-free Automated Vehicle Traffic, supervised by Prof. Markos Papageorgiou and Prof. Ioannis Papamichail. Throughout his doctoral studies, he actively participated in the TrafficFluid project, dedicating his efforts to exploring the complexities of automated vehicle control in the context of lane-free traffic. His educational background includes the attainment of another Ph.D. degree in control engineering, with a focus on electrical engineering, from Babol Noshirvani University of Technology, Iran. His research interests encompass the domains of optimal control and nonlinear  dynamics. The main objective of the research carried out at the Chair of Traffic Engineering and Control at TUM, under the supervision of Professor Klaus Bogenberger, is to evaluate the feasibility of lane-free movement at the designated test-site. 

Bastiaan Wilhelmus Albertus Bögels

TUM Chair: Chair of Physics of Synthetic Biological Systems , Prof. Dr. Friedrich Simmel

TUM Department: School of Natural Sciences,  Department of Bioscience

Dr. Ir. Bas Bögels completed both his bachelor's and master's degree at Eindhoven University of Technology (The Netherlands). He subsequently completed his PhD from the same university under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Ir. Tom de Greef. During his PhD he explored compartmentalization of DNA nanotechnology for computing purposes. The research interests of Dr. Ir. Bögels are synthetic biology, nucleic acid nanotechnology, and molecular computing. He is currently working on developping RNA-based decission making circuits for use in mammalian cells. Such circuits are expected to allow for more complex yet predictable signalling networks in synthetic biology.

Behnam Khorrami

TUM Chair: Chair of Hydrology and River Basin Management ,  Prof. Dr.-Ing. Markus Disse

TUM Department: School of Engineering and Design,  Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Academic career and research areas: ​​​​​​​

Dr. Behnam Khorrami has an educational background in the field of Remote Sensing (RS), and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). He obtained a Master's degree from the University of Tabriz (Iran; 2016) and and a PhD from Dokuz Eylul University (Türkiye; 2022). As his PhD thesis, Dr. Khorrami worked on the evaluation of hydrological dynamics of groundwater storage over Türkiye's major watersheds using remotely sensed products, mainly the Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellite observations, and some hydrological model outputs. Dr. Khorrami's thesis received the Best PhD Thesis Award of 2022 from the IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society (GRSS) Türkiye chapter. Dr. Khorrami's research area is purely multi-disciplinary encompassing environmental- and hydro-informatics. His research at TUM will mainly center around the analysis of hydrological dynamics of groundwater by integrating Machine Learning (ML), hydrological modelling and RS data / techniques. 

TUM Global Postdoc Fellows (2. Call / 2023)

Stefan holzinger.

TUM Chair: Applied Mechanics , Prof. Dr. Daniel J. Rixen

TUM Department: School of Engineering and Design, Department of Mechanical Engineering 

Dr. Stefan Holzinger completed his doctorate at the Department of Mechatronics at the University of Innsbruck (Austria) in 2023. In his doctoral research, he developed novel formulations and methods for the efficient simulation of rigid and flexible multibody systems and methods for parameter identification. Besides his doctoral research, Dr. Holzinger is also active in teaching at the University of Innsbruck on multibody dynamics, robotics, and mechanical engineering fundamentals. Furthermore, he has been part of several third-party-funded research projects. Before his doctoral research, he received his master's degree in mechatronics in 2016 from the Management Center Innsbruck (MCI), Austria.

At TUM, Dr. Holzinger’s research will center on methods for efficient and accurate modeling of human soft tissue behavior within multibody formulations and on methods for developing computationally highly efficient multibody models capable of accurately predicting human movement.

Kundu Debraj

TUM Chair: Electronic Design Automation , Prof. Dr.-Ing. Ulf Schlichtmann

TUM Department: School of Computation, Information and Technology, Department of Computer Engineering

Debraj Kundu pursued a Master of Technology (M.Tech) from Calcutta University, India, in 2016. After that, he started his research career as a Ph.D. scholar at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee, India, under the supervision of Prof. Sudip Roy. His doctoral research focuses on developing algorithms for the automation of various bioprotocols on programmable microfluidic biochips. Design automation problems related to sample preparation, module placement, and fluid routing have been the prime focus of Mr. Kundu’s research so far.

He will concentrate on creating new approaches at TUM to address various design automation issues with flow-based microfluidic biochips. Mr. Kundu will research how flow-based microfluidic biochips are made with the goal of creating an effective automation technique to implement some bio-applications on them.

Apolline Louvet

TUM Chair: Population genetics , Prof. Aurélien Tellier

TUM Department: School of Life Sicences, Department of Life Science Systems

Dr. Apolline Louvet has received her doctoral degree in 2022 from Ecole Polytechnique (France). Under the supervision of Amandine Véber and Nathalie Machon, she developed and studied new mathematical models for expanding populations and the dynamics of the spontaneous flora in an urban environment. She is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Bath (United Kingdom). Prior to completing her PhD, she received an M.Sc in Mathematics for the Life Sciences from Université Paris Sud (France).

Her research focusses on the mathematical modeling of populations out of equilibrium, and the developement of associated statistical tools to be applied to real-world datasets. During her fellowship at TUM, she will use stochastic approaches to investigate the effect of dormancy on the stability of ecological communities, and the implications in term of genetic diversity.

Nazli Ecem Dal-Bekar

TUM Chair:  Proteomics and Bioanalytics , Prof. Dr. Bernhard Küster

TUM Department: School of Life Sciences, Department Molecular Life Sciences

Dr. Nazlı Ecem Dal-Bekar received her M.Sc. degree in Clinical Immunology from Ankara University, Türkiye. She then completed her Ph.D. in Molecular Medicine at Dokuz Eylül University, Türkiye in 2022. Her Ph.D. studies focused on understanding the association between vitamin D and oxidative DNA damage in scleroderma and developing chromatographic and mass spectrometric methods. In 2019, she received a grant from EMBO to visit Nicolaus Copernicus University, Poland, where she was able to develop new methods. From 2022 to 2023, she worked as a postdoctoral researcher at Izmir University of Economics, Faculty of Medicine. She conducted a research project funded by the National Science Foundation of Türkiye.

Dr. Dal-Bekar's research focuses on translational studies in development and application of chromatography-mass spectrometry methods for diagnosis/monitoring processes and determination of effective treatment strategies in autoimmunity and cancer. At TUM, her research will concentrate on a novel proteomic approach using mass spectrometry-based methods to decrypt the mechanisms of action of therapeutic antibodies.

Anna Takayasu

TUM Chair: Traffic Engineering and Control , Prof. Dr.-Ing. Klaus Bogenberger

TUM Department: TUM School of Engineering and Design, Department of Mobility Systems Engineering

Dr. Anna Takayasu received her doctoral degree in the civil engineering field in 2022 from Lyon University (ENTPE) in France and collaborated with EPFL in Switzerland. Her Ph.D. research focused on traffic and trip behavior characteristics simulation and application. Using real traffic data from loop detectors and GPS on cars and complete trajectory data from drones, she investigated the effect of data availability on traffic state estimation. Also, she assessed the macroscopic traffic state prediction accuracy depending on model settings. Prior to her Ph.D., she completed her Master's in information science from Tohoku University in Japan.

Her research activities at the Chair of Traffic Engineering and Control at TUM under professor Klaus Bogenberger aim to develop a multimodal road network design method considering traffic state, comfort, and safety in anticipation of future conditions. The insights of her research will also provide a science-based concept to local organizations for new traffic measures and policies to make sager and less congested transportation.

Dandan Zhang

TUM Chair:  Information-Oriented Control ,  Prof. Dr.-Ing. Sandra Hirche

Dr. Dandan Zhang was a postdoctoral researcher in the Institute of Cyber-Systems and Control, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China, from 2022 to 2023, and pursued her Ph.D. degree in the School of Information Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China, between 2017 and 2022. From 2019 to 2021, she was a Ph.D. Visiting Student at University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA.

Her research interests include deterministic and stochastic hybrid systems and cyber-physical systems. At TUM, she will focus on stochastic hybrid systems, which may exhibit three sources of randomness: the Wiener process resulting from a stochastic disturbance, the jump times resulting from stochastic impulse, and the jump values resulting from stochastic reset rules.

TUM Chair:  Clinical Chemistry and Pathobiochemistry , Prof. Dr. Jürgen Ruland

TUM Department: School of Medicine

Dr. Jing Zhang completed her PhD in the lab of Prof. Dr. Peter ten Dijke at the Leiden University Medical Center (Netherlands) in 2022. During her PhD, she has specialized towards cancer biology, focusing on understanding the changes of tumor microenvironment, tumor metastasis and the aberrant cellular processes in breast, lung and pancreatic cancer to improve treatment options for cancer patients. After her PhD, she continued as a post-doc in the same lab to work on the regulation of TGF-β signaling and EMT in various cancer types.

At TUM, Dr. Jing Zhang will focus on the aberrant signaling pathways during T cell l lymphomagenesis to offer novel insights for lymphoma-targeted therapies.  

TUM Global Postdoc Fellows (1. Call / 2022)

Alex delhomme.

TUM Chair:  Semiconductor Quantum Nanosystems ,  Prof. Dr. Jonathan Finley

TUM Department:  School of Natural Sciences,   Physics

Alex Delhomme received a PhD degree in Physics in 2022 from Université Grenoble Alpes (Grenoble, France). At the Laboratoire National des Champs Magnétiques Intense, the French continuous high magnetic field facility, he investigated the optical and magnetic properties of Van der Waals lamellar systems. His research focused on the recombination of interlayer excitons in transition metal dichalcogenide heterobilayers. Prior to completing his PhD, he received a M.Sc in Nanophysics and holds a B.Sc. in Physics from the same university.

Delhomme research interests lie in the experimental characterization of low dimensional quantum structures as well as the physics of systems in extreme environment. At TUM, his efforts are directed at investigating novel quantum phases created by a strain tunable moiré potential in two-dimensional quantum materials.

Maryam Hemmati

TUM Chair:  Food Chemistry and Molecular Sensory Science , Prof. Dr. Corinna Dawid

TUM Department:  TUM School of Life Sciences, Department Molecular Life Sciences

Dr. Maryam Hemmati graduated with a PhD in Applied/Analytical Chemistry from University of Semnan (Iran) in March 2019. In 2018, she got a nationally competitive fellowship to pursue more research opportunities on doctoral level at Granada University (Spain). Her research works have dealt with developing sample preparation techniques compatible with different samples followed by LC-DAD and LC-MS/MS analyses. In 2019, she awarded a grant to undertake postdoctoral research at the University of Liege (Belgium) on “LC‐MS for metabolomics in the context of fluxomics analysis”. She conducted an exercise-induced targeted metabolomics study on low-volumes of whole blood, which were collected by using microsampling techniques.

At TUM, she will develop an integrated Metabo-Lipid-Prote-omics approach to study the inflammation dependent and independent cancer models in collaboration with Prof. Dr. Corinna Dawid.

Sara Arana Peña

TUM Lehrstuhl: Chemie Biogener Rohstoffe ,  Prof. Dr. Volker Sieber

TUM Department:  Campus Straubing

Akademische Laufbahn und Forschungsbereich:

Dr. Sara Arana Peña has completed her PhD under the direction of Prof. Dr. Roberto Fernández Lafuente in Optimization of Enzymatic Biocatalysts and Bioprocess group at the ICP-CSIC (Spain). Previously she has obtained her B.Sc. in Biology and a M.Sc. in Industrial and Environmental Biotechnology from the Complutense University of Madrid (Spain).

Dr. Arana Peña’s research is focused on the field of enzyme immobilization. The use of different immobilization strategies, the development and modification of supports and the characterization of biocatalysts were the main points to highlight out of it. At TUM, she will lead a project at Prof. Dr. Volker Sieber’s group to develop co-immobilization strategies for enzymes involved in cascades reactions for their application in sustainable chemistry processes. The preparation of optimal co-immobilized cascades will allow to reduce the cost of processes and improve reaction yields, providing a promising green alternative to the traditional chemical industry.

Sophie R. Thomas

TUM Lehrstuhl:   Inorganic and Metal-Organic Chemistry , Prof. Dr. Roland A. Fischer

TUM Department: School of Natural Sciences, Department of Chemistry

Sophie Thomas graduated with a Master of Chemistry at Cardiff University (UK) in 2017 before gaining a place on the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Catalysis programme. In 2018, Sophie obtained a Master of Research in Catalysis and then began her PhD under the supervision of Prof. Angela Casini at Cardiff University. Her doctoral research focuses on the use of gold complexes as therapeutic agents, with a focus on achieving catalysis in living cells.

At TUM, she will focus on the use of water-soluble gold nanoparticles stabilized by N-heterocyclic carbenes for applications in catalysis and biomedicine, with potential to combine both applications for catalysis in cells for therapy.

TUM Global Postdocs Fellows (Alumni)

2023: méline saubin (alumni).

Meline Saubin received her Master's degree in Biodiversity, ecology and evolution from Montpellier University and her Engineering degree from the French National Institute of Technology for Life, Food and Environmental Sciences (AgroParisTech) in 2019. Then, she completed her PhD degree in Biology and ecology of forests and agrosystems in 2023 at AgroParisTech (Nancy, France). At the French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE), she investigated the influence of demographic variations on the genetic structure of populations in the context of emerging disease. Using population genetics and epidemiology, she developed demogenetic models to study rapidly evolving pathogen populations.

During her fellowship at TUM, she will use temporal genomic data to decipher the bases of host-parasite coevolution. She will develop a Bayesian method to analyse host-parasite coevolution, and apply this method to plant and parasite full genome data.

2023: Somvanshi Sandeep (Alumni)

TUM Chair:  Bioseparation Engineering , Prof. Dr. Sonja Berensmeier

TUM Department: School of Engineering and Design,  Department of Energy and Process Engineering

Mr. Sandeep B. Somvanshi is currently pursuing Ph.D. as a DST-INSPIRE Fellow at the Department of Physics, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, Aurangabad (M.S.), India. He has completed the master’s degree in Physics from the same department. The core activity of his Ph.D. research work is to design and develop multifunctional magnetic nanomaterials-based technologies for the potential benefits of their multimodal-functionality in biomedical applications which will strongly improve the performances of currently used diagnostic and therapeutic tools.

At TUM, Mr. Sandeep B. Somvanshi will conduct research on “Screening and Optimization of Selective Aptamer-Based Separation Processes for the Isolation of Asthma-Preventing Proteins”. This proposed research work intends to overcome the limitations of current protein separation technologies in proteins by testing the aptamer-based approach for the development of a specific separation process.

2023: Graziano Frungieri (Alumni)

TUM Chair: Process Systems Engineering , Prof. Dr. Heiko Briesen

TUM Department: School of Life Sciences, Department of Life Science Engineering

Dr. Graziano Frungieri is a Chemical Engineer, graduated from Politecnico di Torino, Italy, in 2014. He obtained his PhD from Politecnico di Torino in 2018, with a thesis dealing with the numerical simulation of aggregation and breakup phenomena in sheared colloidal suspensions. During his PhD, he spent one year as a guest researcher at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm.

After his PhD, within the H2020 project VIMMP, he worked on the development of multiscale simulation strategies coupling CFD and DEM simulations to address industrially relevant modelling challenges.

At TUM, Dr. Graziano Frungieri will work on the development of novel computational techniques to study the production of Janus colloidal particles via Pickering emulsion and their exploitation as building blocks for supra-colloidal structures. 

2022: Alexander Rolle (Alumni)

TUM Chair:  Applied Topology and Geometry , Prof. Dr. Ulrich Bauer

TUM Department: School of Computation, information and Technology, Department of Mathematics

Academic Career and Research Areas :

Dr. Alexander Rolle completed his PhD in Mathematics at the University of Western Ontario, Canada, in 2019. There, he studied applications of topological methods to algebraic geometry, and motivic cohomology in particular. From 2019 to 2021, he worked as a postdoctoral researcher at TU Graz, Austria, focusing on topological data analysis.

Dr. Rolle’s research is aimed at the development of novel methods in data analysis and statistics that build on well-understood mathematical tools, and especially the tools of algebraic topology. At TUM, he will work on multi-parameter persistent homology and statistics.

2022: Muhammad Hegazy (Alumni)

TUM Chair:  Building Technology and Climate Responsive Design , Prof. Thomas Auer

TUM Department: School of Engineering and Design, Department of Architecture

Muhammad Hegazy is an architect and researcher with strong research interests in sustainability, building simulation, and interactive immersive environments. His doctoral research in Architectural Engineering (Osaka University, Japan) focused on the assessment and spatial mapping of daylight perception in architectural spaces using virtual reality, as well as the relationship between such perceptions and physically based daylight metrics.

At TUM, he will pursue a research project on physiological and psychological reactions to daylighting in virtual built environments. This research will contribute to a better understanding of the interdependencies between perception, wellbeing, and daylighting attributes in the built environment.

2022: Anik Dutta (Alumni)

TUM Chair:  Phytopathology ,  Prof. Dr. Ralph Hückelhoven

TUM Department:  TUM School of Life Sciences, Department of Molecular Life Sciences

Dr. Anik Dutta has received his doctoral degree in 2021 from ETH Zurich, funded by Federal Office for Agriculture in Switzerland. His PhD research focused on understanding the principles of agricultural pathogen adaptation to biotic and abiotic environments. Using high throughput phenotypic and whole genome sequence data, he investigated mechanisms that maintain genetic diversity in pathogen life-history traits. He also conducted the large-scale genome wide association mapping to uncover sources of complex trait genetic variation. Prior to his PhD, he completed M.Sc. in Crop Sciences from the University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart.

His research activities at the Chair of Phytopathology at TUM in collaboration with Dr. Remco Stam are directed at studying the diversity and evolution of plant-pathogen interactions under variable climatic conditions. He will use precise phenotypic and genomic data to identify resistance and susceptibility genes in wild tomato plants to different pathogen. The knowledge derived from this research will be valuable for plant breeders to develop crop varieties with durable resistance to plant pathogens.

2022: Chao Zhou (Alumni)

TUM Chair: Organic Chemistry , Prof. Dr. Thorsten Bach

TUM Department:  School of Natural Sciences, Department of Chemistry

Academic career and research areas

Dr. Chao Zhou incepted his PhD degree in organic chemistry in 2020 from Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry (TIPC), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). There, he designed and developed a series of visible-light-catalyzed [2+2] cycloadditions of olefin and N-arylation reactions with high chemo and regioselectivity. From 2021 to 2023, he has worked as a postdoctoral researcher at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden, focusing on the construction of spiro-compounds via visible light-mediated radical dearomatization.

Dr. Chao’s research is aimed at the development of novel and practical methodologies for the efficient construction of biologically active and synthetically useful molecules, in particular by photocatalysis. At TUM, he will work on the enantioselective photocatalytic organic transformations with Prof. Thorsten Bach.

2022: Nesibe A. Dogan (Alumni)

TUM Chair:   Biogenic Functional Materials , Prof. Dr. Rubén D. Costa

TUM Department:   TUM Campus Straubing

Dr. Nesibe A. Dogan completed her PhD degree with full scholarship at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) in 2019. Her research focused on synthesis of nanoporous polymers for capture of CO 2  gas from industrial flue gas mixtures and precious metal capture from wastewaters. She developed nanoporous covalent organic polymers which were chemically tuned to have an affinity for the desired material in a liquid or gaseous mixture.

During her postdoctoral work at CNRS in collaboration with Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle (Paris, France), she worked in a Horizon2020 project and developed nanocellulose-metal organic framework composite thin films and built an adsorption chamber to operate tests on the artefacts. Currently as a postdoctoral researcher in Aalto University (Finland), she is involved with synthesis and characterization of nanocellulose gels and cyanobacterial growth for photosynthetic cell factories with FET Open Horizon2020 project.

During her fellowship at TUM, she will combine nanocellulose derivatives and fluorescent proteins to develop color filters for bioLEDs. Hybrid optoelectronics is a newly emerging field which promises to incorporate biological materials to advance Green Photonics concept.

2022: Yunyi Liang (Alumni)

TUM Chair: Transportation Systems Engineering , Prof. Dr.Constantinos Antoniou

TUM Department: School of Engineering and Design, Department of Mobility Systems Engineering

Dr. Liang was a postdoctoral researcher in Traffic Information and Control Engineering at Tongji University, Shanghai, China, from 2019 to 2021, where he also pursued his doctoral degree between 2014 and 2019. From 2016 to 2018, he was a visiting Ph.D. student at University of Washington. His research focuses on data-driven optimization and control of transportation systems with connected autonomous vehicles, and machine learning. He is particularly interested in developing machine learning models, control models, optimization models and game theory to tackle research challenges.

At TUM, he will conduct research on “Personalized Cooperative Automated Platooning using Safe Reinforcement Learning”. In this research, he will develop a simulation platform which is capable of simulating human driving behaviours in a realistic traffic and vehicle-to-vehicle communication environment. Further, using safe reinforcement learning theory, he will develop a methodology for describing human driving styles in making decisions on platoon formation, platoon maintenance and platoon dissolution as well as in planning the corresponding trajectory, and a methodology for personalized decision making and trajectory planning for human-machine-collaboration-driven vehicles.

TUM University Foundation Fellows (awarded 2013-2021)

Tuff alumni round 1-11.

This is a non-exhaustive list and only includes persons who provided their consent to be added to the Alumni list.

TUFF Round 1

• Dr. Joanna Deek – Professorship of Molecular and Cellular Biophysics, Department of Physics
• Dr. Satoshi Endo – Chair of Information-oriented Control, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
• Dr. Cristian Gutierrez Ibanez – Chair of Zoology, TUM School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan
• Dr. Juan Leonardo Martinez-Hurtado – Center for Nontechnology and Nanomaterials, Department of Physics
• Dr. Genny Pang – Chair for Biological Imaging, TUM School of Medicine
• Dr. Thomas Stecher – Chair of Theoretical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry

TUFF Round 2

• Dr. Roberta Fonti – Chair of Structural Design, Department of Architecture
• Dr. Sijie Hao – Professorship of Experimental Semiconductor Physics, Department of Physics
• Dr. Paul Albert König – Chair of Clinical Chemistry, TUM School of Medicine
• Dr. Hesam Sagha – Chair of Human-Machine Communication, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
• Dr. Annelies Vandersickel – Chair of Energy Systems, Department of Mechanical Engineering

 TUFF Round 3

• Dr. Siwei Bai – Professorship of Bio-inspired Information Processing, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
• Dr. Karin Kleigrewe – Chair of Food Chemistry and Molecular Sensory Science, TUM School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan
• Dr. Jürgen Rauleder – Chair of Helicopter Technology, Department of Mechanical Engineering
• Dr. Simone Scilabra – Chair of Neuroproteomics, TUM School of Medicine
• Dr. Weiwei Xie – Chair of Theoretical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry
• Dr. Goutam Tanti – Department of Neurology, TUM School of Medicine

TUFF Round 4

• Dr. Ina Bisha – Theoretical Chemical Biology and Protein Modelling Group, TUM School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan
• Dr. Alejandro Cosimo – Chair of Applied Mechanics, Department of Mechanical Engineering
• Dr. Paul D'Agostino – Professorship of Biosystems Chemistry, Department of Chemistry
• Dr. Bhupal Dev – Chair of Theoretical Elementary Particle Physics, Department of Physics
• Dr. Kiwon Um – Chair of Computer Graphics and Visualization, Department of Informatics
• Dr. Bin Zou – Chair of Mathematical Finance, Department of Mathematics

TUFF Round 5

• Dr. Giorgia Aquilar – Chair for Urban Development and Regional Planning, Department of Architecture 
• Dr. Astrid De Clercq – Chair of Physical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry
• Dr. Pablo Lanillos – Chair of Cognitive Systems, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
• Dr. Nicolás M. Ortega – Chair of Livestock Biotechnology, TUM School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan 
• Dr. Pablo Albertos Arranz – Professorship for Biotechnology of Horticultural Crops, TUM School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan 

TUFF Round 6

• Dr. Gulen Burak – Professorship of Protein Chemistry, Department of Chemistry 
• Dr. Alessandro Cattabiani – Chair of Computational Mechanics, Department of Mechanical Engineering
• Dr. Laura Hoodless – Institute of Neuronal Cell Biology, TUM School of Medicine 

TUFF Round 7

• Dr. Batyr Garlyyev – Professorship of Physics of Energy Conversion and Storage, Department of Physics
• Dr. Abdulla Ghani – Professorship of Thermo-Fluid Dynamics, Department of Mechanical Engineering
• Dr. Zhi Jin – Chair of Media Technology, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
• Dr. Tahoora Narany – Chair of Hydrology and River Basin Management, Department of Civil, Geo and Environmental Engineering
• Dr. Gianluca Orlando – Chair for Analysis, Department of Mathematics
• Dr. Yongpeng Wu – Institute for Communications Engineering, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

TUFF Round 8

• Dr. Diala Abu Awad – Section of Population Genetics, TUM School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan
• Dr. Kausik Basak – Chair of Molecular Imaging Engineering, TUM School of Medicine  
• Dr. Jordi Cotela Dalmau – Chair of Structural Analysis, Department of Civil, Geo and Environmental Engineering
• Dr. Hildeberto Jardón Kojakhmetov – Chair of Multiscale and Stochastic Dynamics, Department of Mathematics
• Dr. Shobin Loukkose Rosemary – Chair of Semiconductor Nanostructures and Quantum Systems, Department of Physics
• Dr. Johannes Margraf – Chair of Theoretical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry
• Dr. Jamie McDonald – Professorship of Theoretical Physics of the Early Universe, Department of Physics 
• Dr. Gustavo Adolfo Silva Arias – Section of Population Genetics, TUM School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan
• Dr. Magdalena Wagner – Centre of Land, Water and Environmental Risk Management, TUM Department of Civil, Geo and Environmental Engineering
• Dr. Catherine Weetmann – Professorship of Silicon Chemistry, Department of Chemistry

TUFF Round 9

• Dr. Ana M. Ferreira – Professorship of Biothermodynamics, TUM School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan
• Dr. Biao Yang – Chair of Surface and Interface Physics (E20), Department of Physics
• Dr. Ibon Santiago González – Chair of Physics of Synthetic Biological Systems (E14), Department of Physics
• Dr. Adam Papp – Chair of Nanoelectronics, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
• Dr. Linda Giresini – Chair of Structural Mechanics, Department of Civil, Geo and Environmental Engineering
• Dr. Tianzhe Liu – Chair of Biosystems Chemistry, Department of Chemistry
• Dr. Chien-Yun Lee – Chair of Proteomics and Bioanalytics, TUM School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan
• Dr. Jong-Seob Han – Chair of Aerodynamics and Fluid Mechanics, Department of Mechanical Engineering
• Dr. Liang Dong – Chair of Food Chemistry and Molecular Sensory Science, TUM School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan
• Dr. Philipp Baumert – Chair of Exercise Biology, TUM Department of Sport and Health Sciences
• Dr. Sandra G. L. Persiani   – Chair of Building Technology and Climate Responsive Design, TUM Department of Architecture
• Dr. Cambyse Rouzé – Chair   of Theory of Complex Quantum Systems, TUM Department of Mathematics 
• Dr. Samuel Weber – Chair of Landslide Research, TUM Department of   Civil, Geo and Environmental Engineering
• Dr. Burak Özbey – Chair of High-Frequency Engineering, TUM Department Electrical and Computer Engineering

TUFF Round 10

• Dr. Needhi Kotoky – Chair of Computational Mechanics, TUM Department of   Civil, Geo and Environmental Engineering
• Dr. Haichao Hong – Institute of Flight System Dynamics,TUM Department of Aerospace and Geodesy
• Fadhilah Muslim, PhD – Chair of Materials Science and Testing,TUM Department of   Civil, Geo and Environmental Engineering
• Dr. Bhavya S. – Chair of Aquatic Systems Biology, TUM School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan
• Dr. Gaurav Tomar – Theoretical Elementary Particle Physics, Department of Physics
• Dr. Ali Khansefid – Chair of Structural Mechanics, TUM Department of   Civil, Geo and Environmental Engineering
• Dr. Mohanned Alhussien – Chair of Reproductive Biotechnology, TUM School of Life Sciences
• Dr. Chuang Xu – Multiscale and Stochastic Dynamics, TUM Department of Mathematics 
• Dr. Naveen Tripathi – Chair of Process System Engineering, TUM School of Life Sciences
• Dr. Jingshui Huang – Chair of Hydrology and River Basin Management, TUM Department of   Civil, Geo and Environmental Engineering
• Dr. Xing Huang – Chair of Electronic Design Automation, TUM Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
• Dr. Luisa Roeder – Chair of Human Movement Science, TUM Department of Sport and Health Sciences  

TUFF Round 11

• Dr. Tess Doezema – Chair of Innovation Society and Public Policy (Innovation Research), Munich Center for Technology in Society
• Dr. Thomas Rigotti – Chair of Organic Chemistry I, Department of Chemistry
• Dr. Teresa Pérez Ciria – Chair of Hydrology and River Basin Management,   Department of Civil, Geo and Environmental Engineering
• Dr. Ryan Kisslinger –   Chair of Experimental Semiconductor Physics,   Department of Physics
• Dr. Janio Venturini – Chair of Synthesis and Characterization of Innovative Materials ,  Department of Chemistry
• Adeyinka Adetula, PhD – Chair of Reproductive Biotechnology, TUM School of Life Sciences

TUM Talent Factory

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Welcome Services for international researchers

The TUM Global and Alumni Office provides welcome services to support international postdocs and guest professors, as well as their hosts from TUM, in completing any paperwork and formalities. As the central point of contact for the TUM campuses in Munich, Garching, and Freising, we can help researchers to integrate into academic life at TUM smoothly.

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Postdoctoral Fellows at UH

Contact information.

The postdoctoral fellows association was created to enhance networking, connect postdoc researchers across the university campus, and support an interdisciplinary environment.

For more information please contact an association representative at [email protected] .

UHPFA Board

Career resources.

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Welcome to the University of Houston Postdoctoral Fellows Association (UHPFA). The purpose of the Association is to establish a network of support for postdocs who may be new to the City of Houston and to research positions at the University of Houston. The Association was created to connect new postdocs with UH faculty, alumni, and researchers to enhance funding opportunities, interdisciplinary research, and professional development. 

Join the UHPFA email distribution list (by sending an email request to [email protected] ) and Follow the  UHPFA Facebook Group for more information and activities.

The University of Houston Postdoctoral Fellows Association (UHPFA) is formed by current postdoc researchers at the University of Houston and is aimed to create a platform for:

• Funding Opportunities
• Professional Development

The PFA is committed to addressing the different needs of postdoc researchers through a variety of opportunities by connecting to university resources such as the Career center, the Division of Research, and the Office of the Provost. The PFA advocates for the needs of postdocs and supports interdisciplinary research opportunities. The Association connects postdocs to UH alumni and leaders in industry and academia, creates opportunities for adjunct teaching as well as provides training in grant writing and project development.

The Office of the Provost offers two awards to eligible postdocs, the Postdoctoral Travel Award and the Postdoctoral Career Enhancement Award.

Postdoctoral Travel Award

The Postdoctoral Travel Award is designed to help the University of Houston's postdoctoral fellows, scholars, and researchers enhance their professional development and increase the visibility of the institution by supporting travel to present the results of their research or creative activity at meetings with a national or international audience.

• Download the guidelines
• Fill out the application

Postdoctoral Career Enhancement Award

The Postdoctoral Career Enhancement Award is designed to help the University of Houston's postdoctoral fellows, scholars, and researchers enhance their professional development. The award will support registration and/or travel for internships, extramural courses (e.g. NIH, etc.) to learn new skills, and visiting laboratories to conduct collaborative studies.

The UHPFA Board is currently conformed by:

Previous board members:

• Dr. Joanne Bower, Psychology (Secretary)
• Dr. Krista Beach, Optometry (Events coordinator)
• Dr. David Rio, Optometry (Communications coordinator)
• Dr. Mariano Susman, Chemical Engineering (Communications coordinator)
• Dr. Ayeswarya Ravikumar, Optometry (Secretary)
• Dr. Ankit Mahendra, Chemical Engineering (Co-Chair, Events coordinator)
• Dr. Baskar Arumugam, Optometry (Communications coordinator)
• Dr. Odochi Nwoko, Psychology (Co-chair)
• Dr. Carolina Kunnen, Optometry (Co-chair)
• Dr. Mary Crum, Chemical Engineering (Founding member)
• Dr. Roberta M. Leal, Social Work (Founding member)
• Dr. Binh Vu, Chemical Engineering (Founding member)

The Postdoc Fellows Association has compiled career resource links to provide access to information and websites for job opportunities, grant resources, and professional development.  Click on any of the links below to access more information. If you know of additional sources that you would like to have posted to this page, contact us at [email protected] .

Job Opportunities at UH

• https://uh.edu/human-resources/careers/  

Grant Opportunities

• National Institute of Health
• National Institute of Mental Health
• National Science Foundation
• Fogarty International Center

Professional Development Resources

• http://www.uh.edu/research/

Natural Language Processing and AI Careers

Phd/post-doc/professor.

2 years post-doc offer – An engaging discussion robot for mental health preservation

• Posted 6 days ago
• Closed: Mar 30, 2024

Associate Research Scientists (PhD, Postdoc) in AI and NLP

• Posted 1 week ago
• Closes: Apr 15, 2024

Reader (Assoc Prof), Senior Lecturer, Lecturer in Data Science, AI, Cybersecurity and CS

• Closes: Jun 19, 2024

Professorship (W2) in ML (possibly NLP)

• Posted 2 weeks ago
• Closes: Apr 17, 2024

PhD/Junior Researcher or PostDoc/Senior Researcher (f/m/x) in Knowledge Graphs and Generative AI

• Closes: Jun 17, 2024

Postdoctoral Position

A postdoc position in NLP

• Posted 3 weeks ago
• Closes: Apr 1, 2024

Postdoc opening

• Closes: Jun 11, 2024

Lecturer – Quantum Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence

• Closes: Jun 6, 2024

Postdoc / Research Engineer position in Computational Social Sciences

• Closes: Jun 5, 2024

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Alumni Update | Matthew Rarey (MA’08; PhD’14) Wins Top Art History Book Award

Matthew Rarey (M.A. 2008, Ph.D. 2014) has won the College Art Association’s 2024 Charles Rufus Morey Book Award for his first book,  Insignificant Things: Amulets and the Art of Survival in the Early Black Atlantic  (Duke University Press, 2023). Professor Rarey is an Associate Professor of African and Black Atlantic art history and the Chair of Oberlin College and Conservatory’s Art History Department. You can read a recent interview Prof. Rarey did at Oberlin  here . Congratulations  Matt! We’re so proud of you! Photo credit: Tanya Rosen-Jones

• ISGMH Welcomes Leiszle Lapping-Carr

ISGMH Welcomes New Faculty Member Leiszle Lapping-Carr

Prior to joining ISGMH, Lapping-Carr was appointed to Feinberg School of Medicine as an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. Lapping-Carr has worked with ISGMH at various stages of her doctoral training and early career, starting during her clinical internship at Northwestern in 2018.

Queering Sexual Health Interventions

Currently, Lapping-Carr’s main area of research is the perinatal mental health of LGBTQ+ individuals.

“I am working to adapt perinatal mental health interventions that are mostly geared towards heterosexual and cisgender women to be applicable to and inclusive of the needs and realities of queer and trans people.”

This work involves expanding the language used to describe pregnant individuals and parents in the evidence-based Mothers and Babies intervention. Lapping-Carr’s queer-friendly update to the intervention will be called “Parents and Babies” and use more flexible pronouns and terminology that don’t assume parents’ gender identities.

“Many of the basic suggestions we want to give queer parents—such as fostering mindfulness and developing coping strategies—are not substantively different than those already set out in the Mothers and Babies intervention. But the specifics of those suggestions and examples used to illustrate them need to be tweaked to be more applicable to queer families. We also want to introduce other concepts like minority stress and social safety, which are societal stressors that really impact LGBTQ+ folks’ mental health in a way that cis, heterosexual women don’t experience,” explained Lapping-Carr.

Beyond her work with perinatal interventions, Lapping-Carr is interested in the sexual and reproductive health in LGBTQ+ populations more broadly.

“Researching sexual health in the LGBTQ+ population often means focusing HIV and risky behaviors. However, I come from sex therapy background and am interested in pleasure, functioning, and having healthy sexual relationships. These very important aspects of sexual health tend to be strained during major reproductive experiences like pregnancy, menopause, and fertility treatment. This is where my passion lies,” said Lapping-Carr.

Connecting Clinical Work and Research

In addition to her work as a researcher, Lapping-Carr is a certified sex therapist who sees LGBTQ+ individuals and couples. Lapping-Carr’s patients are referred to her when experiencing issues like reproductive distress and relationship concerns. She also supervises several trainees who benefit from her clinical experience and training.

“While this is improving, there are relatively few sex therapists who feel competent in working with the trans population, largely due to the fact that people don’t receive much training working with trans patients. But this is a population that I have always cared about, so I purposely sought out trainings and supervisors who would help me be a good clinician who is responsive to and respectful of trans patients’ needs,” said Lapping-Carr.

Lapping-Carr noted that her clinical and research work both inform and influence each other.

“I am so immersed in research on current trends and recommendations in my field, that I have an extra confidence knowing I am up to date on what I do as a clinician. Doing this deep therapeutic work with individuals also gives me ideas for future research and helps me learn what questions to ask. By connecting with others, I am able to think outside of my own experience and incorporate the perspectives of others into my research,” said Lapping-Carr.

Read Leiszle Lapping-Carr’s Research

Perinatal Depression Screening Among Sexual Minority Women , JAMA Psychiatry

Stress and Depression Are Associated with Sexual Function and Satisfaction in Young Men Who Have Sex with Men , Archives of Sexual Behavior

Evidence for the Impact of Stress and Trauma on Sexual Function in Women: Review and Clinical Recommendations , Obstetrics & Gynecology Clinics

• Faculty & Staff

UW Bothell School of STEM Division of Biological Sciences Faculty – Special Meeting Update

Tuesday, April 2, 2024, at 12:30pm in Innovation Hall (INV) Room 240 & Zoom

• Check in and DEI Share
• Announcements
• Faculty Council report
• DEI Committee
• Curriculum/scheduling
• Personnel Committee
• Petitions Committee
• New business/other issues
• Meeting adjourns

How a cargo ship took down Baltimore’s Key Bridge

To bridge experts, the collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge after being hit by a heavy cargo ship was as inevitable as it was devastating.

When a vessel as heavy as the Singapore-flagged Dali crashes with such force into one of the span’s supercolumns, or piers, the result is the type of catastrophic, and heartbreaking, chain reaction that took place early Tuesday.

“If the column is destroyed, basically the structure will fall down,” said Dan Frangopol, a bridge engineering and risk professor at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania who is president of the International Association for Bridge Maintenance and Safety. “It’s not possible to redistribute the loads. It was not designed for these things.”

No bridge pier could withstand being hit by a ship the size of the Dali, said Benjamin W. Schafer, a professor of civil and systems engineering at Johns Hopkins University.

“These container ships are so huge,” Schafer said. “That main span has two supports. You can’t take one away.” He called the accident “a huge infrastructure failure,” but not because of the bridge collapse; he said the shipping industry needs systems to keep a ship on track when it loses power, as the Dali did before the collision.

The bridge itself, which carried more than 30,000 vehicles daily, appeared to be structurally sound. Its condition was rated fair, according to data in the 2023 National Bridge Inventory maintained by the Federal Highway Administration. Maryland state officials said they were focused on search-and-rescue operations and did not provide later inspection data. National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy said excavating detailed inspection history information — and what was done in response to any earlier findings — will be a cumbersome and protracted part of the agency’s investigation.

But bridge safety and engineering experts are emphasizing a separate issue: protective barriers.

When the span opened to traffic in 1977, many ships were smaller and the standards for protecting bridges against them were lower, they said.

A few years later, a Liberian cargo ship crashed into a bridge in Florida , sending a Greyhound bus, a pickup truck and six cars into the Tampa Bay and killing 35 people, according to the NTSB. That deadly 1980 collision helped lead to the adoption of stronger national standards for bridges, including protection from errant ships, in the years that followed, safety experts said.

Sherif El-Tawil, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at University of Michigan with expertise in bridges, said if the Key Bridge had been built after those updated standards from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials were put in place, the span could still be standing.

“I believe it would have survived,” El-Tawil said.

Maryland officials did not answer questions Tuesday about what protective devices were in place near the bridge and whether they were sufficient to withstand this type of collision.

Two examples of protective measures that did not appear to have been in place, El-Tawil said, were large fenders designed to direct marine traffic away from the bridge supports and an island built around the pier.

Some states are building these kinds of protection systems around vital bridges. Last year, officials from a joint New Jersey and Delaware bridge authority announced work on eight 80-foot-wide, stone-filled cylinders designed to protect the Delaware Memorial Bridge. The existing protection for the bridge tower piers dates to 1951. “Today’s tankers and ships are bigger and faster than those of the 1950s and 1960s,” the officials said in announcing the nearly $93 million project.

State departments of transportation “are aware of the shortcomings of these bridges,” said Roberto T. Leon, a bridge and structural engineering professor at Virginia Tech. “It’s not that they don’t know. It’s a matter of prioritizing the repairs. It is a very expensive proposition to protect a bridge.”

Ian Firth, a British structural engineer and bridge designer, said he was “not surprised” at how quickly the bridge came down after it was hit. He noted that the support structure that was struck, which would have been made of reinforced concrete, was one of two main supports responsible for doing “all the work” to hold up the bridge.

He said the ship appeared to have strayed to one side before striking the bridge.

The bridge collapse, like other calamities, is probably the result of overlapping low-probability failures, said Edward Tenner, a historian and expert on disasters — akin to what happens when, by chance, the holes in a stack of Swiss cheese slices line up perfectly.

“This might have been a case where there were just an unlikely series of failures,” said Tenner, author of “Why Things Bite Back,” a book about technology and its unanticipated consequences. But he added, “I suspect there was something about the equipment of a huge ship like that, given the potential for damage like this, there should have been more redundancy. There shouldn’t have been one point of failure that could lead to a catastrophe.”

Speaking Tuesday afternoon in Baltimore, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg called the accident “a unique circumstance,” adding, “I do not know of a bridge that has been constructed to withstand a direct impact from a vessel of this size.”

The ship was towed into the Patapsco River initially, but the tugboats did not accompany the ship all the way to the bridge, said John Konrad, a retired ship captain who runs the gCaptain maritime news website and co-authored a book on the Deepwater Horizon oil spill .

“The safe thing to do is keep the tugs,” Konrad said. “Moving forward, I think that’s going to happen. The Coast Guard is going to say you’ve got to keep the tugs tied up until you pass the bridge.”

In video imagery, the ship can be seen losing electrical power, then briefly regaining it before going completely dark. The ship then veers to the right, directly toward the bridge’s structural support.

The rudder may have gotten stuck in a position that caused the ship to turn, said a senior retired maritime official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity while waiting for more details on the incident. It’s also possible that an incoming tide could have been a factor, he said.

“Obviously, they could not control the ship. They could not stop the ship,” he said.

A deficiency in the Dali’s systems was discovered when the ship was inspected in June, records show. Inspectors at the port of San Antonio, Chile, discovered a problem categorized as relating to “propulsion and auxiliary machinery,” according to the Tokyo MOU, an intergovernmental shipping regulator in the Asia-Pacific region. The issue was classified in the subcategory of “Gauges, thermometers, etc,” but no additional details of the deficiency were provided. The problem was not serious enough to warrant detaining the ship, according to the records.

After a follow-up inspection later the same day, the Dali was found to have no outstanding deficiencies, the records show, indicating that the problem was addressed.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) said at a news conference Tuesday that the Dali lost power and issued an emergency call for help shortly before the freighter crashed into the bridge. The “mayday” distress call allowed officials to halt vehicle traffic headed over the bridge and saved lives, Moore said.

Erin Cox, Tom Jackman, Jon Swaine, Joyce Lee and Mark Johnson contributed to this report.

An earlier version of this article misstated the title of Edward Tenner's book. It is "Why Things Bite Back." This version has been corrected.

Baltimore bridge collapse

How it happened: Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed after being hit by a cargo ship . The container ship lost power shortly before hitting the bridge, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) said. Video shows the bridge collapse in under 40 seconds.

Victims: Divers have recovered the bodies of two construction workers , officials said. They were fathers, husbands and hard workers . A mayday call from the ship prompted first responders to shut down traffic on the four-lane bridge, saving lives.

Economic impact: The collapse of the bridge severed ocean links to the Port of Baltimore, which provides about 20,000 jobs to the area . See how the collapse will disrupt the supply of cars, coal and other goods .

Rebuilding: The bridge, built in the 1970s , will probably take years and cost hundreds of millions of dollars to rebuild , experts said.