Research careers – Harnessing the power of postdocs

Postdocs are the engine of academic research.

The combination of their problem solving and highly technical skills make them essential for driving progress in research. They also act as role models and fulfil a key role in helping to train PhD, Masters, and Undergraduate students. Life as a postdoc can be an enormously rewarding and productive – unshackled from the requirement to generate a thesis and armed with a refined scientific skillset, postdocs are primed to run with a project and make things happen.

However, it’s also a career stage where researchers face significant challenges, particularly around job precarity and career progression. Indeed, discussions at CRUK’s recent Postdoc Futures event brought into sharp focus the fact that postdocs need more support in taking the next step in their careers.

When we asked attendees at the meeting what their career plans were, half of them wanted to take the academic group leader path. Among this group, many felt that they were not getting enough support to help them take this step, citing challenges with carving out your own research niche while working within someone else’s group, developing leadership and management skills, and finding the time and guidance to write fellowship and other funding proposals as key barriers to progress.

And that’s a problem. We clearly need brilliant scientists in academia and should be doing all we can to attract, support, and retain them. That is why we at CRUK have developed our new Bridge to Academic Leadership programme which aims to do exactly this.

However I’d argue we should also be doing more to help those in the other half of the room.

What is postdoc success?

I faced my stick or twist moment after 7 years as a postdoc. I clearly remember the moment where I stopped wondering whether I could be a group leader in academia and asked whether I wanted to be one.

I also remember the slight feeling of failure as I said “I don’t want to be a PI” out loud to my supervisor.

Since I started my postdoc in 2010, there has been a significant shift in the perception that everyone who does a postdoc will stay in academia. However, there is still a culture where the expected next step for a “successful” postdoc is to be a group leader.

But academia is not the only route to using your postdoctoral experience, there are many equally valuable options. The skills (analytical, technical, communication, project management…. the list goes on) and personal qualities (perseverance, adaptability, independence to name a few) possessed by a postdoc are highly desirable within many sectors.

The panel discussion at Postdoc Futures showcased the breadth of options open to those with a strong research background. The speakers, who were all cancer postdoc alumni, included a cancer data analyst working in the NHS, the Chief Operating Officer of a research institute, as well as individuals working in publishing, research funding, tech transfer and industry. Although all on different career paths now, each of them spoke about how the skills they gained as postdocs helped to get them where they are today.

Empowering postdocs to take their next step

To help those who want to stay in academia, funders and host institutions should focus on identifying and filling the gaps in training that leave postdocs feeling underprepared to make the transition to group leader.

For those whose next steps lie outside of academia, we as a community should ensure that postdocs are aware of the professional value their training gives them. We need to be more open about celebrating next steps that allow postdocs to continue to contribute to cancer research beyond academia.