Learn more about postdocs at Dalhousie University

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‘Postdoc’ is shorthand for Postdoctoral Fellow. A postdoc is an individual who has obtained a doctoral degree i.e. PhD/MD. They continue their research training under supervision of a Principal Investigator, or “PI”. Historically, postdoctoral research positions were considered a temporary position on the academic career path, but increasingly people do multiple postdoctoral contracts in a row. Postdocs gain skills and experience that will prepare them to become principal investigators or faculty members. In some cases, Postdocs also take responsibilities like mentoring, grant writing and teaching. While the vast majority of postdocs work in STEM fields, these types of positions are becoming more common in social sciences and the humanities.

At Dalhousie University, there are two types of postdocs: Postdoctoral Fellow Employees (PDFs) or Postdoctoral Scholars (PDSs. Which of these a postdoc is depends primarily on how their salary is paid; PDFs are paid through Dalhousie University and are unionised, PDSs are paid via an external fellowship and are not unionised.

A postdoc is primarily a researcher who works under the supervision of a mentor as part of a larger research group. As such, they conduct research, either on a pre-specified project or one of their own design and publish that research. At the same time, a postdoc is meant to prepare young researchers to become principal investigators or junior faculty members, so they also take on senior responsibilities like mentoring, grant writing, and teaching.

There is no set length for a postdoc. It will depend on a number of factors such as the university, country of research, PI, or funding. That being said, postdocs can only be a postdoc for a maximum of 6 years at Dalhousie University. It is common to do more than one postdoc before applying for faculty positions.

Postdoc positions can be funded in several ways. Some postdocs are salaried employees of a university, institution, or company. Other times they are paid a stipend from a grant, fellowship, or scholarship, or a combination of these.