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March 7 , 2005
Emory ranks high in survey as destination for postdocs

BY beverly clark

Emory ranks among the country’s top 10 academic institutions in terms of providing the best work environments for life science postdoctoral research professionals, according to rankings in The Scientist’s third annual “Best Places to Work for Postdocs” survey.

More than 3,500 postdocs from around the country responded to this year’s survey; they indicated that valuable training experience, access to research equipment and library resources, and a good mentoring relationship are ingredients that make for a great workplace. Full survey results can be found in the Feb. 14 issue of The Scientist.

“This ranking reflects well on our programs for postdocs in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and its Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, as well as the School of Medicine,” said Frank Stout, vice president for research administration. “Our focused and well-managed efforts to provide positive, meaningful support and access to faculty and facilities go a long way in helping our postdocs move forward in their careers.”

“That Emory has been recognized in this way is truly a credit to our faculty and the effectiveness of the Office of Postdoctoral Education,” said Bryan Noe, interim dean of the graduate school and professor of cell biology. “The faculty with whom postdoctoral fellows interact at Emory take their role as colleagues and mentors very seriously; the fellows understand that their faculty advisers are invested in their career development. Additionally, the Office of Postdoctoral Education has definitely played a role in ensuring that postdoctoral fellows at Emory have a high level of job satisfaction.”

In recent years, the Office of Postdoctoral Education, which tracks and serves the needs of postdocs Universitywide, has set standards for compensation, increased benefits for postdoctoral fellows, sponsored career development seminars, and promoted other activities that “have clearly contributed to the well being of postdoctoral trainees at Emory,” Noe said.

Overall in The Scientist’s survey, government institutions and private research centers landed 11 of the top 15 slots. In their ranking of academic institutions, Emory placed ninth; the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Washington University (St. Louis) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology were the top three. Other schools in the top 10 included Michigan State University, Medical College of Wisconsin, University of Michigan, Virginia Commonwealth University, the University of Alabama-Birmingham and the University of Kansas.

 

 

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