Supporting the Development of Postdocs, Building a Pipeline of Innovators
World-class researchers are in a constant pursuit of knowledge. One step in this lifelong journey is a postdoctoral fellowship. Many investigators take advantage of a postdoctoral position as a unique, short-term training opportunity, designed to extend, refine, and enhance skills necessary to transition to a permanent career position.
Affectionately called “postdocs,” this group of researchers is an essential part of the CHOP Research community; postdocs make indispensible contributions in almost every lab and research group, including the programs of the most high-achieving scientists.
A postdoc position also helps young investigators, who face incredible competition to become an independently funded investigator. The resources, mentoring, and support postdocs receive hones their scientific skills and helps them become more competitive in the world of academic research.
CHOP Research invests considerable resources into the postdoc community, not only to strengthen the careers of individual investigators and today’s leading research programs, but also to build a pipeline of innovators who will advance scientific investigations at CHOP Research, and possibly even other institutions, working toward a common goal of eradicating disease.
CHOP Research was included in the eighth annual “Best Places to Work for Postdocs” survey from The Scientist, a magazine for life science professionals. The Institute was ranked among the top 15 U.S. institutions that support the values and needs of their postdocs according to 11 categories that encompass the quality of training and mentoring, facilities and infrastructure, funding and compensation, and work-life balance.
CHOP Research’s investment in the next generation of research scientists at Children’s Hospital is led by the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs, a dedicated administrative resource that maintains materials and programs to assist postdocs as they prepare for a well-rounded career. The office provides a number of venues in which postdocs can gain support, such as the newly launched CHOP Research Trainee Web Portal.
Investments into our postdoc program have made CHOP Research a leading center for training new scientists who will lead the next generation of research and will continue CHOP Research’s history of successfully identifying critical clinical targets and supplying innovative solutions through translational research.
