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DE
In the week of September 15, our umc, together with other umc’s and universities in the Netherlands, will host the very first Postdoc Appreciation Week (PAW). A week to put our postdocs — PhD researchers with temporary contracts — in the spotlight. What's on the program? And why is this attention for our postdocs so important
Postdoc Appreciation Week originated in the United States. Many countries now participate, such as the United Kingdom and Germany, and this year the Netherlands for the first time. It is a week to put postdocs in the spotlight. ‘It's a special position,’ says Clasien Oomen, research policy advisor. ‘Postdocs have a temporary contract. How long varies, but it is often two years. A postdoc can develop further towards an academic career, for example as a research group leader. But it can also be a career outside academia, for example as a research leader or consultant at a biotech or pharmaceutical company.’
Appreciation
Postdocs play an indispensable role in the research landscape. ‘They supervise PhD students, develop new methods, and often take on tasks from the research group leaders,’ says Clasien. ‘At the same time, due to the temporary nature of their contracts, they are not always sufficiently recognized or appreciated.’
‘The second word in PAW is Appreciation,’ says Sylvia Nauta, a postdoc herself. ‘That appreciation varies per group and supervisor. Sometimes not all your skills are recognized or utilized, especially because you often only have a short contract.’ Postdoc Lisa Teufel also emphasizes this: “Because we often only stay for a short time, some colleagues in the department don't know us very well. With PAW, we want to show how important our work is. We also hope to gain more access to resources, such as additional courses and training, that will help us become better researchers.’
Clasien Oomen: ‘Due to the temporary nature of their contracts, postdocs are not always sufficiently recognized or appreciated.’
What's on the agenda?
During the PAW, there will be both national and local activities. Nationally, online sessions will be organized, such as a panel discussion with umc deans, a workshop on stress management, a masterclass on career opportunities outside academia, and various coaching consultation hours. All activities can be found on the PostdocNL website.
Interviews will also be shared, not only with postdocs themselves, but also with those who work with postdocs. Follow the Radboudumc Postdoc Council on LinkedIn to stay up to date.
Activities at Radboudumc
The Radboudumc Postdoc Council, in which both Sylvia and Lisa are active, has organized its own program for our umc. Sylvia: ‘Among other things, we have an information session about the Talent Track at Radboudumc and a workshop about career opportunities outside the umc. Finally, there is the Postdocs Off Duty event, where you can meet fellow postdocs from other departments. In total, we have about 200 to 350 postdocs at our umc. However, some departments only have one or two postdocs. It's nice to find each other and get to know each other better.’
In addition, our colleagues in HR offer special career consultation hours and advice for postdocs. There will also be a roundtable discussion with Guillén Fernandez, scientific director, about the challenges postdocs face. Lisa: ‘As a postdoc, you can also raise difficult issues here. For example, about short contractsthat can make it difficult to follow up on your research. This promises to be an open discussion.’
Check the intranet for the PAW program at Radboudumc.
Engaging in conversation with postdocs
What do we hope to achieve with Postdoc Appreciation Week? Lisa: ‘We want to demonstrate that we contribute structurally to the quality of research.’ Only about 10 percent of postdocs remain in academia, Sylvia continues: ‘Most go into sectors such as biotech or pharmaceuticals. Whether you continue your career within or outside the umc as a postdoc, good support is always crucial. We want to focus fully on this with PAW.’
‘This week, we want to encourage supervisors to engage in conversation with their postdocs,’ says Clasien. ‘Postdocs are at a crossroads in their careers: what do you want to learn, which direction are you going in? A simple conversation or introduction to a network can mean a lot. This is also how we profile ourselves as an attractive place for postdocs.’
All Postdoc Appreciation Week activities at a glance:
- Postdoc Appreciation Week activities at Radboudumc
- Postdoc Appreciation Week activities at the Donders Institute
- National PAW activities can be found on PostdocNL
- Follow the Radboudumc Postdoc Council on LinkedIn
- You can follow PAW on social media via the hashtag #PAW-NL
