Your progress towards becoming an independent, life-sciences-focused scientist will be facilitated by postdoctoral training with an experienced scientist who is committed to promoting your career. Your choice of a mentor is important and assessment of your mentor is part of the evaluation and selection process for the Hanna H. Gray Fellows Program.
Factors to consider in selecting a postdoctoral training mentor are the quality and impact of the mentor’s research findings, their view of their role in your training and career development, and their experience with their own training and with their trainees. Your interpersonal connection with your mentor will also be important to your training experience. You might also want to consider the other postdoctoral trainees within the mentor’s lab and their career paths.
The mentor must be in a tenure-track position at a university or research institution (or the equivalent at institutions that do not have the tenure-track). Although some of the current Hanna Gray Fellows are training in laboratories supported by HHMI, this is not a requirement or expectation.
Resources to help guide you in the selection of a postdoctoral position and training mentor
- Picking a postdoc (PDF)
- Tips for choosing a postdoc lab
- Preparing and applying for a postdoc
Includes tips on focus and visibility once you've started
Additional resources
- Developing your research question and project
- Making the Right Moves
A guide to scientific management for postdocs and new faculty