While postdoctoral scholars are responsible for their career trajectory and success, Stanford faculty members are expected to initiate and provide on-going mentoring, guidance, and resources, in both scientific and career development, to support their Postdoctoral Scholars towards their goals successfully. Mentors/PIs should initiate those conversations and discuss research direction and progress and career goals. Scholars are encouraged to request those conversations if they are not otherwise taking place.

1. RESPONSIBILITIES OF FACULTY MENTORS

A faculty mentor inviting a Postdoctoral Scholar to Stanford is expected to work with that individual to develop a plan of research and goals for the period of training in connection with the initial term of appointment and on ongoing basis. The faculty member approves this plan, and during the term of the appointment ensures adequate office/laboratory space. In addition, members of the Stanford faculty are expected to:

Carry out an annual formal research progress and career mentoring discussion.

Encourage Postdoctoral Scholars to seek secondary mentors who could provide them with opportunities in new areas of research, foster collaboration and offer them with guidance and support to assist with their career goals.

Seek the participation of these secondary mentors or multiple other faculty members in the annual progress reviews with their Scholars.

Encourage Postdoctoral Scholars to participate in career development activities (workshops, courses, pre-conference events), recognizing that the short postdoctoral training period requires seeking such information early in the training period.

Encourage Postdoctoral Scholars to engage in social networking opportunities, such as attendance of talks and seminars in the department or University-wide.

2. RESPONSIBILITIES OF POSTDOCTORAL SCHOLARS

Postdoctoral Scholars are expected to carry out the study or research outlined with the faculty sponsor, to communicate regularly with the faculty sponsor on the status of the research, and to notify the faculty sponsor of any change in plans. The Scholar is not expected to handle administrative duties for the PI or the lab/research group, or to be on a dissertation reading committee for any graduate student. The scholar is expected to continue his/her development toward independence.

3. JOINT RESPONSIBILITIES

To facilitate the postdoctoral mentoring process, Postdoctoral Scholars and their faculty mentors (PIs) are expected to hold at least three formal one-on-one meetings that are not part of larger research team meetings:

An initial meeting at the start of the postdoctoral appointment is a formal discussion within the first 4 weeks of the appointment, with the goal of understanding career-orientation, setting short-term objectives, defining research project responsibilities, and appraising existing knowledge and skills and the need of new knowledge and skills.

Annual meeting(s) to discuss progress, preferably a formal discussion after the calendar New Year. Secondary mentors or other faculty mentors are also encouraged to attend. The goal of this meeting is to review progress, evaluate prior set plans and accomplishments, regarding both research and career goals, and determine goals for the following year.

Exit interview at the conclusion of the appointment is a discussion upon resignation or end of appointment, where it would be an opportunity to address future research trajectories; differentiation strategies if the Scholar is pursuing the same lines of research as the faculty mentors; and possible opportunities or plans for collaboration.

Suggested templates to frame the discussions during those meetings are available at:
https://postdocs.stanford.edu/faculty_mentors/PDF/Meeting_Template_Form.pdf.