Applying for a postdoctoral research (a “post-doc fellow”) position requires as much resolve completing as the work you prepared to be admitted into your Ph.D. program. These positions are usually fully paid and range from six months to up to five years, and require you to live in the area where you are obtaining that position.  Information on these can easily be found on the Internet.  Other benefits can be made available to you, depending on the institution. You can search for these positions by your field of expertise, by state, or other elements. The following websites appear to be pretty comprehensive about available positions where seekers and finders can connect:

1)              www.postdocjobs.com/      
2)             www.nature.com/naturejobs/science
3)             sciencecareers.sciencemag.org
4)             www.earthworks-jobs.com/
5)             www.ncar.ucar.edu/opportunities/
6)             www.jsps.go.jp/english/index.html (in Japan)

The postdoctoral scholarly position is much like an internship in the working environment and is seen as the stepping stone to completing one’s education and preparing to move into teaching at the university level. These are usually funded externally and through grants with the money given to the school to administer as the position progresses. Any research and writing conducted at this stage are used to prompt the person to publication, final achievement and development to pursue their careers independently. 

Steps to activating the process for attaining the fellowship are usually the same as those required for a job interview. You will need to submit a cover letter indicating your research interest as well as your proposal for the research to be conducted and your experience and qualifications. This website shows a good example of what may be requested by any institution:

http://www.vsp.ucar.edu/00nrl.html

You will include your resume and a list of publications and research experience related to the field for which you are applying.  Remember when I talked about the importance of being published in scientific journals or other pertinent publications?  Here’s the reason – and you will shine on your paperwork. Remember to include any organizations, affiliations or activities with which you are involved and that relate to your experience as well as three references with contact information.  You should have contacted these people in advance and asked for their permission to use them as a reference and ensure that their reference is a good one.

While fellowships vary widely, some offer the possibility of traveling to conferences and flexibility in planning one’s curriculum and day.  This is a big relief for those who aspire to do more than just study and the possibility of engaging in a relationship or having a life outside of academia! After all those years – this is the time to enjoy some of life’s little pleasures.

A post-doc is another coveted position that can lead to better and full-time professorship positions once you are done with it. When one is employed as a professor that position usually requires that their time be divided 40% among research, 40% teaching and 20% service to the educational institution of which they are a part. Contrary to that, at this stage post-docs can devote 100% of their time to their research and use it for self-promotion.  This is the place where a lot of flexibility exists to build oneself up; whether the choice is to research, advise or supervise other Ph.D. students (remember when you were there and see how far you’ve come?).  Other duties that typically come at the Ph.D. earning level, like preparing lectures, attending faculty meetings, and analyzing data, can be indulged in at your discretion (as opposed to their being assigned).

You should know that it is in your interest to do a post-doctoral fellowship because anyone completing one has an advantage over someone who did not. Salaries are said to start at higher ranges and opportunities are wider for the post-doc fellow. This position can also affect future promotions (see Wikipedia at tinyurl.com/3xfhgw).