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By Gayla Marty
February 26, 2009
The University of Minnesota has been named among the top ten workplaces for postdoctoral scholars in an annual survey conducted by The Scientist, an international magazine of the life sciences.
The ranking places the University among top-tier public and private laboratories, agencies, and companies. The top rank went to the prestigious Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, affiliated with MIT, followed by such innovative names as Sandia National Laboratories, Novartis, and Genentech. At number 10, Minnesota stands out as the top and only public university among the top 20.*
 Postdoctoral scholars are short-term employees, primarily in the sciences, who conduct and publish research in laboratories and universities around the world. Many scientific fields require a period of postdoctoral work before hiring into a permanent or tenure-track position.
The University of Minnesota employs about 900 postdoctoral researchers across its college units each year, with the majority in the sciences and engineering. Because they play such a vital role in the research enterprise, the University created the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs within the Graduate School in 2002. The Postdoctoral Association formed in 2003.
"This recognition is a credit to the quality of the mentoring provided by the University's faculty and to the commitment of the Postdoctoral Association," said Noro Andriamanalina, director of the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs. She coordinates a set of more than 30 popular, professional development workshops each year for postdoctoral scholars and more than 10,000 graduate students to help them prepare for careers in academia, industry, and other sectors. Topics range from grant writing and publishing to teaching and the job search process.
The Scientist serves leading researchers in academia and industry and publishes the annual ranking based on a reader survey. The survey gathers input on quality of training, mentoring, work environment, and other factors.
"The University of Minnesota's presence in the top ten is an extraordinary accomplishment," said Gail Dubrow, vice provost and dean of the Graduate School. "It's an indicator of excellence in graduate education and postdoctoral training, and it shows the synergy between them."
The University of Minnesota is a leader among institutions providing comprehensive and coherent services for postdoctoral scholars. Andriamanalina and Dubrow have been sought out to make presentations about the University's model to universities around the country that are seeking to create their own programs.
Recognizing the value of postdoctoral scholars
Last year, the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs created two new awards to recognize outstanding postdoctoral scholars and the faculty who mentor them. The winners were awarded at a welcome reception for new postdoctoral scholars in the fall, which was attended by top University leaders and more than 200 enthusiastic faculty members and scholars.
The 2008 recipients of the Outstanding Postdoctoral Scholars Award were Christine Greenhow, curriculum and instruction; Joshua McDermott, psychology; and Jennifer Warren, family medicine and community health. Criteria include outstanding intellectual leadership and scholarly achievement.
Recipients of the award for Outstanding Faculty Mentor of Postdoctoral Scholars were Gary Dunny, microbiology; and Dianne Neumark-Sztainer, epidemiology and community health. Leadership and advocacy are critical criteria for selection.
To Carrie Ketel, president of the University's Postdoctoral Association, the ranking in The Scientist survey is another sign of the high value the University places on postdoctoral scholars.
"This reflects not only the high quality of the U of M faculty who recruit postdocs, but also the collaborations between the Postdoctoral Association and the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs to create a sense of community through networking and career development opportunities," said Ketel.
For more information, see the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs or contact Noro Andriamanalina, 612-626-4546.
Updated March 2, 2009
*The top 20 U.S. institutions in The Scientist's 2009 ranking are:
1. Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA
2. The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME
3. The J. David Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA
4. The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Ardmore, OK
5. Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, CA
6. Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, MA
7. Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, WA
8. Rocky Mountain Laboratories, NIH, Hamilton, MT
9. Genentech, San Francisco, CA
10. University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
11. Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Oak Ridge, TN
12. Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA
13. Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL
14. Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA
15. Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, MI
16. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle
Park, NC
17. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA
18. Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research, Ithaca , NY
19. National Cancer Institute, Bethesda/Frederick, MD
20. Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
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