From Postdoc to Research Faculty crash course
A collaborative approach to supporting Toronto postdocs with academic job searches.
Postdoctoral researchers are invaluable members of research communities, making integral research discoveries that advance knowledge and often playing a critical role in training junior students and researchers. While Canadian postdocs generally receive some formal professional development training, access to programming designed specifically for postdocs preparing for academic careers is highly variable across institutions.
In Toronto, a group of postdoctoral professional development specialists is committed to addressing this challenge. The Greater Toronto Area Research Training Centre (GTA RTC) network was established over eight years ago for professionals from Toronto’s academic and hospital-based research institutions to meet on a monthly basis to collaborate and share resources. In early 2023, this network identified a shared problem: across their academic and hospital-based research institutions, postdocs were voicing a need for professional development support to help them navigate the daunting academic job search process. Each participating organization supports between 20 and 300 postdocs with limited resources.
To support Toronto-area postdocs in applying for and securing a research faculty position, specialists from eight different Toronto universities and hospital-based research training centres — Baycrest Academy for Research and Education, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), Sinai Health, Toronto Metropolitan University-Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science, Unity Health Toronto, University Health Network, and University of Toronto-Schmidt AI in Science Program — formed a working group to collaboratively develop the From Postdoc to Research Faculty Crash Course, a training program that all postdocs in Toronto could access, regardless of their academic or hospital affiliation.
Inspired by a successful Principal Investigator (PI) Prep School program created in 2012 at SickKids, the curriculum was developed collaboratively, leveraging the diverse perspectives, experiences, and talents amongst the group while sharing resources and dividing tasks to increase efficiency and reduce administrative burden.
The program provided:
- a mix of virtual and in-person didactic presentations and interactive learning experiences about all elements of an academic job search (i.e., academic CVs and cover letters, research statements, teaching dossiers, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion statements, interviews, chalk talks and negotiating);
- concrete examples and strategies to help participants develop their own impactful materials;
- one-on-one feedback to participants on their CVs and cover letters;
- and a final in-person networking event where postdocs could learn directly from early career and senior faculty members how to develop their academic networks.
The response to the From Postdoc to Research Faculty Crash Course was overwhelmingly positive, with more than 1200 registrants for the 6 offerings and more than 600 registrants attending live. Where possible, workshop recordings and slides were shared on the crash course website, facilitating asynchronous, continual learning and access to resources. Post-program surveys revealed that 95 per cent of postdoc respondents believed that the program met or exceeded their expectations while 87 per cent believed that the program helped them to prepare to transition into a faculty position.
As the GTA RTC network prepares to repeat the program in fall 2025 with modifications based on participant feedback, we reflect on the essential role that collaboration played in feasibly executing such a large and impactful program. Each program offering was spearheaded by a different subset of the working group, dividing the primary role for designing and facilitating the modules between the specialists. This collaborative approach allowed each institution to concentrate its efforts on the development of one or two components, while benefiting from the collective insights and feedback of the entire group. By pooling resources and knowledge in this way, the working group was able to co-create a cohesive and comprehensive program that would have been challenging for any single institution to develop alone.
This underscores the powerful role that cross-institutional collaboration can play in expanding professional development programming. In an uncertain financial landscape, postdocs require more support for career exploration and readiness while academic and hospital-based institutions face tightened budgets. To maximize impact and equity of access, postdoctoral professional development specialists should seek opportunities to connect with other professionals and organizations regionally and nationally to collaboratively co-create and deliver programming. Leveraging virtual and asynchronous formats can provide a feasible option for collaborative programming among geographically dispersed organizations across Canada, as demonstrated by courses such as the Postdoc Academy in the U.S. With institutions sharing resources, bandwidth and expertise, every postdoc in Canada could have access to comprehensive professional development support, further investing in the future of Canadian research.
Co-authors:
Amanda Mohabeer, PhD, Schmidt Sciences Postdoctoral Program Manager, University of Toronto
Anne-Marie Fox, Project Manager, Office of the Vice President, Research & Innovation, Unity Health Toronto
Beth Munro, PhD, Program Manager, Hospital for Sick Children
Ketan Marballi, PhD, Postdoctoral and Graduate Student Professional Development Specialist, Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science, Toronto Metropolitan University
Kristine Antony, Program Coordinator, Hospital for Sick Children
Lena Quilty, PhD, Senior Scientist and Director of Research Training, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Lorien Iantomasi, Manager, Research Trainee Centre, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital
Rosanne Aleong, PhD, Executive Director, Research, Innovation, and Translation, Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Academy for Research and Education; Director, Research, Innovation, and Translation, Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation
Sofiia Ivantsiv, PhD, Research Training Centre Specialist, Unity Health Toronto
Featured Jobs
- Psychology - Assistant ProfessorSt. Jerome's University
- Director and Stauffer-Dunning Chair, School of Policy Studies - Associate or Full ProfessorQueen's University
- Psychology - Assistant Professor (Quantitative Methods / Data Science)MacEwan University
- Law - Assistant or Associate Professor (International Economic Law)Queen's University
- Geography - Assistant Professor (Indigenous Geographies)University of Victoria
More from Career Advice
-
Answering the “So what?” in SSHRC applications
How to articulate the expected scholarly outcomes of your proposed research project.
-
Supporting students through better communication
Three practical strategies to enhance student success.
-
Human-centred teaching and learning in the age of AI
Humans make great universities — and humans make universities great.
-
From marketer to MFA
How I returned to graduate school as a working professional.
More from Postdocs
-
Some potential pitfalls of postdoc life
If you are considering a postdoctoral fellowship, know that you may have to juggle relocation and a potential lack of resources and emotional support network.
-
How administrative ambiguity and devaluating language hurts Canadian postdocs
Redefining how university and institutional administrations see this vulnerable population of highly skilled workers is an important first step toward countering inequity and mending the gender gap in academia.
-
University of Guelph postdocs vote to unionize, but bigger goals lie ahead
Postdocs recount three key elements in their strategy that led to their unionization efforts.
-
How Canada short-changes its graduate students and postdocs
Indexing scholarships and stipends is a simple yet effective way to maintain early career researchers’ standard of living.
More from Responsibilities May Include
-
Teaching experience in the academic job market
“Evidence of teaching effectiveness” adds to the ever-growing demands on graduate students.
-
Working with students
Creating a thriving on-campus work experience.
-
Addressing the gap in academic professionalization for graduate students
Academic support units have an important role to play in the professionalization of graduate students.
-
Learning-centric programming: strategies to support meaningful engagement
Some practical strategies to design an experience with a clear purpose woven with meaningful engagement.
Post a comment
University Affairs moderates all comments according to the following guidelines. If approved, comments generally appear within one business day. We may republish particularly insightful remarks in our print edition or elsewhere.
1 Comments
A productive postdoctoral training period is an essential step on the pathway to an academic position, particularly in the life sciences, but the experience varies especially with regard to mentoring. This “PI School” created by the collaborative efforts of professional development experts at various institutions within the vast Toronto health research ecosystem provides early career researchers at all the sites with the support and tools they need to transition to independent positions leading their own teams. Importantly, it builds a community of post-doctoral scholars who often feel invisible.