- Back-Up Dependent Care
- Employee information desk schedule
- Meet a Postdoc Video Series
- Postdoc Survey Report
- Berkeley Lab Postdoc Survey
- Laboratory's Postdoc Initiative Committee – History and Current Activities
- Workshop Series for Postdocs and Graduate Student Research Assistants
- External Position Announcements for Postdocs and GSRAs
Meet a Postdoc Video Series
Postdoctoral scholars are the lifeblood of any research institution. Too often, though, they work in relative anonymity before heading off to their own scientific careers across the country and around the world. The "Meet a Postdoc" video series turns some much-needed light on this important segment of Berkeley Lab's population and offers a chance to learn more about them as individuals while they are in our midst.
Go here to view the videos.
Berkeley Lab Postdoc Survey
What is the survey?
The 2009 Berkeley Lab Postdoc Survey is sponsored by Laboratory Director Paul Alivisatos and the Postdoc Initiative Committee (PIC). The Committee is charged with assessing the current environment for postdocs and taking steps to support making Berkeley Lab a premier institution of choice for conducting postdoctoral research. The Berkeley Lab Postdoc Survey was initiated in March and will help identify our strengths as well as areas for improvement. This effort is part of a Lab-wide initiative to conduct employee surveys on a regular basis. Our goal is to make Berkeley Lab a great place to work.
Who conducted this survey?
To collect and tabulate data results, we contracted with MOR Associates, an organizational resources firm that specializes in conducting surveys and has supported public, nonprofit, and private sector organizations. Founded in 1983, MOR Associates has led dozens of major survey efforts on behalf of higher education, such as UC Berkeley, MIT, Stanford University, University of Washington, USC, Northeastern University, NYU and others. Their body of work includes workplace climate surveys, client satisfaction surveys, job satisfaction surveys, and service discovery surveys.
Was the survey confidential?
Absolutely. Only MOR Associates had access to individual responses. They tracked who responded, but only to ensure that reminders were sent to non-responders. At the conclusion of the data-gathering phase and before analysis began, personally identifiable information was removed from the data.
No one at Berkeley Lab saw individual responses. All responses were reported in aggregate by division. Survey responses from divisions with fewer than six postdocs were combined with other divisions to maintain confidentiality.
Will I be able to see the survey results?
Yes, the Postdoc Survey Report is posted on this web page. See the top item on the web page.
How were employees invited to take the survey?
All postdoc employees working in scientific divisions receiveed an email invitation to participate from Paul Alivisatos and Vera Potapenko, Chief Human Resources Officer.
Contact Us
Please feel free to contact either of the PIC co-chairs, Nancy Talcott at x4885 or Tracy Bigelow at x6065, for more information about the Committee and the survey.
Laboratory's POSTDOC INITIATIVE COMMITTEE
What is the Laboratory's Postdoc Initiative Committee (PIC)?
The purpose of the Postdoc Initiative Committee is to assess the current environment for postdocs, identify key issues of importance, and recommend steps to support making Berkeley Lab a premier institution of choice for conducting postdoctoral research.
Background
In 2002, the Lab joined a UC committee that reviewed polices and procedures regarding postdoc employment. In 2004, the Lab formed the Postdoctoral Fellow Advisory Group. Headed by Zahid Hussain, Physicist Senior Scientist and Division Deputy for the Advanced Light Source (ALS), this group reviewed various aspects of employment for postdocs and made recommendations to senior management. As a result, the Lab improved the benefits program for postdocs by adding vision and dental benefits and life and disability insurance.
Current Activities
In 2008, the Postdoctoral Fellow Advisory Group reconvened as the Postdoc Initiative Committee with a new mission and broadened membership to include scientific staff members who were previously Berkeley Lab postdocs (see membership below). Some initiatives include:
- A benefits orientation designed specifically for new postdocs
- A new policy (RPM 2.28) that includes guidelines for recruiting, coaching, and mentoring postdocs
- Professional development workshops for postdocs on scientific writing and presentation skills, sponsored by the Berkeley Lab Learning Institute (BLI) in spring 2009
- The Berkeley Lab Postdoc Survey; March 2009
PIC MEMBERSHIP
Committee members include:
- Paul Ashby, Physicist Staff Scientist, Materials Sciences
- Tracy Bigelow, HR Center Manager for the Advanced Light Source, Chemical Sciences, Materials Sciences (co-chair)
- Susan Brady, Head, Center for Science and Engineering Education
- Jill Fuss, Biophysicist Project Scientist, Life Sciences
- Zahid Hussain, Physicist Senior Scientist, Advanced Light Source
- Brian Kienitz, Postdoctoral Fellow, Environmental Energy Technologies Division
- Vera Potapenko, Chief HR Officer
- Nancy Talcott, HR Center Manager for Earth Sciences, Environmental Energy Technologies, Genomics/JGI, Life Sciences, and Physical Biosciences (co-chair)
- Penny Wong, HR Division Partner for Materials Sciences and Chemical Sciences
Workshop Series for Postdocs & Graduate Student Research Assistants (GSRA’s)
Below is a list of and links to descriptions of Berkeley Lab Learning Institute (BLI)-coordinated onsite workshops for postdocs and GSRA’s:
- C.A.R.E.E.R. Development Planning for Postdocs & GSRA’s (BLI0118)
- Creating Visual Displays of Data for Research Journals (BLI0115)
- Creating Research Presentations in Powerpoint (BLI0116)
- Negotiating & Conflict Resolution (for Postdocs and GSRA’s) (BLI1045)
- Writing for Publication in Research Journals (BLI0114)
Workshop registration
These are free workshops for postdocs and GSRA’s, as well as any scientists who would like to attend. Workshops are two hours, unless otherwise noted.
For easy reference, below is a link to the list of onsite BLI workshops and when and where they are offered in 2009:
To enroll, go to Employee Self-Service, click on Employee Skills Development:
External Position Announcements for Postdocs and GSRAs
This site is a resource for postdocs and GSRAs looking for scientific positions at organizations outside of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Included are links to position listings at a variety of institutions, as well as scientific and postdoc position announcements forwarded by various Laboratory Divisions. Visit https://commons.lbl.gov/display/positions.
