Dear fellow researchers, especially those working in the humanities. How many publications would be considered enough for a postdoc in the field of history? I have 9 papers published in Q1 and Q2 journals. I have also been developing a book project and recently pitched it to two university presses, both of which expressed interest in seeing a full proposal and the first two chapters. Still, I remain deeply uncertain.

I understand that scholars in STEM often have more publications, while those in the humanities tend to publish more slowly due to the nature of the discipline. But I am struggling to find peace with this uncertainty. I genuinely do not know how to manage the panic, fear, stress, and emotional exhaustion that this situation brings. I wake up every morning with my heart racing. Even before I open my eyes, my brain is already filled with anxious thoughts about my postdoc prospects. I am increasingly concerned about my physical health, particularly my heart, not to mention the toll this is taking on my mental well-being.

I'm looking for a postdoc job, and I've mostly just been sending apps to jobs that are actually posted. I've sent a couple cold emails and I'm in currently in conversation with these investigators. However one basically communicated that he's interested in me, but his funding is frozen right now. Given the current political climate, I've made the assumption that if a position isn't advertised, the funding isn't there and/or there's a hiring freeze, and I'd basically receive similar messages if I send cold emails and be wasting my time with this approach. If it were any other time (say six months ago), I be pursuing the cold email approach more.

What are your all thoughts on the issue?

I recently took up a post doc position in materials science. PI is well known in a very niche field. They moved recently from a different school so the lab is in disarray and I honestly don’t like the research style or the mentoring nature of the PI.

The University is a med school giant with $770million research budget. Engineering sees only $10million! I came to know about it through a faculty (outsider at a different school). They said I will be restricted to similar or smaller schools for faculty positions!

I earned my PhD from a good school known for its excellent mech Engg program. Advisor was a big shot in the field.

I am seeking honest opinions on my chances to land a tenure track position with this Postdoc exp on my CV. Please help!

Hi all,

As some of you may have heard, there have been recent reports of people being denied entry to the U.S. I’m currently on a J-1 visa and have a trip to Europe (for 1 week) planned several months ago. I'm from Mexico, and my J-1 visa is valid and not close to expiring.

Do you think it’s safe to travel under these circumstances?

Thanks in advance for any insights!

Hello! I am a soon to be MPH graduate and I received my DVM last year. I am trying to claw my way into an epidemiology research post-doc fellowship. I think my question is specific to Emory University but how do I go about finding out who the PI is for a specific position? The job description says the department name but does not mention any PI. I was hoping to reach out to some of the PIs since I know cold applying is not the most effective. If the PI isn't listed, should I just hope for the best by submitting my application with my resume? I appreciate any advice, thanks!

Here is my situation: I am defending this week and will be graduating next month. I have applied to every postdoc position and fellowship that were related to my field of research in astrophysics. However, there really haven't been that many posted over the last year (about 8 in the US, I can't move abroad) and I haven't gotten any offers.

Thankfully, my advisor has enough money to keep me on as a postdoc for about another year. I wouldn't mind doing another postdoc after the one with my advisor, but for other reasons (mainly needing flexibility moving) I think I will be transitioning out of academia eventually.

I work from home currently because my department is so small it makes no sense for me to come in, but that also means that I can't network. I asked my advisor to get me a badge to go in person to a nearby facility that will have more networking opportunities, so that's one thing I've planned for to increase my chances this time around.

My question is: what are other things that I can do over the coming year to make myself more marketable to postdoc positions and industry? I am allowed to teach if I want to, and I'm sure I'll have time to get certifications if I want to as well, but I don't know what to prioritize.

Any advice helps honestly!

Hello hive mind. So, I'm working on a side project that is independent to my lab. This is a large project that took me years to complete. I was planning for it to be a single author on the associated manuscript. Now, I got a research assistant to help me with checking citations and proofreading. He might also help a little with the analysis. I don't mind having his name on the manuscript. But being the 2nd author also makes him the final author, a position saved for the PI. This creates the false impression that we equally contributed to the project. What would be the best way to handle this.

Just a quick question. When listing publications, should I include publications from the previous year that were from other research projects then that described in the NRSA? For example, if some of my thesis work was published during that time? Or only publications related to the research of the proposal? Thank you.

Academic institutions and international student related news are everywhere on world and US media. Most of the updates are triggering and biased on either side of political spectrum. So it is really difficult to make sense of real situation.

I am planning to move to US to pursue postdoc on non-immigration visa. The location is mid-west but more remote from large cities. The project is based on the federal funding (not in healthcare, sciences or education). The pay is decent based on the location but I will be going away for almost a year or so from my family, leaving a stable immigration status from where I am. Unfortunately, I could not get any research jobs here due to bad market condition and it is worsening.

Considering the current scenario, I am seeking an advice on if it is a wise decision for short-term and long-term to have career in academics. Is it worth to move to US in today's time? What kind of questions can I ask them before making the move? I have got a verbal offer but not formal one.

Thank you: I recently posted about the selection of postdoc institution and got good response.