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Postdoctoral Research

photo of Postdoc retreat participants
2018 Annual Postdoc retreat

CSHL has long been recognized as a place for nurturing young scientists, with postdoctoral researchers being integral parts of the discovery process. Postdocs at CSHL work in the labs of faculty members and conduct collaborative, synergistic research in five main areas: cancer biology, neuroscience, plant biology, quantitative biology, and genomics.

CSHL’s postdocs have access to all the scientific resources available on campus. Beyond that, there are specialized programs in place to support the careers, professional development, and overall community of postdoctoral fellows at the Laboratory.

Postdoctoral Programs Office

Director: Alyson Kass-Eisler, Ph.D., kasseisl@cshl.edu

CSHL’s Office of Postdoctoral Programs provides institutional support and career development assistance for current and incoming postdocs. It opened in 2003 and is overseen by Dr. Alyson Kass-Eisler, Director of Academic Programs. Dr. Kass-Eisler has been a member of the National Postdoctoral Association since its inception, and has participated in both student and postdoctoral support workshops including NIH Train the Trainers, CIMER Facilitating Entering Mentoring, Mental Health First Aid, and the Columbia suicide prevention protocol. She has a bachelor’s degree from SUNY Albany, a Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and postdoctoral training at Cold Spring Harbor where she held a fellowship from the American Cancer Society.

As Director of the Postdoctoral Programs Office, Dr. Kass-Eisler helps orient new and incoming postdoctoral fellows, provides fellowship identification and preparation assistance, organizes professional development workshops and seminars, and disseminates job postings. The Office is also responsible for tracking postdocs, preparing outcome and accomplishment data, and maintaining an alumni database.

Stipends and Fellowships

Postdoctoral researchers at CSHL receive nationally competitive stipends. Many also typically apply for salary support from government agencies or private foundations; the Postdoctoral Programs Office offers assistance in identifying and applying for such fellowships.

Benefits

All CSHL postdocs receive benefits, including comprehensive medical and dental insurance, regardless of their source of funding. CSHL postdocs are eligible for relocation reimbursement and, after two consecutive years of full-time employment, are enrolled in the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory retirement plan. CSHL also has an excellent, affordable, licensed, on-site childcare center.

Visas

CSHL postdocs who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents receive support for their visa arrangements from a campus Immigration Specialist.

NCI training program

CSHL is one of more than 70 institutions funded by the Cancer Centers Program of the National Institutes of Health’s National Cancer Institute (NCI). Since 1978, an NCI training grant has supported more than 100 postdocs in CSHL’s Cancer Center, many of whom have gone on to highly successful careers in cancer research. The NCI training program at CSHL focuses on basic cancer research and is a unique part of the Laboratory’s overall approach to postdoctoral training.

Career & Professional Development

All postdoctoral fellows at CSHL can take advantage of campus career and professional development programs.

National Postdoctoral Association

All CSHL postdocs are eligible for affiliate membership in the National Postdoctoral Association, which provides benefits such as networking opportunities and informational webinars on a variety of topics relevant to postdocs in U.S. institutions.

PDLC

CSHL has an active Postdoctoral Liaison Committee (PDLC), whose purpose is to represent the interests of and advocate for the CSHL postdoctoral community. The PDLC also organizes a number of social events open to all postdocs at CSHL.

Affinity Groups

Besides PDLC, CSHL supports a number of other trainee-led affinity groups that organize social, community building, career exploration, and professional development events throughout the year.

Postdoc Peer Mentor Program

The Postdoc Peer Mentor Program matches CSHL postdocs who opt in, and is intended to be an informal way for postdocs to connect, exchange ideas or feedback, listen to each other, and offer support when needed.

A list of available positions is posted and continually updated on our Human Resources website. Before applying to an open postdoc position, please refer to the Laboratory’s faculty list, determine whose work is most in line with your research interests, and write to that investigator directly with a letter of introduction and copy of your curriculum vitae.

Current Open Postdoc Positions