GREAT Group Definition of a Postdoctoral Appointment

• The appointee was recently awarded a Ph.D. or equivalent doctorate (e.g., Sc.D., M.D.) in an appropriate field; and
• The appointment is temporary; and
• The appointment involves substantially full-time research or scholarship; and
• The appointment is viewed as preparatory for a full-time academic and/or research career (1); and
• The appointment is not part of a clinical training program (2); and
• The appointee works under the supervision of a senior scholar or a department in a university or similar research institution (e.g., national laboratory, NIH, etc.); and
• The appointee has the freedom, and is expected, to publish the results of his or her research or scholarship during the period of the appointment.

(AAU Committee on Postdoctoral Education, March 1998; endorsed by the AAMC, December 1999.)

(1) The GREAT Group suggests that this bullet not be interpreted to exclude individuals whose career intentions may extend outside the laboratory per se (patent law, secondary school education, etc.). These are legitimate and increasingly common career options for those with doctoral-level training in the biomedical sciences, and thus should be encompassed by this definition.

(2) This bullet is not intended to exclude individuals who are in laboratory or clinical research training phase of a clinical fellowship program. This context, common to the medical school setting, should be considered, as well, since these individuals may face similar concerns relative to mentorship, institutional support, and quality education.

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