Postdoc Town Hall | BWH PDA | Advocacy

Click here to view the summary powerpoint from this event.

The Advocacy Committee will present data from the first Annual Postdoc Survey last fall (2022) as well as updates on the actions from BWH hospital and departmental leadership to improve conditions for postdocs in the last year.

The Zinner Board Room is on the 1st floor of the Shapiro Building, 70 Francis St (by the “Q” elevators). You can also join us on Zoom; link will be provided on registration.

Key findings from the survey and actions from BWH and departments include:

1. Salary: Low salary is the predominant concern among postdocs. BWH requires that postdocs be paid at minimum at the NIH scale, encourages PIs to pay 20% above the NIH scale, and will mandate this increase by November 2024. BWH is also expanding the benefits package for postdocs, including no-cost health insurance and a 2% retirement contribution.

• 30.8% of postdocs reported being paid below NIH/BWH-required minimum. This is almost always not allowed by BWH. If you think you are being paid below the NIH scale for your current years of experience (https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-23-076.html), please discuss this with your PI or reach out to your department or BWH Human Resources to correct the difference.

2. Performance review: The perception of not living up to their and their PI’s expectations significantly decreased postdocs’ satisfaction. Many postdocs were also concerned about career advancement. However, a majority of postdocs did not complete annual performance reviews. BWH is implementing an online system to ensure annual performance reviews are required and convenient to fill out.

3. Conflict resolution: Experiencing or witnessing unprofessional behaviors at the workplace significantly decreased postdocs’ satisfaction. However, most postdocs in the survey were unaware of or reluctant to use resources for conflict resolution. We are working with BWH and departments to distribute resources for conflict resolution. BWH has protection against retaliation and encourages all postdocs to contact BWH or Departmental Human Resources if they experience or witness unprofessional behaviors.

These are just a few highlights from the comprehensive survey results. We also acknowledge concerns about visas for international postdocs, work-life balance, networking and mentoring opportunities, and childcare support, among many others. We also want to assure you that your anonymity was strictly maintained in the survey, and only aggregated data were communicated to the appropriate channels.