PHILADELPHIA (March 1, 2011) – Fox Chase Cancer Center has been listed among the top 15 best places in the nation for postdoctoral researchers—also known simply as “postdocs”—to work by The Scientist’s annual Best Places to Work for Postdocs survey. Fox Chase was the only top-ranked institution in Pennsylvania and ranked 8th overall in the U.S.
The survey, now in its 9th year, invites readers who identify themselves as non-tenured life scientists working in academia, industry, or non-commercial research institutions to assess all aspects of their postdoctoral life, from working conditions to benefits to family and personal life. Respondents of this year’s survey said they value creative freedom and individualism when rating the working environment at their institutions.
“This recognition acknowledges the uniqueness of our Institute, which focuses on training our young scientists for independent careers in academic and translational medicine,” says Maureen Murphy, PhD, Director of Fox Chase’s Postdoctoral Training Program. “The fact that we have placed so highly in this survey, year after year, has also allowed us to recruit some of the best postdoctoral talent in the country.”
This year’s survey yielded responses from 2,881 postdocs at 76 U.S. institutions and 17 non-U.S. institutions. Respondents were asked to assess their postdoc experience according to 38 criteria in 9 different areas by scoring positive statements. Answers were scored on a 1 to 5 scale with 5 = "Strongly agree," 1 = "Strongly disagree" and 3 = "Neither agree nor disagree." The criteria included statements relating to the lab's principal investigator, colleagues, department or division and the institution.
Unlike many other universities and research institutions, at Fox Chase postdocs do not compete with graduate, medical and undergraduate students for attention, training, and resources, but instead are part of an environment that encourages strong collaboration across all disciplines, both scientific and medical.
For more information about the Fox Chase Postdoctoral Research Program, including a video tour, visit www.fccc.edu/research/postdoc/.