Q.Hi,
I have found that most postdoctoral grants are for those just
starting in their 1st year or up to their 5th year but nothing
beyond that. Do you know of any grants that would be for more
senior postdocs (i.e. beyond 5 years)? Thank you for your time and
help.
If you wish to win an NRSA, you need to become a trainee again,
and that means doing something new.
Sincerely,
Holly
A.Dear Holly.
U.S. (and international) labs are full of senior scientists that
still go by the title "postdoc," and get paid proportionately. I
meet these people whenever I visit a major research institution:
graying, in their late '40s or even their '50s, highly skilled,
doing good science, whether independently or as part of a team, but
still earning--if they're lucky--just a little more than a
first-year NRSA fellowship stipend. And unlike their more junior
colleagues, they have to pay the social security tax and
unemployment tax. At least they've got health
insurance--usually.
It is very hard for a sixth, seventh, or eighth-year postdoc to
get a fellowship, and for a very good reason: If you've been doing
science for that long, you're a senior scientist, not a trainee.
Beyond the fourth or fifth year it's hard to keep up the illusion
that you're still in training. So while your institution may call
you a trainee (it's implicit in the “postdoc” label) to justify how
little they pay you, the panel that's reviewing your fellowship
proposal is unlikely to be fooled, even if the fellowship rules
allow you to apply, which they often don't.
You’re a professional scientist now, so you ought to get paid
like one. That not only means that you ought to get
paidmorethan a typical postdoc fellow (though a few postdoc
fellowships pay pretty well), it also means that you ought to get
paidmore reliably, to have a stable income source. It's fine
to pay a long-timer from a research grant, but there should be some
assurance of stability from the department or institution: If your
fellowship ends you shouldn't have to sell your children to stay
afloat. After 5 years, in other words, you ought to start looking
for--and expecting--something a bit more secure. You may not get
it, but you should keep your standards high.
But I digress. You wanted to know if you could get a
postdoctoral grant. Technically, you still qualify for a
postdoctoral NRSA (F32), unless you've already used up your
(typically 3-year) eligibility.
Let's assume that you have never had an F32 award. Do you, as an
experienced scientist, have a realistic chance of getting one now,
in your sixth postdoctoral year? There is undoubtedly a bias toward
younger people; still the answer is "yes"--but only if you'll be
making a major change. If you wish to win an NRSA, you need to
become a trainee again, and that means doing something new. Here's
how NIH puts it: "In most cases, the F32 supports research training
experiences in new settings in order to maximize the acquisition of
new skills and knowledge.” There's an assumption that if you've
been working in the same lab for 2, 3, or 5 years, you've probably
learned just about all you're going to learn there.
So if you've never had an F32 and you want to get one now,
you'll need to change labs and research directions. You will need
to provide evidence, in your narrative, that you have a plan to get
out of your 5-year rut and get yourself moving again up the career
ladder. So figure out what you want to be when you grow up--when
you finally get your first fully independent position--and make
sure it's something new. This new field must build on what you
already know, but it must be something quite different. Then go out
and find a new mentor, in a new lab, who is willing to help you
acquire the skills you need to work in this new field. If you can
state a clear career objective and present a well-conceived
training plan--and if you've published steadily and well over the
last 5 years--your application will be competitive. And this is not
just for NRSAs; any postdoc fellowship you qualify for is likely to
require a change of direction and a serious training plan.
Other possibilities? You might look into applying for one of the
K
awards . The K-22 transition award is out in your case because
you've been around the block too many times, but you might qualify
for a K-01; contact the appropriate person at the appropriate
institute.
In summary, many postdoctoral fellowships have an explicit
experience limit, but even those that don't will require that you
demonstrate that your work during the fellowship will in fact be
spent in training--or retraining.
But let's get back to that digression. Fellowship or no, work
with your department and advisor to see if you can get a promotion
to non-tenure-track faculty, along with a guarantee of salary
support if the grants don't come through. Soft-money professorships
aren't the greatest situations in the world, but a promotion like
this would provide evidence of progress, which will help you meet
your long-term career ambitions. If your current employer isn't
willing to help you, take a chance and move on. Lives are
complicated and, with kids and such, moving is hard. But for better
or worse, a career in science presumes a certain amount of
mobility. With rare exceptions, you need to be prepared to move
around if you want to move ahead.
Be Well,
The GrantDoctor
Got a funding question? Send it to the GrantDoctor:
grantdoctor@aaas.org.