A survey by the American magazine The Scientist has placed UCL
(University College London) as the best internationalinstitution to be a postdoc. UCL scored highly for its facilities
and infrastructure, and funding opportunities. The MRC National
Institute for Medical Research (now part of the Francis Crick
Institute) was placed eighth.
The Scientist compiled its findings by inviting readers who
identified themselves as non-tenured life scientists working in
academia, industry or non-commercial research institutions to take
part in a web-based survey. There were 2,881 responses. Those
surveyed were asked to assess their work environment and
experience. The results showed rankings for the best US and
international institutes.
"The postdoctoral period is an incredibly important time in a
scientist's career," said Jim Smith, Director of the National
Institute for Medical Research. "We believe it's a great
opportunity to nurture the next generation of scientific leaders.
Support, guidance, independence and trust are essential to
providing the best environment for scientists in the earliest
stages of their career. This is a philosophy that will be intrinsic
to UKCMRI."
Mary Wu, a postdoctoral fellow in Systems Biology completed her
PhD at Cancer Research UK's London Research Institute (alsonow part of the Francis Crick Institute) before
moving to NIMR. She says: "NIMR is a great place to work - it's
incredibly open and supportive. It's easy to speak to other
divisions and labs and there are regular seminars and discussions
on research going on within the institute which allows for feedback
on your work from a range of in-house experts. The institute also
invests in the most cutting-edge technology, allowing postdocs to
be inventive with their approach to anwering scientific
questions. We are given the independence, resources and
mentoring needed to develop our research interests."
Rodrigo Young is a postdoctoral researcher in Professor Steve
Wilson's laboratory in UCL Cell & Developmental Biology,
studying the cell signalling and genetic mechanisms that drive eye
development. He says the diversity of research at UCL helps to
create an outstanding environment for postdocs: "In my field of
biomedical research, this spans the full spectrum from fundamental,
basic studies to medical and translational research. This makes the
environment very conducive to establishing fruitful collaborations
that cut across different fields and approaches. In my case,
this has enabled me to establish collaborations in new research
areas with colleagues working at the Institute for Child Health
that, I think, have really brought benefits to all involved in the
projects."
Professor Sir John Tooke, Head of UCL School of Life &
Medical Sciences, said: "We strive to provide an exceptional
research environment for early-career researchers and to that end
have recently formed an Academic Careers Office to enhance further
the experience of postdoctoral fellows and ensure an integrated
academic experience from studenthood through to principal
investigator status.
"At UCL opportunities for graduate students to work with
world-renowned researchers exist in all areas of investigation from
fundamental science to applied research. Collaborations within the
School and with other UCL faculties and external research bodies
extend beyond the traditional subject boundaries and provide
exciting training opportunities in interdisciplinary research
areas. UCL's involvement in the UK Centre for Medical Research and
Innovation (UKCMRI) will also provide exceptional opportunities for
UCL post doctoral researchers, cultivating the next generation of
top quality biomedical scientists."