The Computing Research Association has adopted a set of “best practices” for postdocs, the result of work done by Anita Jones and Erwin Gianchandani under the auspices of CRA’s Computing Community Consortium.

Postdocs have been expanding rapidly in the computing fields.  Only by being introspective and proactive can we ensure that these positions contribute to the professional development of the student, rather than being exploitative.  The “best practices” white paper sets serious expectations for three constituencies relating to the postdoctoral experience:

• The Ph.D. student considering a postdoc position must educate himself or herself about what a postdoc is, think through the pros and cons of accepting a postdoctoral position at each of the potential sites available, and have a clear understanding of his or her interests and what the advisor and host organization should provide.
• The advisor needs to be proactive and thoughtful in nurturing the postdoc.  The white paper describes the minimum required for the advisor to earn the title of “mentor”; this designation has to be earned by the postdoc advisor.
• And the host organization (in some combination of the department and the larger institution) needs to provide a variety of services to the postdoc.

All of these postdoc constituencies must meet these expectations to ensure a successful postdoctoral experience for everyone involved.

Read it here!  It’s important!