WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW...

Guide for Preparing Effective Postdoctoral Packages

Postdoctoral candidates are evaluated to attract the strongest candidates, no matter if the research being proposed is basic research or strongly tied to programmatic work at the Laboratory.

The Laboratory strives to attract the "best and brightest" postdoctoral candidates available. The quality of the prospective candidate, irrespective of discipline, remains the overriding consideration when evaluating the postdoctoral package. Because the Postdoctoral Program remains one of the Laboratory’s primary recruitment mechanisms, we expect that high caliber postdoctoral appointees who become regular staff members will make significant contributions to the Laboratory’s mission-oriented programmatic efforts throughout their careers.

Postdocs should not be hired simply to fill an immediate programmatic need, especially if they will have little opportunity to publish or present the results of their efforts. It is unfair to hire a postdoc simply to fill an immediate programmatic need in that it may constrain future career opportunities and does not, in general, lead to recruitment of the most talented people available.

The Postdoctoral Committee uses various criteria to evaluate packages. The overall goal of the Committee is to rank the packages based on scientific caliber of the candidate and his/her proposed work. The Committee considers the candidate's qualifications (e.g., as reflected in the resume, letters of recommendation, publication listing, and academic records), demonstrated impact on field (e.g., as evidenced by letters of recommendations and number of citations), potential impact, and proposed research topic.

The Postdoctoral Committee members carefully evaluate all sections of the postdoctoral package. The different sections of the package combine to give a focused picture of the candidate and his/her proposed work. The sections should be consistent. For example, research and personal qualities summarized in the nominating memo should be more fully explained in the letters of recommendation.

J. Robert Oppenheimer (JRO), Richard P. Feynman (RPF), and Frederick Reines (FR) level candidates typically show evidence of solving a major problem or providing a new approach or insight to a major problem; in other words, they show evidence of having a major impact on their field.

The Committee has provided the following guidance to assist in preparing an effective postdoctoral candidate package. It is important to read this information thoroughly prior to completing and submitting a postdoctoral candidate package for review by the committee. Because competition for Fellowships is extremely strong, it is in your candidate's best interest to address the following points as recommended in each package section.

Nomination Memo

The Candidate Nomination Memo, written by the sponsor/PI (1 page, approximately 350 words), provides an overview of the candidate, highlighting important aspects of their qualifications and providing information that may be lacking elsewhere in the package. It is the responsibility of the sponsor/PI to identify why the candidate stands out. Examples of information that might be included are:

• the caliber of schools attended
• reputation of the student's advisors
• quality/quantity of publications (including numbers of citations, impact factor)
• publication performance within field
• grade point average, ranking in class/group
• honors awarded
• explanations of any potential concerns with the package (e.g., "a letter hasn't been included from the thesis advisor because...")
• unique characteristics (e.g., "candidate went back to school after 20 years as a teacher")
• significant quotes from the letters of recommendation
• how the career of the candidate will be benefited
• discussion of stature of referees within their chosen fields

For those candidates who are currently or have formerly been GRAs and have completed a significant amount of their doctoral research at the Laboratory, describe how the research is different from the work done as a GRA, and how it will significantly benefit the candidate and broaden his/her scientific expertise.

Research Proposal

The candidate must write the one-page Research Proposal and include his/her insight and ideas, and also describe what research is planned. However, the sponsor/PI may provide input and feedback to the candidate during the development of the proposal. Therefore, it is important that the proposal be written at a "Scientific American" level; i.e., for a broad technical audience, with field-specific terms explained. Do not include formulas and diagrams. This will allow all members of the committee, whose backgrounds cover a wide range of fields, to more fully understand and evaluate the proposal.

The proposal must consist of the following three sections; all sections must be labeled. Proposals not satisfying this format will be at a disadvantage.

Background of Work to be performed

• What is the problem you plan to work on?
• Why is it important within your field and in a larger context?
• What is the state of the art and what is the challenge that motivates your proposal?

Proposed Work

• What do you plan to do while at LANL?
• How do you plan to do it?
• What resources will you use?

Impact of Work

• What are the anticipated results from successful accomplishment of your proposed work within the two-year postdoctoral timeframe?
• What potential impact will your work have in your chosen scientific field and in broader terms to science & technology, LANL, and/or mankind in general?

A copy of the Research Proposal will be included in the candidate's formal offer letter. The candidate and the sponsor/PI must sign the research proposal confirming that the research described in the proposal is the work that will be performed. Important Information for the Sponsor/PI, if the Research Proposal that was submitted in your candidate's package for Director's funding consideration is not an accurate reflection of the work the candidate will perform as a Research Associate, we require a new or updated Research Proposal be provided with the hiring package in preparation for extending an offer. It is critical that the candidate, sponsor/PI, as well as the Postdoc Office, have a clear understanding of the research to be completed at the Laboratory during the duration of the appointment.

External Letters of Recommendation

Effective letters of recommendation are from individuals who are very familiar with the candidate and/or the candidate's work. Letters from referees with solid scientific reputations (e.g., renowned in their field) are more effective. The Committee normally anticipates letters from the candidate's major professor (thesis advisor) and current employer. If letters from these sources are not included in the package, it will be helpful to provide an explanation in the nominating memo.

An effective letter includes:

• enthusiasm about the candidate;
• ranking in relation to peers in the group, department, or field;
• examples of candidate's industriousness, creativity, maturity, and independence;
• She solved this long standing problem";
• "He organized a symposium on his own";
• major accomplishments;
• impact of publications on the field.

NOTE : For those candidates who have completed a significant amount of research at the Laboratory as a GRA, one additional letter from an internal staff member may be included.

CV and Publication Listing

It is helpful if the CV includes the following sections:

• educational background including degree dates, GPA including GPA Scale (Example: 3.3/4);
• experience;
• competitive honors/awards;
• relevant extracurricular activities;
• invited presentations;
• grants;
• patents;

publications broken out as listed in the following categories:


• journal articles;
• proceedings contributions (if not peer reviewed);
• book chapters;
• talks and poster presentations.

Publications should include the complete title and author list (as published) in standard format. If there are more than six authors, an abbreviated author list is acceptable.

The Committee generally looks for information such as: a publication record that is commensurate with peers and with articles in high quality journals; an indication of recognition within the field (e.g., as evidenced by honors/awards or invited presentations); and any noteworthy accomplishments (e.g., patents, research grants).

The LANL Research Library provides citation information for all candidates being considered by the full Postdoctoral Committee.  A copy of the citation information is also provided to the sponsor(s) as well. If there are any discrepancies with the information provided, the sponsor has the opportunity to discuss this with their Postdoctoral Committee Representative prior to the Postdoctoral Committee meeting as well as address this in their presentation to the Postdoctoral Committee.

Official Undergraduate and Graduate Transcripts

• Copies or faxed copies of the official transcripts are acceptable.
• If degree has been completed, transcripts must reflect degree date.

If school attending (attended) does not have transcripts, a copy of a diploma or letter from the Graduate School Office stating that you are enrolled or have completed all the requirements for the Ph.D. is acceptable.

If the transcripts are not in English, please provide one of the following in addition to the transcripts:

• translation of the information contained in the transcripts
• brief summary of the information contained in the transcripts
• comments from the Ph.D. advisor in the letter of recommendation