Postdoc
Are you working as a postdoc or interested in a postdoc position at the Faculty of Technical Sciences? Here you will find information on the postdoc position including how you can develop your career.
Scientific position: Postdoc
Researchers who continue working in academia after completing their PhD are typically employed as postdocs. Some continue their careers at the university where they obtained their Ph.D. degree, while others continue at another university in Denmark or abroad, depending on the opportunities that arise. We support postdocs in developing their next career step, within or – more commonly – outside academia. To ensure this, researchers in fixed-term positions must have a career development dialogue with their leader.
- A postdoc position is time-limited, typically 2-3 years.
- A postdoc usually works on a specific research project under guidance of a scientist with more seniority .
- A postdoc is mainly focusing on research, but is often involved in other tasks such as public consultancy, teaching and supervision.
What is a postdoc position?
A postdoc position is time-limited, and is typically the next step for researchers who continue working in academia after completing their PhD. The main duty of a postdoc is research, and postdocs typically work on a specific research project under guidance of a more senior scientist. The postdoc can be managing the research project, as is the case for most projects supported by postdoc grants, or be part of a larger collaborative research project. Some postdoc projects include collaboration with a private company. Besides research, postdocs are often involved in other tasks, such as public sector consultancy, teaching and supervision.
By far, most postdocs at the Faculty of Technical Sciences are employed for only a relatively short period. Keeping the postdoc employment between typically two and three years is in accordance with studies emphasising that postdocs gain important competences and skills in the first few years after their PhD, while prolonged postdoc employment without a major change of direction often adds little to the postdoc’s career opportunities. In line with this, postdoc employment in Denmark is limited to at most four years at the same university.
Due to the temporal nature of a postdoc employment, career development from postdoc to next employment is a primary focus for both the postdoc and their leader. Clarification of career goals, career planning and competency development are therefore important aspects of a postdoc period. Accordingly, the Faculty of Technical Sciences strongly encourages and supports postdocs in reflecting upon their individual professional ambitions and talents, and to match these with career opportunities in the private or public sector in Denmark or elsewhere. In addition, we strive to secure the time and peace of mind necessary for this development by means of an adequate duration of postdoc employment.
Senior positions at universities are few, and the Faculty of Technical Sciences acknowledges that not all members of the postdoc community should pursue a university research career. However, there is a strong demand for researchers in technical sciences in Denmark. It is in this spirit, that AU offers access to a wide range of career counselling and skill development measures, both with respect to careers inside and outside academia.
What does it take?
Our criteria for evaluating candidates describe the entry criteria that the Faculty of Technical Sciences uses when assessing candidates for different types of scientific positions:
These criteria can be used both for a dialogue between you and your leader and for a dialogue between a (potential) candidate for a position.
Postdoc careers at Tech
(click to view the documents as a pdf)
English version: Principles for career progression for early-career academic staff at AU
Danish version: Principper for karriereforløb for VIP-medarbejdere på de tidlige karriere-trin på Aarhus Universitet
Courses for Postdocs
Centre for Educational Development at Aarhus University offers a wide range of courses for Postdocs:
Please see more on their website: Centre for Educational Development
Career planning video 1
Links to documents:
Exercise 1 - Motivational factors (Click to download the document as a Word file)
Exercise 2 - Career anchors (Click to download the document in Excel format)
Career planning video 2
Link to document:
Exercise 3 - Skill audit (Click to view the document as a pdf)
Access the Prosper career tools
Prosper is a career platform containing advice and knowledge on developing as a researcher and how to support or supervise others in their career. Prosper targets postdocs, but other researchers in their early career can benefit from it as well.
