Grand Rapids, Mich. (February 24, 2009) – Van Andel Research Institute (VARI) was named Monday by the life sciences magazine The Scientist, as one of the top fifteen Best Places to Work for Postdocs in the nation in its 7th annual survey.
The survey invited readers who identified themselves as “non-tenured life scientists working in academia or other non-commercial research institutions” to rank their working environment, and included results from more than 3,400 respondents. 85 U.S. institutions and 27 non-U.S. institutions that received five or more responses were included in the rankings. The results are published in the March 2009 issue of The Scientist.
“This award is another indication of both the high quality of the research and the value of the research experience at VARI,” said VAI Chairman and CEO David Van Andel. “When our postdocs finish their work at VARI, they are well prepared to start their own labs and to embark on successful and life-changing research careers of their own.”
The survey ranked institutions according to 43 criteria in 11 different areas including Quality of Training and Mentoring, Career Development Opportunities, Networking Opportunities, Quality of Facilities and Infrastructure, Benefits and Family and Personal Life. Van Andel Research Institute scored especially high in the areas of Benefits and Funding.
“I think that part of what sets our postdoctoral program apart is the balance we try to help postdoctoral fellows achieve in their careers,” said VARI Scientific Investigator Cindy Miranti, Ph.D. who serves as Chairman of the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs. “We offer training, seminars, workshops, and mentorship programs that provide an array of skill sets that extend beyond the day to day work in the laboratory. These include skills that they will need to be successful competitors in a global scientific community.”
Postdoctoral Fellow Jenn White, Ph.D. worked to establish VARI’s Postdoc Association in 2006 and served as a member of the Executive Committee from its inception through 2008. She is in the midst of her second postdoctoral fellowship at Van Andel Institute. “I could have left when I switched labs,” said White. “But I chose to stay because of the supportive environment, the openness and interaction with other labs and access to mentors throughout the institute.”
“Outstanding success in science is highly dependent on intellectual interactions between scientists, so our postdoctoral program encourages postdoctoral fellows to interact with each other, with students, and with staff,” added Miranti. “It’s very much an interactive and highly networked environment, and I think postdocs appreciate having that kind of support.”
For many postdocs, a new research environment is only the first of many challenges. International postdocs must often adapt to a new culture, language and set of immigration laws. More than half of VARI’s recent postdocs received their doctorates abroad. A 2005 survey of more than 7,000 postdocs found that 54% of postdocs hold temporary U.S. visas and of these more than 76% received their doctorates abroad.
“We have postdocs working at the Institute from all parts of the world,” said VAI Human Resources Director Linda Zarzecki. “I think that it is important that we provide the kind of support that allows them to feel comfortable in a new environment and get right to work on their research.”
The survey lists the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research of Cambridge Mass., as the top U.S. institution, while Germany’s Max Plank Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics topped the international list. The complete survey results are available online at: http://www.the-scientist.com/bptw/ .
About Van Andel Institute
Established by Jay and Betty Van Andel in 1996, Van Andel Institute (VAI) is an independent research and educational organization based in Grand Rapids, Mich., dedicated to preserving, enhancing and expanding the frontiers of medical science, and to achieving excellence in education by probing fundamental issues of education and the learning process. VARI, the research arm of VAI, is dedicated to probing the genetic, cellular and molecular origins of cancer, Parkinson and other diseases and working to translate those findings into effective therapies. This is accomplished through the work of over 200 researchers in 18 on-site laboratories, in laboratories in Singapore and Nanjing, and in collaborative partnerships that span the globe. For additional information, visit: www.vai.org.
