“Since 2009, the National Postdoctoral Association (NPA) has been working with institutions to foster the advancement of postdoc women in academic careers through the NPA ADVANCE project funded by the National Science Foundation  ADVANCE-PAID program. In the  ADVANCE project, we learned that key providers of professional development for postdoc  women were mentors, institutions, and professional societies. Through the Elsevier Advancing Postdoc Women project, we focused our work to examine promising practices found in professional societies and associations.

In 2013, the NPA received a grant from the Elsevier Foundation to conduct a survey of multidisciplinary societies and associations, to assess their programs and resources for postdoc women, and to develop an online clearinghouse. Our goals included learning what professional development opportunities are offered by societies and associations, in various disciplines.

The first year of the program we launched an Elsevier focus group screening survey through

SurveyMonkey to 59 participants. Survey participants included 37 individuals who worked at a research institution and were in postdoctoral affairs. Thirty-one percent were postdocs that answered the survey. Thirty-five percent stated that they were seeking a higher education tenure track position, 17.6 percent said they were interested in industry research related positions, and 17.6 percent were interested in industry non-research positions.

The three main challenges faced by postdoc women were cited as:

1. Career-life balance

2. Lack of mentoring, and support (women scientists)

3. Lack of childcare/family obligations

Prior to the 2013 NPA Annual Meeting, a recruitment e-mail was sent to all meeting participants. This letter invited female postdocs, research administrators who oversaw postdocs or a staff member of a professional society or association that included postdocs in its membership to participate in two focus groups. One focus group focused on postdocs, while the other focus group was made up of largely postdoc offices.”