ASP Postdoctoral Fellowships
ASP serves as a catalyst for burgeoning research that spans NCAR activities. The most important ASP component is the Postdoctoral Fellowship Program, which has been a part of NCAR for forty-four years and has sponsored over 435 postdoctoral scientists’ research. The ASP appoints approximately 10 new postdoctoral scientists each year. During their two-year NCAR appointments, fellows benefit from the opportunity to work with NCAR scientists, from exposure to the breadth of science at NCAR, and from the independence they are encouraged to develop. Many former fellows now occupy prominent positions at UCAR universities or at NCAR, and many of the present collaborations between NCAR and university scientists derive from associations that developed in the postdoctoral program.
In FY10, the ASP appointed 7 new fellows (from over 110 applications) in a diversity of disciplines spanning the NCAR activities. In addition to the diversity of disciplines, the new fellows represent a diversity of population including gender and ethnicity. Also in FY2010, the ASP held monthly ‘socials' that often included an education or career development aspect. Socials during the past year included a panel discussion on tenured and permanent positions with early career scientists and professors, an interactive presentation on communicating science, and an opportunity to interact with journalists. These socials not only brought members of ASP together, but also included any postdoctoral fellow or graduate student within the organization who wished to attend. The ASP aims to create a meaningful experience not only for ASP fellows, but for all fellows at NCAR. As part of this plan, NCAR/ASP is a sustaining member of the National Postdoctoral Association and we celebrated National Postdoc Day with a family picnic.
In FY2011, ASP plans to continue the core elements of the program, including monthly seminars, bi-weekly research reviews, monthly socials, and the Thompson Lecture Series along with the annual research planning sessions and on-going mentoring that ASP postdocs receive.
The ASP postdoctoral program receives its funding from the National Science Foundation.
