Danforth Plant Science Center Ranks in Top 10 Best Places to Work-Postdocs

ST. LOUIS, MO, April 04, 2012 (Press-News.org) The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center was recently ranked 8th in The Scientist Magazine's 2012 "Best Places to Work Postdocs" survey of non-tenured life scientists working in academia, industry or noncommercial research institutions. The Danforth Center employs 39 postdocs. More than 1,500 postdocs responded to this year's survey. Last July the Danforth Center ranked #8 in the publication's "Best Places to Work in Academia" survey of life scientists with a permanent position.

Respondents were asked to assess their working environment according to 38 criteria in 9 different areas including quality of training and mentoring, quality of facility and infrastructure, quality of communication and career development opportunities and networking.

The postdoctoral years are a time for getting any guidance in valuable skills required for the transition, such as grant writing, networking, and lab leadership.

Postdocs at the Danforth Center receive guidance from their Principal Investigator but also gain additional skills through the Committee for Scientific Training and Mentoring (CSTM), a group of researchers, postdocs, graduate students and technicians interested in furthering their own scientific training and mentoring.

"CSTM exists to bring career training and development opportunities to the scientific staff within the Danforth Center, foster a sense of community through scientific discussions and social functions, and facilitate communication throughout all levels of the center," said Aimee Terauchi, postdoc, Danforth Plant Science Center and senior representative of CSTM.

"Postdocs are highly valued and contribute greatly to our research. CSTM is a great organization to enhance the mentoring and professional development they need to reach their career goals," said Dmitri Nusinow, principal investigator.


The top 10 U.S. institutions are:

1 Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA
2 The J. David Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA
3 Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA
4 Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
5 Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK
6 Argonne National Laboratory, IL
7 La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology, CA
8 Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, Saint Louis, MO
9 Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA
10 Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO

The full survey results and methodology are detailed in the article "Best Places to Work for Postdocs: 2012," appearing in The Scientist's April issue and online at http://www.the-scientist.com.

About The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center
Founded in 1998, the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center is a not-for-profit research institute with a mission to improve the human condition through plant science. Research at the Danforth Center will feed the hungry and improve human health, preserve and renew the environment, and enhance the St. Louis region and Missouri as a world center for plant science. The Center's work is funded through competitive grants and contract revenue from many sources, including the U.S. Department of Energy, National Science Foundation, United States Department of Agriculture, U.S. Agency for International Development and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center invites you to visit its new website, http://www.danforthcenter.org; featuring interactive information on the Center's research, scientists, news and public education outreach. RSS feeds and the brand new "Roots & Shoots" blog allow visitors to keep up to date with Center's current operations and areas of research.