Change is Hard: Transitions and the Liminal Positionality of Postdoctoral Fellows in Engineering and Computer Science

Postdoctoral fellows experience isolation and mixed messages about their position and purpose. Little research defines the positionality of postdoctoral fellows, leaving faculty and postdoctoral fellows to make assumptions based on their own experiences. This research describes the socioecological context of the postdoctoral position in engineering and computer science from the perspective of postdoctoral supervisors and postdoctoral fellows. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with 19 postdoctoral fellow supervisors and 30 postdoctoral (postdocs) fellows about mentoring and their expectations for postdoctoral positions. Open coding and thematic analysis identified supervisors’ and postdocs’ perceptions and assumptions about the postdoctoral position. The results make explicit the ambiguity of the postdoc position in engineering and computer science while highlighting distinctions in role definitions between supervisors and postdocs that contribute to liminality and potential for conflict. Supervisors and postdocs describe the postdoc position as one of transition, often relying on comparisons to other academic positions to define the role. The lack of clear role definitions contributes to ambiguity in postdoc development expectations. Assumptions and perceptions of the postdoc position further define the position as liminal. The ingrained instability of the position inevitably contributes to postdoc confusion and concern about their position within a lab specifically and academia generally. Based on our findings, we provide recommendations centered around defining and communicating expectations for a postdoc’s role with structure for transition into and out of the role may improve the fellowship experience for both supervisor and postdoc.