At S&T, we are committed to supporting you through every phase of your postdoctoral journey, whether you are advancing your research skills or preparing for your next career move. As a recently designated Carnegie R1 institution, Missouri S&T provides a rich environment of interdisciplinary excellence and high-impact discovery. 

We strive to nurture an environment where postdocs can excel in research, grow professionally, and integrate into a strong academic community to build meaningful connections.

Professional Development

Your time as a postdoc is not only about research, it’s also about preparing for the next stage of your career.

Missouri S&T offers a wide array of opportunities to grow beyond your research:

• Workshops & Seminars: Topics include grant writing, teaching excellence, leadership, effective communication, etc.

• Career Advising: Help with preparing CVs/resumes, interview prep, career mapping, whether you're headed to academia, industry, or government.

• Alumni Insights: Hear from former postdocs now in academia, research labs, startups, and industry, earning how they navigated their transitions from S&T.

• Skill Development & Cross-Discipline Training: Support to develop skills in emerging sectors (e.g., critical minerals, renewables, environmental technologies) through labs like CREE and projects connected with the O’Keefe Center for Critical Minerals.

Community and Networking

Being a postdoc can be both exciting and challenging, and community makes all the difference.  Joining the postdoctoral community at Missouri S&T means access to both professional and personal support.

• Postdoctoral Fellows & Associations: Formal and informal groups that organize events, advocate for postdocs, and help build peer networks.

• Events & Academic Forums: The “Postdoc Fest” in physics, regular department colloquia, symposiums, and cross-department workshops. 

• Wellness & Work-Life Balance: Initiatives to support mental health, outdoor and recreational opportunities in and around Rolla, and programs to ensure you find belonging in our close-knit academic environment.

Our goal is to help you connect with colleagues, share ideas, and build a support system that extends beyond your research lab.

Mentors and PIs

Strong mentorship is essential to postdoctoral success. 

• Mentorship Best Practices: Guidelines for setting clear expectations, joint research goals, and career development conversations.

• Mentoring Agreements & Evaluation Templates: Tools to ensure transparency and mutual accountability.

• Conflict Resolution & Feedback: Support from Graduate Education, HR, and Faculty Affairs when issues arise; strategies for giving and receiving feedback.

• Mentor Development: Workshops and seminars for mentors to stay current in best practices, fostering inclusive and productive research environments.

How to Become a Postdoc at S&T

Thinking of joining Missouri S&T as a postdoc? Here’s what you need to know:

• Application Process: Identifying postdoc opportunities via departments, research centers like CBR, MRC, CREE, and more. Reaching out to faculty whose research aligns with yours.

• Funding & Fellowships: Internal seed grants, center-based funding, external fellowships, information and help preparing proposals.

• Visa & Immigration Guidance: Steps for J1, H1, or visiting scholar status; health insurance requirements; onboarding through the Internationals Student and Scholars Services office.

• Orientation & Onboarding: Getting set up with your lab, facilities, accounts; connecting to campus services like student health, IT, and research compliance.