Postdoctoral Scholars

Quick Start

Reach out any time — in response to an advertised opening or as a cold inquiry about another postdoc opportunity you’re pursuing. Advertised or not, reaching out is welcome.
Send Vivek your CV, a summary of your past research, a statement of fit, and a written response to one of the group’s papers (see Initial Inquiry).
If there’s mutual interest, expect a short video interview, then a presentation and one-on-one discussions with the group (see Interview Process).

Also see the expectations for Postdocs in the group.

Initial Inquiry

You can inquire about a postdoc in response to a particular opening, or at any time — even without an advertised opening — if you’re interested in working with Vivek on an application for another postdoc opportunity, such as an NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship, a fellowship through the Cornell Energy Systems Institute, or a Cornell Atkinson Center Postdoctoral Fellowship, among other options. Applying after an inquiry puts you in a better position than just submitting a blind application. To get the best feedback about whether you should apply, include the following information:

Your current CV as a .pdf;
A summary of your past research as a .pdf;
A description of your research interests and how they align with our group’s work as a .pdf (the more you can show that you’ve read relevant papers, the better);
A written response to one of the group’s papers:
- Summary of the key points of the paper;
- Important caveats and limitations (mentioned in the paper or not);
- What you could and would improve in the research design;
1-2 example publications.

This information allows Vivek to get a sense of your fit, and he can provide feedback about whether you should apply for a particular opening.

Write This Yourself

If your inquiry reads as though a language model wrote it, it will not get a substantive reply.

This material exists to show you have read our work and thought about the fit. A model cannot do that for you — it does not know what you want, and what comes back is fluent, warm, and specific about nothing. This matters most for the written response to one of our papers: the whole point of that exercise is to see your independent research judgment, and a generated critique demonstrates the opposite.

If you cannot write a few paragraphs in your own voice about why you want to work here, the fit probably is not there.

Polishing your own prose afterward is fine.

Vivek aims to reply to inquiries within about a week. If it has been noticeably longer, a short follow-up is welcome — messages get buried, particularly around proposal deadlines.

What We’re Looking For

Postdocs should be ready to work independently and develop their own line of research, while still collaborating closely with Vivek and the rest of the group; see the full set of expectations for postdocs for more detail. The written paper response and presentation described below are mainly meant to get a sense of your independent research judgment and your fit with the group’s ongoing work.

Application Process

Application instructions for postdocs should be specified in the relevant ad.

Interview Process

After the applicant pool is initially narrowed down, remaining candidates will be asked to participate in a 30-minute video interview with Vivek. You should also take this opportunity to ask your own questions.

Once the pool is narrowed down, Vivek will ask you to prepare a presentation for the group on how your past research has impacted your future research interests, and how they align with the ad. You will also be asked to have discussions with other group members for their feedback. Take advantage of this time to ask your own questions to the people who do the real work!

FAQ

Is this position fully funded?

Postdoctoral positions will not be advertised or offered unless they are fully funded.

How long is the appointment?

Postdoctoral contracts will be for 1 year; renewal for future years is possible depending on the funding situation.

What does it pay, and what are the benefits?

Salary and benefits move often enough that any figure written here would be wrong before long, so we do not publish one. Compensation is benchmarked against prevailing postdoctoral scales and is discussed concretely during the interview process; ask Vivek directly at any point, including before you apply, and you will get a straight answer rather than a range.

Cornell’s Office of Postdoctoral Studies is the authoritative source for benefits, appointment policies, and what the postdoc title entitles you to.

--- title: Postdoctoral Scholars aliases: - /applying/postdoc/ --- ::: {.callout-tip} ## Quick Start 1. Reach out any time — in response to an [advertised opening](#initial-inquiry) or as a cold inquiry about another postdoc opportunity you're pursuing. Advertised or not, [reaching out is welcome](#initial-inquiry). 2. Send Vivek your CV, a summary of your past research, a statement of fit, and a written response to one of the group's papers (see [Initial Inquiry](#initial-inquiry)). 3. If there's mutual interest, expect a short video interview, then a presentation and one-on-one discussions with the group (see [Interview Process](#interview-process)). Also see the expectations for [Postdocs](../expectations/roles.qmd#postdocs) in the group. ::: ## Initial Inquiry You can inquire about a postdoc in response to a particular [opening](https://srikrishnan-lab.github.io/join/), or at any time — even without an advertised opening — if you're interested in working with Vivek on an application for another postdoc opportunity, such as an [NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship](https://www.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities?f%5B0%5D=student_educator_eligibility:postdoc), a fellowship through the [Cornell Energy Systems Institute](https://energy.cornell.edu/), or a [Cornell Atkinson Center Postdoctoral Fellowship](https://atkinson.cornell.edu/grants/postdocs/postdoctoral-fellowships/), among other options. Applying after an inquiry puts you in a better position than just submitting a blind application. To get the best feedback about whether you should apply, include the following information: * Your current CV as a `.pdf`; * A summary of your past research as a `.pdf`; * A description of your research interests and how they align with our group's work as a `.pdf` (the more you can show that you've read relevant papers, the better); * A written response to one of the group's papers: * Summary of the key points of the paper; * Important caveats and limitations (mentioned in the paper or not); * What you could and would improve in the research design; * 1-2 example publications. This information allows Vivek to get a sense of your fit, and he can provide feedback about whether you should apply for a particular opening. ::: {.callout-warning} ## Write This Yourself If your inquiry reads as though a language model wrote it, it will not get a substantive reply. This material exists to show you have read our work and thought about the fit. A model cannot do that for you --- it does not know what you want, and what comes back is fluent, warm, and specific about nothing. This matters most for the written response to one of our papers: the whole point of that exercise is to see your independent research judgment, and a generated critique demonstrates the opposite. If you cannot write a few paragraphs in your own voice about why you want to work here, the fit probably is not there. Polishing your own prose afterward is fine. ::: Vivek aims to reply to inquiries within about a week. If it has been noticeably longer, a short follow-up is welcome --- messages get buried, particularly around proposal deadlines. ## What We're Looking For Postdocs should be ready to work independently and develop their own line of research, while still collaborating closely with Vivek and the rest of the group; see the full set of [expectations for postdocs](../expectations/roles.qmd#postdocs) for more detail. The written paper response and presentation described below are mainly meant to get a sense of your independent research judgment and your fit with the group's ongoing work. ## Application Process Application instructions for postdocs should be specified in the relevant ad. ## Interview Process After the applicant pool is initially narrowed down, remaining candidates will be asked to participate in a 30-minute video interview with Vivek. You should also take this opportunity to ask your own questions. Once the pool is narrowed down, Vivek will ask you to prepare a presentation for the group on how your past research has impacted your future research interests, and how they align with the ad. You will also be asked to have discussions with other group members for their feedback. Take advantage of this time to ask your own questions to the people who do the real work! ## FAQ ### Is this position fully funded? Postdoctoral positions will not be advertised or offered unless they are fully funded. ### How long is the appointment? Postdoctoral contracts will be for 1 year; renewal for future years is possible depending on the funding situation. ### What does it pay, and what are the benefits? Salary and benefits move often enough that any figure written here would be wrong before long, so we do not publish one. Compensation is benchmarked against prevailing postdoctoral scales and is discussed concretely during the interview process; ask Vivek directly at any point, including before you apply, and you will get a straight answer rather than a range. Cornell's [Office of Postdoctoral Studies](https://postdocs.cornell.edu/) is the authoritative source for benefits, appointment policies, and what the postdoc title entitles you to.