Skip to main content
NIH Intramural Research Program, Our Research Changes Lives

Navigation controls

  • Search
  • Menu

Social follow links

  • Podcast
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn

Main navigation

  • About Us
    • What Is the IRP?
    • History
    • Honors
      • Nobel Prize
      • Lasker Award
      • Breakthrough Prize
      • Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE)
      • Presidential Medal of Freedom
      • National Medal of Science
      • Searle Scholars
      • The National Academy of Sciences
      • The National Academy of Medicine
      • The National Academy of Engineering
      • The American Academy of Arts and Sciences
      • National Medal of Technology & Innovation
      • Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals
      • Crafoord Prize
      • Fellows of the Royal Society
      • Canada Gairdner Awards
    • Organization & Leadership
    • Our Programs
      • NCI
      • NEI
      • NHGRI
      • NHLBI
      • NIA
      • NIAAA
      • NIAID
      • NIAMS
      • NIBIB
      • NICHD
      • NIDA
      • NIDCD
      • NIDCR
      • NIDDK
      • NIEHS
      • NIMH
      • NIMHD
      • NINDS
      • NINR
      • NLM
      • CC
      • NCATS
      • NCCIH
    • Research Campus Locations
    • Contact Information
  • Our Research
    • Scientific Focus Areas
      • Biomedical Engineering & Biophysics
      • Cancer Biology
      • Cell Biology
      • Chemical Biology
      • Chromosome Biology
      • Clinical Research
      • Computational Biology
      • Developmental Biology
      • Epidemiology
      • Genetics & Genomics
      • Health Disparities
      • Immunology
      • Microbiology & Infectious Diseases
      • Molecular Biology & Biochemistry
      • Molecular Pharmacology
      • Neuroscience
      • RNA Biology
      • Social & Behavioral Sciences
      • Stem Cell Biology
      • Structural Biology
      • Systems Biology
      • Virology
    • Principal Investigators
      • View by Investigator Name
      • View by Scientific Focus Area
    • Accomplishments
      • View All Accomplishments by Date
      • View All Health Topics
      • The Body
      • Health & Wellness
      • Conditions & Diseases
      • Procedures
    • Accelerating Science
      • Investing in Cutting-Edge Animal Models
      • Creating Cell-Based Therapies
      • Advancing Computational and Structural Biology
      • Combating Drug Resistance
      • Developing Novel Imaging Techniques
      • Charting the Pathways of Inflammation
      • Zooming in on the Microbiome
      • Uncovering New Opportunities for Natural Products
      • Stimulating Neuroscience Research
      • Pursuing Precision Medicine
      • Unlocking the Potential of RNA Biology and Therapeutics
      • Producing Novel Vaccines
    • Research in Action
      • View All Stories
      • Too Much of a Good Thing
      • Turning Face Perception on Its Head
      • Safeguarding a Second Chance at Life
      • A Biological Betrayal
    • Trans-IRP Research Resources
      • Supercomputing
    • IRP Review Process
    • Commercializing Inventions
  • NIH Clinical Center
    • Clinical Center Facilities
    • Advancing Translational Science
    • Clinical Trials
      • Get Involved with Clinical Research
      • Physician Resources
  • News & Events
    • In the News
    • I am Intramural Blog
    • Speaking of Science Podcast
    • SciBites Video Shorts
    • The NIH Catalyst Newsletter
    • Events
  • Careers
    • Faculty-Level Scientific Careers
    • Trans-NIH Scientific Recruitments
      • Stadtman Tenure-Track Investigators
        • Science, the Stadtman Way
        • Earl Stadtman Investigator Frequently Asked Questions
      • Lasker Clinical Research Scholars
      • Independent Research Scholar
    • Scientific & Clinical Careers
    • Administrative Careers
  • Research Training
    • Program Information
    • Training Opportunities
    • NIH Work/Life Resources
I am Intramural Blog

Careers in Science Series: Finding Academic Research Positions

By Robin Stanley

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

One big question that I think people have when applying for jobs is, “How many applications should I submit?” I know people who have submitted anywhere from five to 100 applications! I submitted about 20 applications.

In hindsight, I actually wish that I had applied to fewer places, because several places that I applied to are in departments related to, but outside of, my scientific expertise. I think it’s easy to go overboard and apply for everything you see, but before you decide whether or not to apply for a position, there are a few important questions that you should ask yourself:

  1. Is this a geographic location where I would consider living? If there is no way you would ever move to a certain location, save yourself the time and do not apply.
  2. Do I fit the qualifications for this position? If the job posting specifically wants someone with experience using mass-spec, and you are an immunologist who has never done mass spec, then do not apply. In my experience some job postings are very specific and others are very general, so make sure you carefully read each posting.
  3. If you have a two-body problem, will there be opportunities for your significant other in the area? My spouse works in the biotech field, so I tried to limit my search to areas where I knew there would be some biotech options.

When I got started looking for places to apply, I made a spreadsheet that includes the job posting, deadline, and instructions on where to submit the application. I also made a separate spreadsheet for my reference writers with instructions on how to submit the reference letters. It is your responsibility to make sure that your reference letters get submitted, so make sure to follow up with your reference writers and remind them a week or two before the deadline.

Most academic job listings will get posted between August and December. I would recommend frequently checking the following websites for job postings:

  • http://jobs.sciencecareers.org/
  • http://www.nature.com/naturejobs/science/
  • http://careers.cell.com/
  • http://www.higheredjobs.com/
  • http://academicjobsonline.org/ajo
  • https://chroniclevitae.com/

Other good places to look for openings are university websites and society websites/journals, which will often include listings in specific fields. Word of mouth is another way to find out about job opportunities, so make sure you let other faculty members in your department know you are on the job market.


Category: Careers

Related Blog Posts

  • A Look Back at the IRP’s History-Making Women
  • NIH Mourns Two Accomplished Cancer Researchers
  • IRP Scientist Shares Path From Stuttering to Science
  • NIH Mourns the Passing of Ji Ming Wang
  • NIH Mourns the Passing of Joost J. Oppenheim

This page was last updated on Monday, January 24, 2022

Blog menu

  • Contributing Authors
    • Alison Jane Martingano
    • Anindita Ray
    • Brandon Levy
    • Devon Valera
    • Dianne Lee
    • Gabrielle Barr
    • Melissa Glim
    • Michele Lyons
  • Categories
    • Collaboration
    • Science
    • Resources
    • Making a Difference
    • Careers

Blog links

  • Subscribe to RSS feed

Get IRP Updates

Subscribe

  • Email
  • Print
  • Share Twitter Facebook LinkedIn

Main navigation

  • About Us
    • What Is the IRP?
    • History
    • Honors
    • Organization & Leadership
    • Our Programs
    • Research Campus Locations
    • Contact Information
  • Our Research
    • Scientific Focus Areas
    • Principal Investigators
    • Accomplishments
    • Accelerating Science
    • Research in Action
    • Trans-IRP Research Resources
    • IRP Review Process
    • Commercializing Inventions
  • NIH Clinical Center
    • Clinical Center Facilities
    • Advancing Translational Science
    • Clinical Trials
  • News & Events
    • In the News
    • I am Intramural Blog
    • Speaking of Science Podcast
    • SciBites Video Shorts
    • The NIH Catalyst Newsletter
    • Events
  • Careers
    • Faculty-Level Scientific Careers
    • Trans-NIH Scientific Recruitments
    • Scientific & Clinical Careers
    • Administrative Careers
  • Research Training
    • Program Information
    • Training Opportunities
    • NIH Work/Life Resources
  • Department of Health and Human Services
  • National Institutes of Health
  • USA.gov

Footer

  • Home
  • Contact Us
  • IRP Brand Materials
  • HHS Vulnerability Disclosure
  • Web Policies & Notices
  • Site Map
  • Search