Administration and Implementation Guidelines for Postdoctoral Education

Mizzou is committed to cultivating a campus environment that will encourage research excellence, independent thinking and professional development in our Postdoctoral Scholar community. To facilitate this goal, a Postdoctoral Policy was approved for the Mizzou campus in September 2004. This policy is designed to identify the primary responsibilities and expectations of postdoctoral scholars and their faculty mentors to ensure a high-quality postdoctoral experience that reflects the balanced interests of postdoctoral trainees and their mentors.

The Postdoctoral Policy establishes the Office of Postdoctoral Education under the stewardship of the Graduate School. This structure is a natural extension of existing services already provided to graduate students, emphasizing training and scholarly activity and providing a formal communication link between postdoctoral scholars and the University Administration.

Campus-level administration of postdoctoral training and the Office of Postdoctoral Education currently are the responsibility of Dr. Teresa M.Cooney, faculty fellow of the Graduate School. The Office of Postdoctoral Education is not only committed to facilitating the goals of postdoctoral scholars and their mentors, but also recognizes that the ultimate responsibility for the success of a postdoctoral appointment rests with the research mentor.