{"id":45,"date":"2025-01-27T13:01:14","date_gmt":"2025-01-27T17:01:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/graduate.ucf.edu\/annual-report-2024-2025\/?page_id=45"},"modified":"2025-12-11T10:29:00","modified_gmt":"2025-12-11T14:29:00","slug":"postdoctoral-scholars","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/graduate.ucf.edu\/annual-report-2024-2025\/postdoctoral-scholars\/","title":{"rendered":"Postdoctoral Scholars"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"\"Postdoctoral Scholars<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Postdoctoral scholars, or postdocs, play a vital role in UCF’s research ecosystem. They join the university for a limited time to conduct advanced research and receive specialized training and mentorship. This experience equips them with the skills and expertise needed to excel in future careers across academia, industry, and beyond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"Postdoctoral Affairs<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Postdoctoral Affairs serves as a central hub for postdoc-related support. It keeps postdocs informed about university resources, policies, and events while fostering professional development and promoting networking both on and off campus. The office occasionally offers paid professional development opportunities, so scholars do not need to use their $5,000<\/strong> allowance. Additionally, the office continues to cover the cost of postdocs printing posters in the Graduate Student Center. They also oversee the Preeminent Postdoctoral Program (P3) and the Short-Term Postdoctoral Support (STePS) program, collaborating with colleges from recruitment through onboarding and throughout their tenure as UCF postdocs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Postdoctoral Advisory Committee<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Postdoctoral Advisory Committee, established in Fall 2023, was created to strengthen support for postdoctoral scholars at UCF. This committee, comprising UCF administrators, faculty, and postdocs, guides policy development and recommendations to enhance the postdoctoral experience. In 2025\u201326, new members will join the committee to continue its work following the departures of Dr. Alex Nikolaidis and Dr. Salvador Almagro-Moreno.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\" Postdoctoral Advisory Committee members<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Dr. Ali Gordon<\/strong> \u2013 Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and Associate Dean of Graduate Affairs<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Dr. Winston Schoenfeld<\/strong> \u2013 Professor, Optics and Photonics, and Vice President for Research and Innovation<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Dr. Kathleen Richardson<\/strong> \u2013 Trustee Chair and Pegasus Professor, Optics and Photonics<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Dr. Xiaofeng Feng<\/strong> \u2013 Associate Professor, Physics<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Dr. Bethany Backes<\/strong> \u2013 Associate Professor, Social Work and Lead, Violence Against Women Cluster<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Dr. Grace Fox<\/strong> \u2013 Postdoctoral Scholar, Computer Science<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Dr. Alex Nikolaidis<\/strong> \u2013 Postdoctoral Scholar, UCF Center for Ethics<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Dr. Ghaith Rabadi<\/strong> \u2013 Professor and Graduate Program Director, Modeling, Simulation, and Training<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Dr. Salvador Almagro-Moreno<\/strong> \u2013 Associate Professor of Medicine, Biomedical Sciences<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"\"Workshops and Initiatives<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In Fall 2024, to raise awareness of postdoctoral opportunities and introduce early career planning, the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs launched a targeted outreach campaign to encourage PhD students to consider postdoctoral training. That same semester, in response to increased demand for P3 and STePS funding, the office implemented changes to both programs. The P3 award, previously $25,000<\/strong>, was adjusted to $20,000<\/strong> effective November 20, 2024, and the STePS faculty buy-in increased from $10,000<\/strong> to $12,000<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In early 2025, the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs proposed including postdoctoral scholars among the employee groups eligible for the Employee Tuition Waiver. The UCF Board of Trustees approved this proposal in June 2025, with an implementation set for Fall 2025. That spring, postdoctoral scholars were invited to a meeting to discuss reinstating a Postdoctoral Association at UCF. The group agreed to begin with campus-based activities, leading up to a larger university-wide event later in 2025. These efforts are ongoing.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, in collaboration with Graduate Student Life and the Office of Undergraduate Research, the Knight Research Scholars Program (KRSP) was established, modeled after Texas A&M\u2019s Aggie Research Program. KRSP offers postdoctoral scholars and graduate students the opportunity to mentor interdisciplinary research teams, while offering undergraduate students hands-on, collaborative research experiences under their guidance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"\" Salary Increase<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In response to feedback from the Postdoctoral Advisory Committee, the minimum annual salary for postdoctoral scholars increased from $55,000<\/strong> to $57,000<\/strong>. Announced in April 2024 and took effect on July 1, 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Preeminent Postdoctoral Program (P3)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Preeminent Postdoctoral Program (P3) supports UCF\u2019s STEM research community by providing faculty with funding to mentor postdoctoral scholars and advance the university toward its goal of 200 STEM postdocs, a key metric for Florida\u2019s \u201cPreeminence\u201d designation. P3 provides faculty researchers with $20,000 <\/strong>per year toward a postdoc\u2019s salary for up to two years, totaling $40,000<\/strong> in support, along with a $5,000 <\/strong>professional development allowance, which, as of 2024\u20132025, is used exclusively for professional development activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Short-Term Postdoctoral Support (STePS)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Short-Term Postdoctoral Support (STePS) program continued to support UCF doctoral graduates in 2024\u20132025, with 36 postdoctoral scholars <\/strong>receiving awards. STePS provides a six-month bridge employment opportunity, allowing scholars to advance their academic development under faculty mentorship while transitioning to the next step of their careers. The program remains appealing to faculty, requiring only a $12,000 <\/strong>contribution while Postdoctoral Affairs provides the remaining $22,000<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Outcomes<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Through the continued success of the P3 and STePS programs, UCF\u2019s postdoctoral population has seen sustained growth. Rising from 75 postdocs<\/strong> (70 STEM<\/strong>) in 2016 to 340 postdocs <\/strong>(including 309 in STEM<\/strong>) in 2024, UCF has continued to exceed the state\u2019s preeminence benchmark for postdoctoral appointments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Annual Total Number of Postdoctoral Scholars<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Year<\/th>Postdoctoral<\/th>STEM Postdoctoral<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
2016<\/td>75<\/td>70<\/td><\/tr>
2017<\/td>104<\/td>92<\/td><\/tr>
2018<\/td>159<\/td>146<\/td><\/tr>
2019<\/td>188<\/td>170<\/td><\/tr>
2020<\/td>163<\/td>142<\/td><\/tr>
2021<\/td>198<\/td>136<\/td><\/tr>
2022<\/td>196<\/td>144<\/td><\/tr>
2023<\/td>221<\/td>218<\/td><\/tr>
2024<\/td>340<\/td>309<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>
Postdocs by year table. *P3 not active until 2017<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Postdoctoral Scholars Postdoctoral scholars, or postdocs, play a vital role in UCF’s research ecosystem. They join the university for a limited time to conduct advanced research and receive specialized training and mentorship. This experience equips them with the skills and expertise needed to excel in future careers across academia, industry, and beyond. Postdoctoral Affairs Postdoctoral […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":355,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-notitle.php","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-45","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\nPostdoctoral Scholars - 2024 GS Annual Report<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Postdoctoral scholars at UCF gain mentorship, funding, and research support to advance their careers and academic goals.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/graduate.ucf.edu\/annual-report-2024-2025\/postdoctoral-scholars\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Postdoctoral Scholars\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Postdoctoral scholars at UCF gain mentorship, funding, and research support to advance their careers and academic goals.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/graduate.ucf.edu\/annual-report-2024-2025\/postdoctoral-scholars\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"2024 GS Annual Report\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-12-11T14:29:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/graduate.ucf.edu\/annual-report-2024-2025\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2025\/01\/Doctoral.png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/graduate.ucf.edu\/annual-report-2024-2025\/postdoctoral-scholars\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/graduate.ucf.edu\/annual-report-2024-2025\/postdoctoral-scholars\/\",\"name\":\"Postdoctoral Scholars - 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