Readers of The Scientist magazine have rated The University of Queensland among the top five best places in the world for post-doctoral work in life sciences, outside the USA.
UQ was the only institution outside the northern hemisphere to make it into the Top 10 International Institutions list when the results of the survey, now in its ninth year, were released last night.
University College London ranked at number one, followed by Novartis International (multinational), the Biotechnology Centre at the Technische Universität Dresden, the Max Planck Institute (both in Germany) and UQ.
UQ’s Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research and International), Professor Alan Lawson, said the survey reflected the increased recognition of UQ as a leading global research institution.
“The Australian Government’s recent Excellence in Research for Australia study showed that more researchers at UQ are working in research fields that have been assessed above world standard than at any other Australian university,” Professor Lawson said.
“UQ’s focus on building interdisciplinary research capability and strong partnerships with top global research organisations is reflected in The Scientist’s survey results.
“UQ is already playing a leading role in research on the world stage, and it continues to make significant progress in its 20-year goal of shifting the university’s focus even more strongly towards discovery.”
A separate study in The Scientist last July, the Best Places to Work in Academia 2010 survey, named UQ as the number one international academic institution outside the USA.
The Best Places to Work for Post-Docs 2011 survey released yesterday also separately ranks the top 15 institutions in the United States.
Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research in Cambridge, Massachusetts, topped the US list, and other notables included Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts, the US Environmental Protection Agency, Emory University in Atlanta, the University of California and the Institute for Systems Biology in Seattle.
Jef Akst, associate editor of The Scientist, who oversees the Best Places surveys for publisher Faculty of 1000, said the post-doc survey drew 2881 web-based responses from readers who identified themselves as non-tenured life scientists working in academia, industry, or non-commercial research institutions.
Respondents were asked to assess their work environment and experience by indicating their level of agreement with 38 criteria in nine areas.
“The postdoctoral years are critical in any budding scientist’s career, and this year’s survey showed that striking the fine balance between independence and guidance is important to a successful postdoc experience,” Ms Akst said.
Postdoctoral positions increasingly were required training for the next generation of scientific leaders in academia and industry.
The Scientist said its survey provided information “straight from the postdocs themselves" about institutions’ strengths and weaknesses in training young scientists as they matured into competent lab leaders.
Media: UQ Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research and International), Professor Alan Lawson, ph +61 (0)7 3346 6293
Fiona Cameron, UQ Communications, +61 (0)7 3346 7086
Eleanor Howell, +44 (0)20 7631 9129, press@f1000.com
