Sponsorship for Post-Docs at Los Alamos: Research Group Requirement?

[nbo10]

Post-doc applicants need to be sponsored by a technical staff member. Does the sponsorship need to come from the research group with the opening?

 

[ZapperZ]

Post-doc applicants need to be sponsored by a technical staff member. Does the sponsorship need to come from the research group with the opening?

I guess since no one answered this, everyone is as puzzled with this question as I was.

I'm not exactly sure what you are asking here. Maybe if you understand a little bit on where the money for a postdoctoral position comes in, that might answer your question. This applies to postdoc positions here in the US, and I'm guessing, to a certain extent, in other parts of the world as well. But there could be many degrees of variations.

When someone applies for research funding, no matter from where, he/she will include in the funding proposal money allocated for various things, including FTE (full-time equivalent employee), M&S (materials and supplies), postdocs, grad students, etc. It is THIS research funding, when approved, that will pay for such positions, including postdoc. One just doesn't simply "sponsor" a postdoc position without first allocating funding for it. So it is the person has the money (and obviously the need) for a postdoc that is doing the search. So your question about it coming from a "research group" is a bit puzzling.

Note however that there may be special cases of various institutions having special awards that one can apply for for such a postdoc position. In such cases, the institutions are the ones having the money to sponsor such a position, while the supervisor foots no money. However, such award is VERY rare and also very highly competitive. At Argonne, there are "named" postdoctoral awards that select only one postdoc for the various research areas, and these are given only to extremely outstanding applicants. Such a situation is not common, and most postdocs are employed via the earlier means that I described.

Zz.