Box 1. Making the transition

Competition among the growing throng of biomedical research postdocs for a first faculty position is tough. But there are a few funding mechanisms that can separate the exceptional candidates from the crowd.

As part of a pilot programme, many institutes under the umbrella of the US National Institutes of Health now offer a handful of transition awards. These provide additional funding during awardees' postdoc fellowships, and offer a promise of start-up funds for awardees' first faculty position. Most are intended to forge a transition from intramural labs to extramural academic institutions.

This pledge of financial support is a major hiring incentive for the prospective employer. Although still postdocs, the awardees get several thousand dollars over and above their standard salary. Once the postdocs become faculty members at an extramural institution, they can receive up to $175,000 per year for three years, roughly half of which can be put towards salary.

The Burroughs Wellcome Fund has similar programmes for biomedical and interdisciplinary sciences, although most of its grants have been put on hold due to the strains the sagging stock market has placed on many foundations.