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A look at successful organizations suggests that encouraging postdoc involvement is critical. Orkin put it bluntly: "There is only so much that can be brought about by trickle down from the top."

Reform efforts will have to be collaborative. While the postdocs themselves must play a role, the major responsibility for change lies with those who have the most power." --
COSEPUP report (2000)

Why is it that postdocs are only recently beginning to organize themselves to bring these issues to light?

"Compensation" was not defined by the Tax Reform Act of 1986, and neither was the term "fellowship." Not surprisingly, IRS audits have addressed this oversight and offer some additional clarity.

"In all three cases, UAB, the CCR, and LANL, it was the administration that, faced with recruitment and retention issues, took the initiative to establish programs for postdocs."

"Federal policy … must decide on a single classification for postdocs because in reality they [all] do the same work." --Trevor Penning

If the NRSA stipend isn't considered compensation, why must postdoc fellows file quarterly tax statements?

"It was particularly useful to be forced to explain your research to a group of scholars from other disciplines. You knew they were highly educated people and that if they did not understand your research, it was probably because you didn't explain it well enough." --Postdoctoral fellow Cath Gilchrist

"The message that we need to do something to standardize these practices comes through very clearly!"