Available Resources

Logistics

Emergency Relief Funding

Postdocs are eligible to apply for emergency funding, if they are facing extraordinary circumstances. A postdoc who is experiencing a once-in-a-lifetime event can reach out to Tithi Basu Mallik at [email protected] to be advised on how to apply.

Housing

Typical housing prices in the Princeton area are higher than in many parts of the country. Cheaper apartments with accessible public transportation may be found outside Princeton in neighboring Plainsboro, Princeton Junction, and parts of Lawrenceville and Kingston. Please note that under NJ law, tenants signing a lease are liable for the entire lease period, and should compare prices carefully before signing an agreement of longer duration. The university also offers Faculty & Staff Housing, for which postdocs may apply. Off campus housing information can be obtained through the University Off Campus Housing website, or through TigerTrade. ​

Carpooling & Car Sharing

Car sharing programs for Princeton University staff are offered by a number of providers. Be aware that signing up for car sharing programs might take a few weeks, especially for international postdocs.

Bike & Walk to Campus

If you don't park on Campus, you might be eligible for support in your public transportation costs or a $400 benefit per year. Check out the Revise-Your-Ride website.

Free Public Transportation

Princeton University's Tiger Transit not only takes you around the campus, but also to the following places. Check out their timetables and a live online tracker.

  • Wegmans, Walmart, Buy Buy Baby, Best Buy
  • University Medical Center of Princeton at Plainsboro - Forrestal/PPPL line
  • Market Fair with a UA Movie theater and shopping - PTS West Line
  • Whole Foods, Staples, Marshalls - PTS West Line, a short walk from PTS apartments stop

Princeton municipal council provides a free shuttle, called Daytime freeB. It runs between Palmer Square and the Princeton Shopping Center from Monday to Saturday. Find more information about other means of transport in the area on the Princeton municipal council website.

International Scholars

Postdoctoral scholars coming to Princeton from abroad have several resources available to ease the transition. Visa support is available through the Davis International Center. The staff at Davis can help answer questions regarding visas and transitioning to life in Princeton. Davis also hosts Cheers Around the World, an opportunity to mix and mingle with international scholars.

Tigers with Cubs of Princeton University

A group of Princeton University graduate students and postdocs with or expecting children. To join visit the website or email “[email protected]” with your name.

Benefits

Retirement

You are only fully vested in the Princeton University Retirement Plan after two and one-half years of service. Under certain circumstances, it might be possible to be credited for previous employment for your retirement plan. In this case, you must have been employed at least six months before being hired at Princeton University. You also must submit a Certification of Prior Employment form to a member of the Benefits Team. The link to that form can be found here.

Healthcare, Life Insurance and Other Benefits

Check the benefits website of the HR department. This includes a large section of available discount programs for books, hotels, events, auto insurance, cell phone plans etc.

Professional Development

The McGraw Center for Teaching & Learning

The McGraw Center surveys research on human learning to promote best practices in the classroom, and provides pedagogical training to postdoctoral scholars both informally and as part of a Teaching Transcript Program certification.​

  • Workshops on Teaching Technique Throughout the Semester
  • Teaching Transcript Program
  • Feedback on Teaching Philosophy & Course Syllabus documents
  • Technical Help with Video and Digital Files

Princeton Career Services

Princeton Career Services provides individual counseling sessions on career decisions. If you are interested, you can make an appointment through Handshake.

They also provide programming mainly for graduate students but often open their events for postdocs as well. Programming is listed on their website, and in particular includes two annual events of interest: the academic job market overview (August) and talking about teaching (December).

Finally, in addition to your field-dependent (academic and private-sector) research listings, consider tapping the Chronicle of Higher Education, Inside Higher Education, HigherEdJobs and Academic 360 job boards for more teaching-oriented academic posts.

Job Hunt

Higher Education Recruitment Consortium (HERC)

HERC website for jobseekers, webinars and blog.

The Princeton Writing Program

The Princeton Writing Program provides resources to help students and postdocs write more effectively. PWP offers workshops on Writing in Science and Engineering, as well as fellowships for postdocs to teach writing seminars for graduate students and can provide feedback on individual texts.

Princeton Writes

Princeton Writes offers a variety of services with regard to writing and presentations:

  • Feedback on CVs, Cover Letter, Teaching Statement, Research Statement
  • Gradspeak (impromptu presentations) and other ways to improve your speaking skills
  • Have someone to listen to you as you practice your talks and give you feedback

To request a one-on-one meeting, please visit their website. General questions can be addressed to [email protected].

Course Auditing

Postdocs may audit courses as staff, registering on the first day of availability for $125 (this fee may sometimes be waived). Interested parties should contact the Office of Community and Regional Affairs.

Alternative Careers

Very few resources exist for alternative careers, but those of us in the NYC area can benefit from Versatile PhD and the Dropout Club mailing list.

Fellowship Opportunities

Can be found here and also using the PIVOT database (you will need your netID to log in to PIVOT). Ask your department administrator or the departmental grants office what signatures you’ll need before submitting. You may need to visit the Office of Research and Project Administration (ORPA) in advance of your application deadline.

Prison Teaching Initiative

A good opportunity to get teaching experience is to volunteer to teach in NJ State Prisons.