APPIC Statement on Postdoctoral Selection    
 

The APPIC Postdoctoral Committee and the APPIC Board of Directors believe that establishing overall organization and consistent selection processes are in the best interest of applicants, programs, and the larger postdoctoral community. While substantial progress has been made in building community among the diverse universe of postdoctoral programs, continued efforts toward a more cohesive and structured selection process are needed.

Of note, there remains an increasing imbalance of postdoctoral positions relative to applicants, such that there are significantly more positions than applicants, leaving many positions unfilled annually. Given this current reality, any selection process will result in unfilled positions. While this is an undesirable outcome for a program, this is due to the imbalance, rather than an inherent problem with the selection process.

The APPIC Selection Standards were first implemented in 2022-2023 with very favorable feedback, particularly as compared with past selection processes, including the Unified Notification Date, or “UND”. The Common Hold Date (CHD) approach mirrors the widely-practiced graduate school admissions process. It allows postdoctoral programs to make offers at any time following the completion of interviews; applicants can then accept, decline, or hold an offer until the designated CHD of Monday, February 24, 2025. Consequently, as the offer and acceptance process naturally unfolds, most offers and acceptances will occur prior to the CHD. 

The Postdoctoral Selection Standards and Common Hold Date are intended to:  

1. Allow for a more flexible and fluid process such that mutually beneficial program-applicant pairings can occur under less time-pressured circumstances, as compared with the UND,  
2. Allow for ongoing communication between applicants and programs throughout the selection process, 
3. Relieve the pressures and binds historically caused by short offer hold times that occurred with the UND, 
4. Offer applicants improved opportunity to make maximally informed decisions,  
5. Disrupt annual creep of early offers, given that making early offers does not significantly advantage programs,  
6. Continue to foster organization of the postdoctoral selection process.  

APPIC offers email templates (for Applicants and Programs) to facilitate communication between programs and applicants that are in alignment with the Standards. These are optional resources that can be customized by programs and applicants; survey data indicated that the communication templates were highly utilized and helpful to both programs and applicants during the selection process. Hyperlinks to the relevant templates are embedded throughout the Standards and Recommendations below.    

APPIC strongly recommends member programs and clinically-focused programs follow the APPIC Postdoctoral Selection Standards and Common Hold Date. To optimize benefit from this selection process, Training Directors are strongly encouraged to complete their interviews and applicant rankings by Monday, February 3, 2025 and to be prepared to initiate offers shortly thereafter. Programs are encouraged to consult with the APPIC Postdoc Committee if they have questions about their timelines.

Of note, clinical neuropsychology programs are not expected to follow the Standards and CHD. Programs that are predominantly research in emphasis (50% or more time devoted to research) are encouraged to follow them to the extent that they are able.

APPIC Postdoctoral Selection Standards and Common Hold Date (CHD);

February 24, 2025     

                          
Core Principles 

1. The Selection Standards help ensure that the national postdoctoral selection system unfolds fairly and fluidly; applicants and programs all have a part to play in creating and maintaining an effective system.   
2. Effective training is maximized in a context in which there is a mutually beneficial arrangement between the program and the applicant and when both parties feel that the selection process was professional and ethical.    
3. Programs need to respect the interests of applicants and not create a context in which applicants feel unduly pressured to accept offers.   
4. Programs that agree to abide by the Standards in their public materials and in their UPPD listing(s) agree to adhere to all of the components listed in the Standards.  

The Standards cannot fully address all situations that may arise throughout the postdoctoral selection process. It is expected that applicants and programs will use sound professional and ethical judgment in circumstances that are not specifically addressed by the Standards below. The APPIC Postdoctoral Committee and APPIC Board are available for consultation. 
 

Although the Selection Standards are separated into pages specific to Applicants and Programs, it is recommended that Applicants and Programs review both sets of materials to facilitate their utilization of the Standards. 

For Questions or Consultation 

Questions about the APPIC Postdoctoral Selection Standards and CHD or APPIC recommendations regarding recruitment and selection should be directed to Wayne Siegel, Ph.D., ABPP, the APPIC Postdoctoral Committee Chair (siegel@appic.org or 612-756-8850), the APPIC Postdoctoral Committee, or the APPIC Board of Directors.