Workshop
From Their Vision to Yours
A Research Strategy Workshop for Postdocs & Early-Career Researchers
You're told to develop your independent research identity.
But you're working on your PI's grants. Their funded projects. Their research questions.
How are you supposed to build YOUR research program when your work is structured around someone else's vision?
This tension isn't personal failure. It's built into how postdoc positions work. And it's why drift happens: through a series of reasonable decisions — funding, relationships, geography, practicality — that gradually pull you away from what originally drew you to research.
What We'll Do
In this 2.5-hour workshop, we'll:
- Map where your research has been and what's been driving your choices (curiosity? funding? obligation?)
- Share patterns with the group (or simply listen) and see how drift happens structurally, not individually
- Identify your throughline: the thread that connects your work to what you actually care about
- Build strategies to move forward with more intention, even within real constraints
Who This Is For
This workshop is designed for postdocs and early-career researchers who:
- Feel scattered across projects that don't quite connect
- Struggle to explain how their work fits together
- Miss the curiosity that originally drew them to research
- Want to find more agency in their research direction
- Are navigating the tension between independence and funded work
What You'll Leave With
- A completed map of your research journey showing where drift happened
- Clarity on what's been driving your decisions — and what you want driving them going forward
- Concrete strategies for finding your throughline within real constraints
- Connection with others navigating the same tension
- A framework you can use throughout your career
About Jeff
I'm Jeff Malins, a former faculty member who experienced research drift firsthand. I went from studying cross-linguistic differences in language processing during my PhD to running a pediatric reading lab as faculty.
The work was valuable, but it wasn't what originally drew me to research. That drift happened gradually, through reasonable decisions about funding, relationships, and practicality.
After leaving academia, I now work in healthcare AI and help postdocs and early-career researchers navigate these transitions with more clarity and intention.
Questions
Will the workshop be offered again?
Yes — a future cohort is planned. Fill out the contact form to be notified when registration opens.
What if I'm not a postdoc?
This workshop is designed for postdocs and junior (pre-tenure) faculty. If you're in a different stage but the content resonates, you're welcome to join a future cohort.
Workshops for Departments & Cohorts
I also facilitate customized workshops for postdoc cohorts, junior faculty groups, and departments who want to support early-career researchers in navigating drift and building more intentional research directions.
These sessions can be tailored to your group's specific needs, delivered virtually or in person, and scaled for groups of 5–20 participants.
- Postdoc cohorts navigating career transitions
- Junior faculty building labs or preparing for tenure
- Departments wanting to invest in early-career researcher development
Here’s what a course instructor shared after a recent workshop on research and career planning:
“Dr. Jeff Malins gave an outstanding guest presentation in my Healthcare Data Science course at UVA. His talk seamlessly blended practical career guidance with personal storytelling, highlighting his inspiring transition from academic research to a data science role at Mayo Clinic. Dr. Malins’s ability to clearly explain key skills — from communication to project organization — made a lasting impact on our students. His engaging and thoughtful style, combined with deep industry insight, makes him an exceptional mentor for anyone considering a career shift into healthcare data science.”
Listen: Career Transitions & Building a Coherent Path
I was recently a guest on The BOLD PhD podcast, and joined Dr. Gertrude Nonterah for a candid conversation about research, career transitions, and building a coherent path forward. If what you hear resonates, I’d love to continue the conversation!