Postdoc Academy
Postdoc Academy is a non-profit, NIH-funded multi-institutional program that delivers free online professional development courses, facilitated learning communities, and mentoring resources to postdoctoral researchers across US and global institutions.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Postdoc Academy does
Postdoc Academy is a non-profit, multi-institutional professional development program for postdoctoral researchers, founded in 2014 and launched operationally in January 2020. It is co-developed by four major research universities — Boston University (lead), Michigan State University, University of Wisconsin – Madison, and Northwestern University — and is funded by NIH grants R25GM121257 and NOT-OD-22-057 through the National Institute of General Medical Sciences. The program delivers free online courses on the edX platform, supplemented by facilitated learning communities (PALS) and a suite of mentoring resources, including the Productive Postdoc Conversation Framework.
The core product offering consists of two MOOCs: 'Succeeding as a Postdoc' (a 6-week foundational course covering career planning, resilience, intercultural communication, and success strategies) and 'Building Skills for a Successful Career' (a 7-week advanced course covering leadership, team supervision, project management, strategic communications, and job application materials). These are complemented by Postdoc Academy Learning Sessions (PALS) — facilitated small-group communities that meet weekly during course runs — and mentoring toolkits such as the Facilitator Guide and Postdoc Activities. All content is released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0, allowing institutional adoption and adaptation. The technology backbone is the edX platform with standard virtual facilitation tools (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Slack, Blackboard).
The business model is fully freemium for learners, with optional paid verified certificates available through edX. There is no commercial revenue stream; operations are sustained by NIH grant funding. The go-to-market is product-led growth: free courses on edX drive organic discovery, supplemented by outreach through postdoc offices, the National Postdoctoral Association, academic conferences (NPA Annual Conference, AAMC GREAT, Graduate Career Consortium), and social media. The program has reached over 7,000 postdocs since launch, with 20% of participants from underrepresented racial groups and published research documenting self-reported skill gains.
Postdoc Academy firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Postdoc Academy
- Legal name
- Postdoc Academy
- Website
- https://postdocacademy.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Postdoc Academy is a non-profit, NIH-funded multi-institutional program that delivers free online professional development courses, facilitated learning communities, and mentoring resources to postdoctoral researchers across US and global institutions.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Postdoc Academy industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Professional Development Education
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (61), Educational Support Services (61171)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cohort-Based Course Platforms (EDAFAIAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Online Learning Content & Course Publishing Platforms (BPAMAJAL), University/College Continuing Education (Extension) Programs (EDAAAEAA)
Keywords
Where Postdoc Academy is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Postdoc Academy business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Free Course Access: All core programming is provided free of charge to postdocs. Learners can access all course materials indefinitely without payment.
- Verified Certificate (edX): Optional verified certificate available for purchase through edX platform. The course content is identical whether free or verified track.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free Course Access - Core curriculum with unlimited access to all learning materials, activities, videos, and discussion forums. |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Postdoc Academy product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Postdoc Academy delivers free, evidence-based online professional development courses and facilitated learning communities for postdoctoral researchers. The program offers two MOOCs on edX (Succeeding as a Postdoc and Building Skills for a Successful Career) supplemented by PALS (Postdoc Academy Learning Sessions) facilitated peer groups and mentoring resources.
Product overview
Postdoc Academy is a comprehensive professional development program for postdoctoral researchers, offering two complementary online courses hosted on edX: Succeeding as a Postdoc (a 6-week foundational course) and Building Skills for a Successful Career (a 7-week advanced course). These are supplemented by PALS (Postdoc Academy Learning Sessions) - facilitated virtual or in-person learning communities. The program also provides mentoring resources including the Productive Postdoc Conversation Framework and Facilitator Guides. All content is freely available under Creative Commons license and funded by NIH grants.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- PALS (Postdoc Academy Learning Sessions): Virtual learning communities of postdocs that connect based on discipline or institution, meeting weekly while taking the online course.
Products and services
- Succeeding as a Postdoc A 6-week foundational MOOC hosted on edX that helps postdocs of all stages and disciplines develop skills including finding success as a postdoc, drafting an actionable career plan, working effectively in intercultural environments, and developing resilience. Requires 2-4 hours per week of activities.
- Building Skills for a Successful Career A 7-week advanced MOOC hosted on edX that builds professional skills important for postdocs' next career step, including leadership, team building and supervision, project management, teaching skills beyond the classroom, strategic communications, and job application materials.
- PALS (Postdoc Academy Learning Sessions) Virtual or in-person learning communities where postdocs meet weekly while taking the online courses. Each PALS group is facilitated by a trained facilitator and includes discussion, reflection, and peer connection. Sessions run for 60 or 90 minutes weekly for 7 weeks.
Quantifiable outcome
- Significant improvement in all five self-reported skill areas upon course completion (career planning, resilience, self-reflection, collaborative research, career transition)
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Postdoc Academy
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Postdoc Academy technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
Feature3 records
Postdoc Academy partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- Boston UniversitycoreLead institution in the multi-institutional collaboration developing the Postdoc Academy. Provides principal investigator and core team for curriculum development.
- Michigan State UniversitycorePartner institution contributing to curriculum development and research on professional development for postdocs.
- University of Wisconsin – MadisoncorePartner institution contributing to curriculum development and program evaluation for the Postdoc Academy.
- Northwestern UniversitycorePartner institution contributing to curriculum development, particularly around mentoring and professional development.
- National Postdoctoral AssociationmajorCollaborates on annual facilitator training at NPA Annual Conference and supports postdoc community engagement through workshops and resources.
- edXcoreOnline learning platform hosting Postdoc Academy courses. Provides verified certificate option for learners who wish to purchase certification.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Postdoc Academy competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Future Faculty (various university programs): University-run postdoc-to-faculty preparation programs (e.g., Chicago Fellows, MIT Future Faculty). They address overlapping needs (postdoc professional development and faculty readiness) through institutionally delivered programming, though without Postdoc Academy's national MOOC scale.
Broad incumbents
- AAAS Science Careers: Long-standing career resource for PhDs and scientists including myIDP (Individual Development Plan) and career articles. Serves the same postdoctoral/researcher audience with career planning tools, and is a broad incumbent that competes for the same learner attention.
- edX: Host platform and broader MOOC marketplace where Postdoc Academy delivers its courses. As a broad incumbent, edX is the platform-level peer whose marketplace dynamics shape Postdoc Academy's distribution and certificate monetization.
Emerging players
- Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning (CIRTL): NSF-funded network preparing future STEM faculty through online courses and learning communities. Comparable model: federally funded, multi-institutional, online courses plus facilitated learning communities for early-career academic trainees.
- The Carpentries: Community-driven organization teaching data and computational skills to researchers via open, instructor-led workshops. Comparable model: open, community-led, evidence-based training for researchers with strong institutional adoption.
- iBiology: Free online courses and lectures for scientists, including research-career topics. Overlaps with Postdoc Academy on free, high-quality online professional development for the same research audience.
Direct peers
- Imagine PhD: Free online career exploration and planning tool for humanities and social sciences PhDs (with growing STEM use), built with academic and federal support. Direct comparable as an evidence-informed, free career-development resource for early-career researchers.
- Versatile PhD: Online community and resource hub helping PhDs transition to non-academic careers, with courses, panels, and mentoring. Comparable mission (PhD/postdoc career development) and similar online + facilitated delivery model.
- Cheeky Scientist: Career transition training company focused on helping PhDs and postdocs move into industry roles. Comparable target audience (postdocs/PhDs seeking career transitions) with overlapping curriculum topics such as resume, networking, and job search.
- National Postdoctoral Association: U.S. membership organization for postdocs whose core competencies framework underpins Postdoc Academy's curriculum and which runs annual facilitator training and conferences. Directly comparable mission and audience (U.S. postdocs and postdoc offices), with overlap in professional development programming.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Postdoc Academy social profiles
Digital presencePostdoc Academy compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Postdoc Academy financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Postdoc Academy leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Postdoc Academy funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Postdoc Academy M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Postdoc Academy
What does Postdoc Academy do?
Postdoc Academy delivers free, evidence-based online professional development courses and facilitated learning communities for postdoctoral researchers. The program offers two MOOCs on edX (Succeeding as a Postdoc and Building Skills for a Successful Career) supplemented by PALS (Postdoc Academy Learning Sessions) facilitated peer groups and mentoring resources.
Is Postdoc Academy a public or private company?
Postdoc Academy is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Postdoc Academy founded?
Postdoc Academy was founded in 2020. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Postdoc Academy based?
Postdoc Academy is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does Postdoc Academy make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Free Course Access are the primary driver. The others are verified Certificate (edX).
Who are Postdoc Academy's main competitors?
Future Faculty (various university programs) is listed as an others. Broad incumbents are AAAS Science Careers and edX. Emerging players are Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning (CIRTL), The Carpentries and iBiology. Direct peers are Imagine PhD, Versatile PhD, Cheeky Scientist and National Postdoctoral Association.
Does Postdoc Academy have an API?
No public API is recorded for Postdoc Academy.
What industry is Postdoc Academy in?
Postdoc Academy's product category is Professional Development Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAFAIAB, Cohort-Based Course Platforms, with a secondary code of BPAMAJAL, Online Learning Content & Course Publishing Platforms. Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 8200.