Postdoctoral researchers at the University of Maryland are competitively selected from national/international searches. Postdoctoral researchers and are subject to considerable mentoring centered on career development/advancement, as well as honing research skills (including proposal writing and communications skills), and learning and applying new analytical techniques. As a testament to this, postdocs from the UMd have commonly advanced to faculty and research positions at top institutions. Most postdocs at Maryland have also had the opportunity to improve teaching skills, as they are encouraged to occasionally teach classes (although rarely courses) pertaining to their specialties. Weekly seminars are held at UMd, where postdoctoral researchers are further introduced to new research and an exchange of ideas. Similarly, postdocs typically present at least one seminar during their tenure on campus and receive continuous guidance and feedback from other postdocs and faculty. Postdocs at UMd commonly attend both national and international scientific meetings, and are often first authors on research published in major scientific journals.