National Postdoctoral Association

One of the NPA's main policy objectives is to improve the quality of data collection, analysis and reporting on postdoctoral scholars in the United States. While the National Science Foundation (NSF) captures limited data on postdoctoral scholars who earned their Ph.D. degrees in the United States, less is known about postdocs conducting research in the United States who earned their degrees abroad. The NPA is working with the NSF, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the many research institutions that host postdoctoral scholars to gather more comprehensive data on postdocs, and then report them to the appropriate federal agencies. These data can then be used to formulate policies and practices that reflect the true nature of the postdoctoral experience in the United States, rather than anecdotal information or assumptions based on small groups of postdocs.

Primary Sources of Available Data:

The Sigma Xi National Postdoctoral Survey

National Science Foundation (NSF)

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Humanities Resource Center Online

Other Data Compilations

NPA Data Compilations:

NPA Fact Sheet

Data on Postdocs and Gender