National Postdoctoral Association

Federal Postdoctoral Policies and Positions
The NPA gathers and makes available relevant federal policies that affect postdoctoral training, employment, funding, and other facets of the postdoctoral experience. This list is growing constantly, so come back often.

Professional Society and Organization Postdoctoral Policies
Many professional societies and organizations have given considerable thought and bring tremendous experience to bear on the debate about the postdoctoral experience. The NPA will provide links to as many as we can find, but providing these links does not mean that the NPA necessarily agrees or disagrees with the stated policy positions. Links to NPA-sponsored discussions about individual policies and positions (when available) are provided.

Data on Doctoral Recipients and Postdoctorates:

• Survey of Doctoral Recipients (SDR), National Science Foundation
• Characteristics of Doctoral Scientists and Engineers in the United States (2001) 
• Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering 
• Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering (GSS) 
• Science and Engineering Indicators (Annual), National Science Foundation 
• NSF InfoBrief: Employment Sector, Salaries, Publishing and Patenting Activities of S&E Doctorate Holders (2004) 
• NSF InfoBrief: More Than One-Fifth of All Individuals Employed in Science and Engineering Occupations Have Less Than a Bachelor's Degree Education (August 2004) 
• NSF InfoBrief: Emigration of U.S.-Born S&E Doctorate Recipients (June 2004) 
• NSF InfoBrief: Employment Outcomes of Recent Science and Engineering Graduates Vary by Field of Degree and Sector of Employment (May 2004) 
• NSF InfoBrief: Declines in U.S. Doctorate Awards in Physics and Engineering (April 2002) 
• Gender Differences in the Careers of Academic Scientists and Engineers (National Science Foundation, 2004) 
• Stay Rates of Foreign Doctorate Recipients from U.S. Universities, 2001 (Finn, NSF/DOE, 2001) 

Reports:

• Advancing the Nation's Health Needs: NIH Research Training Programs (2005)
  Committee for Monitoring the Nation's Changing Needs for Biomedical, Behavioral, and Clinical Personnel, Board on Higher Education and Workforce Policy and Global Affairs, National Research Council, The National Academies
• Bridges to Independence: Fostering the Independence of New Investigators in Biomedical Research (2005)
  National Research Council, The National Academies
• Assessment of NIH Minority Research and Training Programs: Phase 3 (2005)
  Committee for the Assessment of NIH Minority Research Training Programs Oversight, Board on Higher Education and Workforce Policy and Global Affairs, The National Academies
• Rising Above The Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future (2006)
  Committee on Prospering in the Global Economy of the 21st Century: An Agenda for American Science and Technology, National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine
• Policy Implications of International Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars in the United States(2005)
  Committee on Policy Implications of International Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars in the United States, Board on Higher Education and Workforce, National Research Council, The National Academies
• Careers and Rewards in the Biosciences (Freeman et al)
• Postdocs: What We Know and What We Would Like to Know, Commission on Professionals in Science and Technology (CPST)
• Enhancing the Postdoctoral Experience for Scientists and Engineers (2000)
• The Science and Engineering Workforce: Realizing America’s Potential (National Science Board, 2003) 
• Addressing the Nation’s Changing Needs for Biomedical and Behavioral Scientists (NAS/NRC), 2000 
• Forecasting Demand and Supply of Doctoral Scientists and Engineers: Report of Workshop on Methodology (2000) 
• Measuring the Science and Engineering Enterprise: Priorities for the Division of Science Resources Studies (2000) 

Career Data/Reports/Books:

• NSF InfoBrief: Plans for Postdoctoral Research Appointments Among Recent U.S. Doctorate Recipients (NSF, March 2004) 
• NSF InfoBrief: Has the Use of Postdocs Changed? (NSF, December 1998) 
• Education and Training for the Information Technology Workforce (U.S. Dept. of Commerce, 2003)
• In an Era of Scientific Opportunity, Are there Opportunities for Biomedical Scientists? Garrison et al., 2003 
• From Doctoral Student to Professor: The Academic Career Path in the United States (Karlsson, Swedish Ministry of Education and Science, January 2004) 
• Salaries of Scientists, Engineers and Technicians: A Summary of Salary Surveys (CPST, July 2003) 
• Tenure in Transition: Trends in Basic Science Faculty Appointment Policies at U.S. Medical Schools (Liu and Mallon, Academic Medicine, March 2004) 
• Postdocs and Career Prospects: A Status Report (CPST, June 1997): out of print, contact CPST

Policy Meetings, Reports and Papers:

• Pan-Organizational Summit on the U.S. Science and Engineering Workforce (GUIRR Meeting Summary) 
• Rand/OSTP/Sloan meeting report
• RAND Issue Paper: Is There a Shortage of Scientists and Engineers? How Would We Know? (Butz et al., RAND Corporation, 2003) 
• RAND Research Brief: Is the Federal Government Facing a Shortage of Scientific and Technical Personnel? (RAND Corporation, 2004) 
• Will the Scientific & Technical Workforce Meet the Requirements of the Federal Government? (Butz et al., RAND Corporation, 2004) 
• The Best and the Brightest for Science: Is There a Problem Here? (Zumeta and Raveling, CPST, 2002) 
• Postdocs and National Security (M.R.C. Greenwood, American Chemical Society Graduate Education Newsletter, Fall 2003) 

Public Correspondence:

• FASEB President Comments on Lack of Employment Benefits for NIH Kirschstein-NRSA postdoctoral fellows (Jan. 2004) 
• FASEB President Reaffirms Support of Employment Benefits for NIH Kirschstein-NRSA fellows (June 2004)