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News Release 13-173

Reporting improvements contribute to rise in counts of postdocs employed in academia in science, engineering, and health fields

Illustration showing two scientists working in a lab

From 2000-2010, postdoc employment in engineering had the fastest growth.


September 30, 2013

This material is available primarily for archival purposes. Telephone numbers or other contact information may be out of date; please see current contact information at media contacts.

According to a study published by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the number of postdoctoral appointees (postdocs) increased across all disciplines during the past three decades.

In 2010, the number of postdocs reported to the Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering (GSS) grew to 63,415, an increase of more than 10 percent from the 2009 total and 25 percent more than the 2007 total.

The growth reflects improved reporting methods, as well as the continued expansion of postdoctoral employment in academia.

The GSS has collected data on postdocs annually since 1979, and the trends reflect an increase in postdoc employment across all fields. Postdoc employment in engineering has seen the fastest growth, with employment in computer sciences closely behind.

Biological sciences, clinical medicine and physical sciences were the most common fields of employment for postdocs in 2010.

For more information on this report, please contact Kelly Kang.

Please visit the NSF's National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics for more reports and other products.

-NSF-

Media Contacts
Deborah Wing, NSF, (703) 292-5344, email: dwing@nsf.gov

Program Contacts
Kelly H. Kang, NSF, (703) 292-7796, email: kkang@nsf.gov

The U.S. National Science Foundation propels the nation forward by advancing fundamental research in all fields of science and engineering. NSF supports research and people by providing facilities, instruments and funding to support their ingenuity and sustain the U.S. as a global leader in research and innovation. With a fiscal year 2023 budget of $9.5 billion, NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to nearly 2,000 colleges, universities and institutions. Each year, NSF receives more than 40,000 competitive proposals and makes about 11,000 new awards. Those awards include support for cooperative research with industry, Arctic and Antarctic research and operations, and U.S. participation in international scientific efforts.

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