Core—An institution which was eligible for the GSS and included in the survey in 2013.

Doctorate-holding nonfaculty researcher (NFR)—Employees who meet both of the following qualifications: not considered either postdoctoral researchers or members of the faculty and involved principally in science, engineering and health research activities.

Fields—The discipline of a unit according to the GSS taxonomy.

GSS-eligible fields—Science, engineering, and health fields included in the GSS taxonomy.

GSS-eligible institutions—All academic institutions in the United States and its territories that grant research-oriented master's degrees or doctorates, appoint postdocs, or employ NFRs in S&E and health-related fields.

GSS-eligible units—Academic units in an eligible institution in an eligible field that meet GSS code-specific criteria for inclusion.

New frame institutions—Newly eligible institutions identified through the 2008 or 2011 frame evaluations and annual frame evaluations since 2011.

Postdoctoral researcher (postdoc)—NSF defines a postdoc as meeting both of the following qualifications: holds a recent doctoral degree (generally awarded within the last 5–7 years); has a limited-term appointment (generally no more than 5–7 years); primarily training in research or scholarship; and working under the supervision of a senior scholar. The definition of a postdoc varies by institution; institutions use their own definition of a postdoc when reporting.

School—A set of units for which a coordinator can provide data; this is typically a graduate school, medical school, nursing school, school of public health, or a branch campus. Schools are not discussed in this report.

Unit—For reporting purposes, units typically correspond to academic departments, programs, research centers, or health care facilities within the same GSS field.