Postdoc survey offers surprising insights

The recent Sigma Xi Postdoc Survey provided some surprising insights into the transitional tier of the scientific workforce, now occupied by more than 50,000 apprentice scientists in the US. The survey results are based on based on information provided by 7,600 postdoctoral scientists at 46 American research institutions. The 46 participating research institutions employ roughly 40 percent of all postdocs working in the U.S. The institutions include 18 of the 20 largest academic employers of postdocs and the largest government employer, the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Perhaps the most interesting finding was that postdocs who reported having the greatest amount of structured administrative oversight and formal training were much more likely to say they were satisfied with their experience and to be more productive. This surprised the survey team because a primary attraction of a postdoctoral appointment is thought to be the freedom it provides to pursue research without other academic obligations.

The survey results suggest that relatively straight-forward, low to no-cost elements such as writing research and career plans, conducting regular reviews and having clear-cut institutional policies to define expectations for both postdocs and their mentors make a big difference in the quality of the postdoctoral experience. The study found that postdocs in positions with this kind of structure tend to give advisors higher ratings, experience fewer conflicts, and demonstrate higher productivity in terms of numbers of publications compared with their colleagues in less structured programs.

Survey results are ultimately expected to enable research institutions to benchmark their policies and practices against those at peer institutions. Highlights from the survey include the following:

Sigma Xi, which conducted the survey, is the international honor society of research scientists and engineers, with about 70,000 members and more than 500 chapters in North America and around the world. Partners for the Sigma Xi Postdoc Survey included the National Postdoctoral Association, Science's Next Wave, and the National Bureau of Economic Research (Science and Engineering Workforce Project).

A summary of national highlights from the Sigma Xi Postdoc Survey is a special insert called "Doctors Without Orders" in the May-June issue of American Scientist, the magazine of Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society. A full survey report for publication in a peer-reviewed journal will be produced later this year. The summary is downloadable in pdf format at http://postdoc.sigmaxi.org/results/.

Source: Various electronic articles and email messages

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