TABLE 35. Postdoctoral appointees in science, engineering, and health in public institutions, by detailed field: 2005–11
2005
2006
2007olda
2007newa
2008
2009
2010b
2011
All surveyed fields
27,218
27,719
28,069
28,187
29,686
32,467
35,279
34,455
Science and engineering
20,917
21,355
21,539
21,687
22,866
24,622
26,180
25,741
Science
Agricultural sciences
18,311
920
18,476
857
18,538
886
18,653
923
19,402
1,097
20,533
1,033
21,893
1,141
21,657
1,178
Biological sciences
Anatomy
Biochemistry
Biology
Biometry/epidemiology
Biophysics
Botany
Cell biology
Ecology
Entomology/parasitology
Genetics
Microbiology/immunology/virology
Nutrition
Pathology
Pharmacology
Physiology
Zoology
Biological sciences, nec
10,428
283
1,466
998
139
44
574
1,064
145
268
373
1,188
253
601
930
793
132
1,177
10,541
257
1,468
1,203
179
75
627
1,061
145
232
378
1,180
222
538
905
796
103
1,172
10,677
244
1,393
1,136
184
49
601
1,107
157
235
349
1,179
294
507
874
734
103
1,531
10,600
220
1,386
1,119
193
49
599
1,124
149
235
346
1,143
268
498
874
792
101
1,504
10,844
231
1,310
1,217
161
37
611
1,151
158
210
344
1,111
224
587
895
770
68
1,759
11,270
230
1,418
1,209
197
57
625
1,363
157
242
385
1,161
200
674
988
842
78
1,444
11,632
290
1,484
1,276
227
41
589
1,390
156
223
442
1,284
193
708
1,009
830
76
1,414
11,240
286
1,316
1,190
197
55
530
1,277
118
249
536
1,305
186
714
1,002
868
85
1,326
Field
Communicationa
ne
ne
ne
14
9
11
27
28
256
290
294
247
266
319
426
410
1,045
119
290
280
356
1,164
124
310
264
466
993
109
300
243
341
921
111
304
243
263
953
105
294
224
330
1,004
116
271
296
321
1,326
173
324
267
562
1,316
135
323
324
534
ne
ne
ne
8
19
20
24
41
283
262
21
369
329
40
423
398
25
418
391
27
450
410
40
446
418
28
434
392
42
497
441
56
ne
ne
ne
208
308
393
627
564
na
na
na
92
97
277
337
621
4,684
217
2,828
1,491
148
4,502
220
2,725
1,433
124
4,383
241
2,608
1,412
122
4,341
241
2,563
1,415
122
4,453
243
2,552
1,519
139
4,856
289
2,802
1,622
143
4,998
287
2,743
1,787
181
4,827
282
2,597
1,775
173
Psychology
Clinical psychology
Psychology, general
Psychology, nec
474
46
291
137
513
35
328
150
583
46
338
199
582
46
331
205
586
42
376
168
584
52
333
199
567
52
320
195
569
58
276
235
Social sciences
Agricultural economics
Anthropology (cultural/social)
Economics (except agricultural)
Geography
History and philosophy of science
Linguistics
Political science
Sociology
Sociology/anthropology
Social sciences, nec
221
39
39
6
37
5
7
20
27
2
39
240
32
40
8
51
2
7
26
23
5
46
299
46
53
19
34
3
12
22
18
0
92
299
42
53
23
34
3
12
22
18
0
92
320
44
63
22
36
2
13
23
13
1
103
320
41
57
22
50
3
8
31
26
0
82
354
41
56
18
53
4
13
29
45
0
95
366
42
44
13
50
2
16
64
44
2
89
Computer sciences
Earth, atmospheric, and ocean sciences
Atmospheric sciences
Geosciences
Oceanography
Earth/atmospheric/ocean sciences, nec
Family and consumer sciences/human sciencesa
Mathematical sciences
Mathematics/applied mathematics
Statistics
Multidisciplinary/interdisciplinary studiesa
Neuroscience
a
Physical sciences
Astronomy
Chemistry
Physics
Physical sciences, nec
TABLE 35. Postdoctoral appointees in science, engineering, and health in public institutions, by detailed field: 2005–11
Field
2005
2006
2007olda
2007newa
2008
2009
2010b
2011
Engineering
Aerospace engineering
Agricultural engineering
2,606
102
80
na
231
479
241
459
22
41
350
402
8
32
7
152
2,879
117
108
na
260
498
319
490
51
43
386
386
11
45
12
153
3,001
111
128
na
273
502
278
570
31
50
466
359
4
47
13
169
3,034
111
128
2
273
534
279
569
22
45
463
368
5
43
13
179
3,464
96
128
7
306
602
322
692
69
90
493
394
5
51
15
194
4,089
114
110
18
438
744
382
708
74
83
586
500
4
60
23
245
4,287
118
110
7
475
719
391
727
61
113
617
567
6
66
27
283
4,084
127
101
14
504
749
368
675
48
73
537
603
4
58
17
206
6,301
4,757
112
132
131
98
165
521
91
605
114
61
414
169
341
74
152
437
1,140
6,364
4,795
110
132
157
119
177
509
113
558
124
77
399
180
346
85
181
465
1,063
6,530
4,873
143
118
136
73
150
490
97
657
116
65
429
216
333
104
208
448
1,090
6,500
4,746
143
118
136
73
150
387
97
670
112
65
429
219
307
104
208
435
1,093
6,820
5,041
139
171
145
90
192
393
114
590
162
70
427
239
329
113
220
473
1,174
7,845
5,812
161
185
163
116
241
514
142
691
175
69
441
264
386
110
299
554
1,301
9,099
6,751
150
311
160
150
173
467
163
851
186
75
505
414
441
148
313
612
1,632
8,714
6,687
165
318
152
160
157
375
162
809
186
66
744
389
444
159
331
517
1,553
Other health
1,544
1,569
1,657
1,754
Dental sciences
142
149
153
187
Nursing
45
45
52
52
Pharmaceutical sciences
722
713
731
773
Speech pathology/audiology
32
45
53
53
Veterinary sciences
370
368
319
379
Other health, nec
233
249
349
310
na = not applicable; data were not collected at this level of detail. ne = not eligible; data were not collected for this field prior to 2007.
1,779
179
66
779
44
414
297
2,033
189
50
931
41
427
395
2,348
261
47
1,062
39
399
540
2,027
253
63
1,014
33
384
280
Architecturea
Biomedical engineering
Chemical engineering
Civil engineeringa
Electrical engineering
Engineering science
Industrial engineering
Mechanical engineering
Metallurgical/materials engineering
Mining engineering
Nuclear engineering
Petroleum engineering
Engineering, nec
Health
Clinical medicine
Anesthesiology
Cardiology
Endocrinology
Gastroenterology
Hematology
Neurologya
Obstetrics/gynecology
Oncology/cancer research
Ophthalmology
Otorhinolaryngology
Pediatrics
Preventive medicine/community health
Psychiatry
Pulmonary disease
Radiology
Surgery
Clinical medicine, nec
nec = not elsewhere classified.
a In 2007, eligible fields were reclassified, newly eligible fields were added, and survey was redesigned to improve coverage and coding of eligible units. "2007new" presents data as
collected in 2007; "2007old" shows data as they would have been collected in prior years. Science fields "communication" and "family and consumer sciences/human sciences" are
newly eligible; data for these two fields are only in 2007new. Science field "multidisciplinary/interdisciplinary studies" is also newly eligible; data may have been reported under other
fields before 2007. "Neuroscience" is reported as a separate field of science in 2007new; data were reported under health field "neurology" in 2007old and previous years.
"Architecture" is reported as a separate field of engineering in 2007new; data were reported under "civil engineering" in 2007old and previous years. See appendix A in
http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/nsf10307/ for more detail.
b In 2010, the postdoc section of the survey was expanded, and significant effort was made to ensure that appropriate personnel were providing postdoc data (see appendix A for more
information). Thus, for increases in 2010 or 2011 over 2009 and prior-year data, it is unclear how much is from growth in postdoctoral appointment and how much is from improved data
collection. More information on changes in postdoc data will be available in forthcoming InfoBrief at http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/gradpostdoc/.
NOTES: For graduate students, “field” refers to the field of the reporting unit in which the student is enrolled. For postdocs, “field” refers to the field of the unit that reports postdocs to
the GSS.
SOURCE: National Science Foundation/National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, NSF-NIH Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and
Engineering.