Undergraduate biology majors are often overwhelmed by and underinformed about the diversity and complexity of biological research that is conducted on research-intensive campuses. We present a program that introduces undergraduates to the diversity and scope of biological research and also provides unique teaching opportunities for graduate…

One-day professional development workshops for graduate students and postdocs were held at top National Research Council--ranked chemistry research departments. Attendees intend to pursue academic careers, yet their experience and knowledge about teaching and learning were small. Postsurveys indicated that despite the short duration, the workshop…

The student full-time equivalent (FTE) measure has a long history in U.S. postsecondary education. Credit hours, contact hours, and their derivative FTE have been used as proxies for both student and faculty effort. FTE ultimately became a core measure for planning, evaluating and assessing human resource allocation within higher education.…

International postdoctoral researchers are growing in number and importance in academic research around the world. This is contextualised by a shift to international and enterprise modes of academic production. Through a multiple case study, this paper analyses the role of international postdoctoral employment in life sciences and engineering…

This dissertation considers three research questions. Why do scientists become postdoctoral scholars (postdocs)? What role do postdocs play relative to other categories of labor in research production? What factors are associated with a postdoc being dissatisfied? The literature review in Chapter 2 summarizes findings about which scientists are…

Despite evidence that experience within practical coaching contexts serves as the principal knowledge source for coaches, academic (and professional) coach education programmes continue to be heavily taught along didactic lines. Such courses are often considered as fine in theory but divorced from the gritty realities of practice. The aim of this…

The aim of this survey is to evaluate the reasons behind the demand for postgraduate programs and the relationships between these reasons among disciplines. This survey was administered to 304 students randomly chosen from master with thesis and doctorate programs at the Institute of Sciences and Technology, Institute of Social Sciences and…

Work in 1997 on Australian research postgraduate student mobility indicated that most students chose to remain at their current institution to undertake a research degree rather than move elsewhere, and that they were unlikely to seek widely for information. The present study aimed to determine, 7 years later, if there had been changes in student…

During its brief twenty-five-year history, and under the close management of the central government, the postdoctoral training system in China has grown rapidly into a permanent element of the Chinese science and technology research system. Although designed to be attractive to elite Chinese Ph.D. talent both living abroad and in China, it turned…

The Preparing Future Faculty (PFF) program instituted at doctorate-granting institutions across the U.S. provides mentoring and guidance to doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers interested in academic careers. The seminar curriculum content focuses on exposing participants to skills and knowledge for successful pursuit of faculty careers…

In a previous study entitled Post-doctoral Education in the Ontario Universities 1969-70 (HE 003 573), the author showed that the majority of postdoctoral students in the Ontario universities in 1969-70 were not citizens of Canada. Upon finding this, the author determined to find out if a significant number of Canadian doctoral graduates continued…

Many postgraduate students in Britain experience a 'mock' viva some time before their 'real' one, but little has been published on this aspect of gaining a Ph.D. or professional doctorate. In this study questionnaire data on the experiences and feelings of 29 UK postgraduate students concerning their mock vivas are summarized. The results suggest…

Discusses the increasing interest in the unhappiness in academic research and questions management and mentoring problems, especially in laboratory environments. Suggests that the individual level of the problem depends on the environment. Lists tips for a productive team of managers. Differentiates between management and mentor goals and focus…

The data presented in this report were collected in the 20th annual National Science Foundation/National Institutes of Health Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering, covering 1991. The survey universe is composed of all U.S. institutions with departments or programs offering courses of study at the…