For many aspiring faculty members it is required to spend several years in postdoctoral study before they will be considered for a faculty position. A postdoctoral researcher usually works under the supervision of a faculty mentor, and is free to concentrate on scholarly work, without teaching or advising. (MLW)

Characteristics of postdoctoral students at Canadian universities are discussed and issues related to the training of postdoctoral students in Canada are explored. A survey conducted in 1972 indicated that there were 2,272 postdoctorals and research associates in the university sector. About 1,000 of these postdoctoral students were in mathematics…

United States institutions awarded 42,705 doctorates in 1997, the highest one-year total ever, and a 32% increase over a decade ago. Some fields, primarily the sciences and engineering, experienced declines. Data are presented on the demographic characteristics and employment/postdoctoral education plans of doctorate recipients, institutions…

Information is presented on senior fellowships awarded in the United States from 1968 to 1977. Applicants for Guggenheim fellowships were asked to provide information on the applications they made to other fellowship programs in order to identify the major senior fellowship programs. The definition of "senior" was more than five years…

The findings and 13 recommendations of a NSF Advisory Council task force that evaluated universities as centers of basic research are presented. Listed are the major strengths of universities as centers for basic research (including continuity and tradition, freedom of research, interactions among disciplines) and such threats to their viability…

The nature of graduate education, the job market, and the problem of institutional self-renewal are considered. Trends of leveling off of graduate enrollment and of Ph.D. production and a dramatic increase in the level of postdoctoral training have occurred. The oversupply of Ph.D.-producing institutions and the need for financial support of…

This report looks at trends from 1973 to 1993 in new science and engineering doctoral degree recipients' post-graduation plans in order to note changes in the proportion planning postdoctoral appointments (postdocs). Examination of this question found that between 1973 and 1993 the proportion of doctoral graduates with "definite plans" at the time…

Presented are trends and projections in social work doctoral education including: historical summary, review of existing studies, increasing productivity in next decade providing resources are not curtailed, and need for more emphasis on postdoctoral education. Central objectives in social work relate to social policy, teaching, and…

Discusses what the predoctoral dental curriculum should emphasize, in both general content and learning and teaching processes, in order to fully integrate a postgraduate-year experience. Two reports recommending strategies for dental education are compared for suggested curriculum structure, instructional modes, articulation, practicum design,…

Presents trend data concerning the current number of programs and positions in postdoctoral dental education, and examines applicant trends in postdoctoral dental education, as background for examining needs and issues that will emerge as a mandatory year of postdoctoral dental education is implemented. Factors influencing student plans to pursue…

A brief summary of data gathered from the Survey of Earned Doctorates during the academic year 1976-1977 is presented in this, the eleventh in a series of yearly summaries of data, a series that began in 1967. Data was obtained from questionnaires filled out by the graduates as they completed all requirements for their doctoral degrees, and refers…

Reviews the history of postdoctoral programs in dentistry and medicine, focusing on postdoctoral general dentistry education, and describes the changing health-care environment in which future dental professionals will practice, relating the dental postdoctoral experience to that in medicine. A strategy is presented to prepare dental practitioners…

An analysis of the state of postdoctoral clinical dental training looks at current enrollment level and trends, trends in faculty positions and demand for them, student characteristics, student objectives in pursuing postdoctoral education, trends in specialty and general practice, and implications for future postdoctoral general dentistry…

The status of women scientists in academic institutions is examined as well as women's current situation in postdoctoral training and their role on national science advisory boards. Obstacles that women must overcome to become professional scientists are discussed in Chapter I, focusing on cultural and structural factors. Characteristics,…

This document presents estimates of graduate enrollment and postdoctoral employment at the beginning of the academic year 1995-96 at all institutions in the United States that granted doctorate or Master's degrees in any science or engineering field. The survey universe is derived from the ongoing National Science Foundation/National Institutes of…