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Approaches for Evaluating the NRC Resident Research Associateship Program at NIST
APPROACHES FOR EVALUATING THE NRC RESIDENT RESEARCH ASSOCIATESHIP PROGRAM AT NIST
Board on Higher Education and Workforce
Policy and Global Affairs Division
John Sislin, Editor
NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS
Washington, D.C.
www.nap.edu
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Approaches for Evaluating the NRC Resident Research Associateship Program at NIST
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS
500 Fifth Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20001
NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.
This project was supported by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Grant No. SB1341-04-C-0001. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organizations or agencies that provided support for the project.
International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-309-11218-5
International Standard Book Number-10: 0-309-11218-4
Additional copies of this report are available from the
National Academies Press,
500 Fifth Street, N.W., Lockbox 285, Washington, D.C. 20055; (800) 624-6242 or (202) 334-3313 (in the Washington metropolitan area); Internet, http://www.nap.edu.
Suggested citation: National Research Council. 2007. Approaches for Evaluating the NRC Resident Research Associateship Program at NIST. Board of Higher Education and Workforce. John Sislin, ed. Washington, D.C.: The National Academies Press.
Copyright 2007 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America
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Approaches for Evaluating the NRC Resident Research Associateship Program at NIST
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
Advisers to the Nation on Science, Engineering, and Medicine
The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone is president of the National Academy of Sciences.
The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. Charles M. Vest is president of the National Academy of Engineering.
The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Harvey V. Fineberg is president of the Institute of Medicine.
The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy’s purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone and Dr. Charles M. Vest are chair and vice chair, respectively, of the National Research Council.
www.national-academies.org
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Approaches for Evaluating the NRC Resident Research Associateship Program at NIST
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Approaches for Evaluating the NRC Resident Research Associateship Program at NIST
Committee on Approaches for the Evaluation of the NIST/NRC Postdoctoral Research Associateships Program
Isaac Sanchez, Ph.D., (Chair), William J. Murray Endowed Chair in Engineering,
Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas
Burt Barnow, Ph.D., Associate Director,
Institute for Policy Studies, Johns Hopkins University
Kathryn Newcomer, Ph.D., Director of the Ph.D. in Public Policy and Administration program and Associate Director of the School of Public Policy and Public Administration,
George Washington University
Georgine Pion, Ph.D., Research Associate Professor,
Department of Psychology and Human Development, Peabody College, Vanderbilt University
Study Staff
Peter Henderson, Board Director
John Sislin, Study Director
Jim Voytuk, Senior Program Officer
Kara Murphy, Program Assistant
Rae Allen, Administrative Assistant
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Approaches for Evaluating the NRC Resident Research Associateship Program at NIST
Board on Higher Education and Workforce
Ronald Ehrenberg, Ph.D., (Chair), Irving M. Ives Professor,
Industrial and Labor Relations and Economics, Cornell University
Burt Barnow, Ph.D., Associate Director,
Institute for Policy Studies, Johns Hopkins University
Donald L. Bitzer, Ph.D., Distinguished University Research Professor,
Computer Science Department, North Carolina State University
Carlos G. Gutierrez, Ph.D., Professor of Chemistry,
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, California State University
Donald Johnson, Ph.D., Vice President (retired),
Product and Process Technology, Grain Processing Corporation
Claudia Mitchell-Kernan, Ph.D., Vice Chancellor of Graduate Studies and Dean,
Graduate Division, University of California, Los Angeles
Michael Nettles, Ph.D., Edmund W. Gordon Chair for Policy Evaluation and Research Educational Testing Service
Debra Stewart, Ph.D., President,
The Council of Graduate Schools
Tadataka Yamada, M.D., Chairman,
Research and Development, GlaxoSmithKline
Staff
Peter Henderson, Board Director
Jim Voytuk, Senior Program Officer
John Sislin, Program Officer
Jim McKinney, Financial Associate
Kara Murphy, Program Assistant
Rae Allen, Administrative Assistant
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Approaches for Evaluating the NRC Resident Research Associateship Program at NIST
Preface and Acknowledgments
In 2004, the NRC Resident Research Associateship Program at NIST celebrated its 50th anniversary. The Program, administered by the Fellowships Office of the National Research Council (NRC), and carried out at the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST), provides postdoctoral opportunities in the sciences and engineering. Over the past 53 years, the program has supported over 1,300 Research Associates. Anecdotally, the program is seen by current and former participants and staff at NIST and the NRC as a successful means to engage postdoctorates in important research and continue their training, as well as to assist NIST in meeting its mission, and grow a larger and more talented pool of scientists and engineers. There have been limited attempts to evaluate the program in general, using more quantitative evidence. This report was designed to assess the program, based on currently-available evidence and suggest approaches that NIST might consider in collecting data on the program and subjecting it to a more rigorous assessment. It was strongly hoped by the committee that NIST would undertake a more in-depth evaluation in the future and that this study would help lay some of the groundwork for NIST.
This report has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by the National Academies’ Report Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making its published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the process.
We wish to thank the following individuals for their review of this report: Dean Atkinson, Portland State University; Donald Bitzer, North Carolina State University; Booker Stephen Carpenter, National Institute of Standards and Technology (retired); Michael J. Finn, Oak Ridge Associated Universities; Jason Floyd, Hughes Associates, Inc.; Lee Sechrest, University of Arizona; Lewis Siegel, National Science Foundation; and Paula Stephan, Georgia State University.
Although the reviewers listed above have provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions or recommendations, nor did they see the final draft of the report before its release. The review of this report was overseen by Charles Phelps, University of Rochester. Appointed by the National Academies, he was responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content of this report rests entirely with the authoring committee and the institution.
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Approaches for Evaluating the NRC Resident Research Associateship Program at NIST
In addition, the committee would like to thank Jeovanny Paz, Jim Voytuk, Joe Finan, Charlie Fink, Suzanne White, Ray Gamble, and all in The National Academies’ Fellowships Office. In addition, we would like to thank Claire Saundry, Susan Heller-Zeisler, Hratch Semerjian and a special thanks to everyone at NIST who participated on our expert panels.
Isaac Sanchez, Chair
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Approaches for Evaluating the NRC Resident Research Associateship Program at NIST
Contents
Executive Summary
1
1
Overview
6
Federal Programs to Support Postdocs in S&E
6
The NRC Resident Research Associateship Program at NIST
9
The Role of the National Academies
11
The Committee’s Charge
12
Approach and Scope
12
Sources of Information
14
Outline of Report
22
2
Recruitment and Selection
23
Trends in Doctorates and Postdoctorates
23
The Selection Process
26
Recruitment
28
Preliminary Results
34
Characteristics of Applicants and Awardees
35
Preliminary Results
59
Recommendations
59
3
Research Associates’ Experiences
61
Productivity During the Postdoctoral Appointment
63
Research Associates’ Views of the Program
67
Research Advisors’ Evaluation of Research Associates
72
Preliminary Results
72
Recommendations
73
4
Careers
80
Research Associates’ Careers
80
Preliminary Results
83
Recommendations
84
5
Preliminary Results and Recommendations
88
Preliminary Results
88
Recommendations
89
Bibliography
92
Appendixes
A
Committee Members Biographical Information
95
B
Survey of Earned Doctorates
97
C
Data on Science & Engineering Doctorates
105
D
Application for Research Associate Programs
114
E
Examination of Applications to Prospective Programs
126
F
Ph.D. Fields by Broad Category
146
G
Names of Laboratories
151
H
Research Associateship Final Report
152
I
Evaluation of Associate by Adviser
155
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Approaches for Evaluating the NRC Resident Research Associateship Program at NIST
List of Tables, Figures, and Boxes
TABLES
TABLE 1-1
Selected National Research Council Research Associateship Programs,
8
TABLE 1-2
Summary of Primary Data Sources,
15
TABLE 2-1
Science and Engineering Postdoctoral Appointees in Doctorate-Granting Institutions, by Field, 1998-2005,
25
TABLE 2-2
Percent of Doctoral Recipients with Definite Commitments Who Plan Postdoctoral Study or Research, by Broad Field of Study, 1982 and 2002,
25
TABLE 2-3
How Applicants First Heard About the Research Associateship Program, 1989-2007,
30
TABLE 2-4
How Applicants to the NIST/NRC Research Associateship Program First Heard About the Program, 1989-2007,
31
TABLE 2-5
How Applicants to the NIST/NRC Research Associateship Program First Heard About the Program, by Gender, 1989-2007,
32
TABLE 2-6
How Applicants to the NIST/NRC Research Associateship Program First Heard About the Program, by Race/Ethnicity, 1989-2007,
32
TABLE 2-7
Percent of Awardees Among Applicants by Source of Information About the Program, 1965-2007,
33
TABLE 2-8
Percent of Awardees by Source of Information About the Research Associateship Program, 1965-2007,
33
TABLE 2-9
Applications, by Research Associateship Program and Major Field of Applicants, 1965-2007,
37
TABLE 2-10
Awards, by Research Associateship Program and Major Field of Applicants, 1965-2007,
37
TABLE 2-11
Percent of Awards, by Research Associateship Program and Major Field of Applicants, 1965-2007,
38
TABLE 2-12
Top 20 Institutions from Which Applications Originated, by Research Associateship Program, 1965-2007,
47
TABLE 2-13
Top 20 Institutions of Awardees, by Research Associateship Program, 1965-2007,
48
TABLE 2-14
Number of Universities from Which Applicants and Awardees Received Their Ph.D.s, by Field, 1965-2007,
49
TABLE 2-15
Most Common Doctoral-Granting Institutions of Applicants to the NIST/NRC Research Associateship Program, by Major Field, 1965-2007,
49
TABLE 2-16
Most Common Doctoral-Granting Institutions of NIST/NRC Research Associates, by Major Field, 1965-2007,
51
TABLE 2-17
Applications and Awards for the NIST/NRC Research Associateship Program, by Laboratory, 1965-2007,
56
TABLE 2-18
Applications and Awards for the NIST/NRC Research Associateship Program, by Laboratory and Gender, 1965-2007,
57
TABLE 2-19
Number of Individuals Offered a Research Associateship Who Decline, by Research Associateship Program, 1965-2007,
58
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Approaches for Evaluating the NRC Resident Research Associateship Program at NIST
TABLE 3-1
Number of Articles Published in Peer-Reviewed Journals by Associates, by Program,
64
TABLE 3-2
Number of Domestic Presentations, by Program,
65
TABLE 3-3
Number of International Presentations, by Program,
66
TABLE 3-4
Number of Patents, by Program,
66
TABLE 3-5
Number of Awards, by Program,
67
TABLE 3-6
Research Associates’ Appraisal of the Short-Term Value of the Research Associateship Program, by Program,
68
TABLE 3-7
Research Associates’ Appraisal of the Long-Term Value of the Research Associateship Programs, by Program,
69
TABLE 3-8
Research Associates’ Appraisal of Laboratory Support Research Associateship Program, by Program,
69
TABLE 3-9
Research Associates’ Appraisal of the Quality of Mentoring by Their Advisor, by Program,
70
TABLE 3-10
Research Associates’ Appraisal of Support at Their Host Agency, by Program,
71
TABLE 3-11
Research Associates’ Appraisal of the Support of the NRC, by Program,
72
TABLE 4-1
Immediate Employment of Research Associates Following Postdoctoral Appointment, by Program,
81
TABLE 4-2
Current Employment of Former Research Associates, by Program,
82
TABLE 4-3
Number of Former NIST/NRC Research Associates Who Converted to Career-Conditional or Term Appointments After Their Postdoctoral Appointments,
83
FIGURES
FIGURE 2-1
Number of applications to Research Associateship Programs, by program, 1965-2007,
35
FIGURE 2-2
Percent of awards among applications, by Research Associateship Program, 1965-2007,
36
FIGURE 2-3
Percent of applications from women, by Research Associateship Program, 1965-2007,
38
FIGURE 2-4
Percent of awardees who are women, by Research Associateship Program, 1965-2007,
39
FIGURE 2-5
Success rate of applications to NIST/NRC Research Associateship Program, by gender, 1965-2007,
40
FIGURE 2-6
Success rate of applications to all other Research Associateship Programs, by gender, 1965-2007,
41
FIGURE 2-7
Percent of applications from underrepresented minorities, by Research Associateship Program, 1980-2007,
42
FIGURE 2-8
Percent of awards to underrepresented minorities, by Research Associateship Program, 1980-2007,
43
FIGURE 2-9
Success rate of applications to NIST/NRC Research Associateship Program, by race/ethnicity, 1965-2007,
44
FIGURE 2-10
Success rate of applications to all other Research Associateship Programs, by race/ethnicity, 1965-2007,
45
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Approaches for Evaluating the NRC Resident Research Associateship Program at NIST
FIGURE 2-11
Number of doctoral-granting institutions for applicants to the NIST/NRC Research Associateship Program, 1965-2007,
46
FIGURE 2-12
Average age of applicants and awardees, by Research Associateship Program, 1965-2007,
53
FIGURE 2-13
Percent of applicants who are married, by Research Associateship Program, 1965-2007,
54
FIGURE 2-14
Percent of awardees who are married, by Research Associateship Program, 1965-2007,
55
BOXES
Box 1-1
Expert Panel Questions,
21
Box 2-1
Review Criteria,
27
Box 3-1
Suggested Final Report for Research Associates,
74
Box 3-2
Suggested Research Adviser Evaluation,
78
Box 4-1
Career Assessment Survey of Former Research Associates,
85
