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OCR for page 31
CHAPTER 3
POSTDOCTORAL TRAINING
Recent attention has been given to the status of the growing
postdoctoral population in science departments.) As junior faculty
appointments became more scarce over the past decade, growing numbers
of young Ph.D.s in the biosciences and physics applied for and accepted
postdoctoral appointments--usually research associateships--(Figure 3.1)
70
-
C:
10
-
-
Physics
Chemistry
Biosciences
a`
1 1 1 1 1 _. ... 1
1972 1974 1976 1978 1980
FIGURE 3.1 Percent of new Ph.D.s planning postdocs, 1972-1980
SOURCE. Doctorate Records File, National Research Council
iNational Research Council, Postdoctoral Appointments and Disappoint-
meets, (National Academy Press), 1981.
3.1
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some presumably to hold them over until a faculty position became avail-
ableO The pay is typically low; there are in fact a few documented
cases of unpaid positions. 2 In this chapter, we will examine recent
patterns for female and male postdocs, including their numbers, reasons
for taking a postdoctoral appointment, the institutions which sponsor
them, the average stipend levels, and the relationship of marital status
to some of these factors.
In the fields where postdoctoral appointments are a common pattern--
physics, chemistry, the earth sciences, agricultural and biosciences--
similar proportions of recent men and women Ph.D.s reported that they
planned to take a postdoc (Table 3.1~. In medical sciences also, a
substantial fraction of the 1981Ph.D.s plan postdoctoral study but for
women it is only one-third compared with one-half of the men. This is
perhaps explained by the different field distributions of men and women
within the medical sciences group, specifically with respect to nursing.
In 1980, 74 out of 278 women received doctorates in nursing versus 2
out of 564 men.
For both sexes, there has been very little change since 1977 in
the fraction taking postdocs except for a drop in chemistry.
Reason for taking a postdoctoral appointment
Both men and women report that their primary reason for taking a
postdoc is to gain additional research experience in their field of
Ph.D. (Table 3.2~. Other reasons cited include wanting to work with
a particular scientist or research group (about 15-20 percent) or the
desire to switch into a different field (10-20 percent). In medical
sciences, women more often than men reported switching fields. Also, in
chemistry the men are significantly more likely to state that they are
taking a postdoc to work with a particular scientist or research group.
An apposite finding from other studies (e.g., Feldman, 1974; Perucci,
1975) is that chemistry departments have tended to provide inadequate
opportunities for professional socialization to women students.
A surprisingly small fraction of men or women report that inability
to obtain employment was the major reason for taking a postdoc. About
one-fifth of the psychology Ph.D.s reported "other reasons." Further
examination of the data reveals that these are clinical and counselling
psychologists who are likely taking a postdoctoral internship.
In most fields and for both sexes, about three-fourths of the
Pho D. s were able to secure early appointments with one-fourth still
searching (Table 3.3~. By far the largest numbers of postdocs are in
2 "Slave Labor on Campus: The Unpaid Postdoc," Science, Vol. 216,
May 14, 1982, pp. 714-715.
3.2
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TABLE 3.1 Number and percent of 1977 and 1981 science and engineering
doctorates planning postdoctoral appointments by field and sex
Field of
doctorate
Women
-
Number %
Total Planning Planning Total
Men
Number %
planning Planning
doctorates postdoc postdoc doctorates postdoc postdoc
1977
Mathematics128129%83191 11
Physics6433521,085499 46
Chemistry18092511,390639 46
Earth sciences592237632158 25
Engineering7412162,567385 15
Agricultural sci.631321861112 13
Medical sciences1656137506202 40
Biological sci.729452622,4431,417 58
Psychology1,081162151,879301 16
Social sciences7495972,795152 5
1981
Mathematics112 98%616105 17
Physics73 3447942424 45
Chemistry235 87371,376537 39
Earth sciences56 1425526158 30
Engineering99 13132,429316 13
Agricultural sci.147 25171,003130 13
Medical sci.310 9932604284 47
Biological sci.986 651662,4111,543 64
Psychology1,472 265181,885320 17
Social sciences843 5862,305164 7
SOURCE: Syverson, 1978, pp.
22-25; 1982, pp. 53-56.
3.3
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TABLE 3.2 Reason for taking a postdoctoral appointment,a1980 doctorates
in selected science fields by sex
For additional To work with To switch Could
research particular into not
experience scientist or different obtain Other
in Ph.D. field research Group field employ. reason
. . . ..
Physics
Women (n = 18) 61% 11%22% o% 6
Men (n = 268) 68 1510 6 2
Chemistry
Women (n = 94) 64 1315 4 4
Men (n = 398) 52 1916 11 2
Medical sciences
Women (n = 65) 60 1517 6 2
Men (n = 192) 60 179 5 9
Biological sciences
Women (n = 456) 54 2016 5 5
Men (n = 1,126) 57 2212 6 3
Psychology
Women (n = 157) 41 198 8 24
Men (n = 200) 43 199 11 20
SOURCE: Doctorate Records File, National Research Council
a
Respondents were asked to check the primary reason.
3.4
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TABLE 3.3 Status-of postdoctoral appointment at time of receipt of Ph.D.,
by field and sex, 1980 science and engineering Ph.D.s
Number % With % Still
planning definite seeking
Field of postdoctoral appointment appointment
doctorateWomenMen Women Men Women Men
Physics 34 443 70% 80% 30% 20%
Chemistry 115 524 76 77 24 23
Earth sciences 22 165 77 81 23 19
Agricultural sciences 25 149 72 59 28 41
Medical sciences 93 273 81 84 19 16
Biological sciences 621 1,559 80 81 20 19
Psychology 223 294 72 75 28 25
Social sciences 80 147 62 63 38 37
Shown are fields with more than 20 women planning postdoctoral appointments.
SOURCE: Doctorate Records File, National Research Council
3.5
OCR for page 36
the biosciences: approximately 500 women and 1,250 men had definite
awards by the time they received their Ph.D. Although relatively few
social scientists--male or female--seek postdoctoral fellowships, of
those who did in 1980, only 60 percent reported that they had an
appointment in hand upon graduation.
Marital status and postdoctoral patterns
About one-fifth of all postdoctorate have held long-term appoint-
ments--for more than 36 months (Table 3~43. A "holding" pattern is
evident in both the physical and life sciences. Among life scientists
married women are more likely than single women to be in this category.
They also report that their postdoc status was prolonged because of
difficulty in finding employment. For men, the pattern is reversed,
with single men more likely to hold long-term appointments.
Marital status plays a role in the postdoc decision in yet another
way. In a survey of 1978 Ph.D.s who were postdocs, as many as 70 percent
of the married women cited geographic limitations as an "important factor"
in their taking a postdoctoral appointments Geographic constraints were
also a deciding factor for 33 percent of the single women and about
25 percent of the men postdoctorate (Table 3.51.
Host institutions
Similar proportions of men and women postdocs with new awards in
1980 were accepted at major research universities. Table 3.6 shows
the distribution of new postdoctoral appointees by type of institution
and sex. It should be noted that these numbers are based on those
reporting definite acceptance by the time of receiving the doctorate;
the total number of 1980 Ph.D.s who received appointments for the
following year may be higher.
In chemistry, the top 25 institutions accounted for about 40 percent
of the new postdocs awarded, for both men and women. Because of the
comparatively small number of female postdocs in a single year, however,
this translates to 29 women with new awards in chemistry or roughly one per
top-25 department. In the biosciences, the leading research universities
were the destination for about 25 percent of the postdocs, with no dif-
ference by sex.
3.6
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TABLE 3.4 Percent of 1972 Ph.D. recipients who held long-term (>36 months)
postdoctoral appointments by sex and marital status
Women
Total Single Married
Men
, . .
Total Single Married
All science/engr. fields
.
Total taking postdoc
Prolonged postdoc because
of difficulty in
finding employment
Held postdoc appt.
>36 months
Engineering, mathematics,
physical sciences
Total taking postdoc
Prolonged postdoc because
of difficulty in
finding employment
Held postdoc appt.
>36 months
Life sciences
Total taking postdoc
Prolonged postdoc because
of difficulty in
finding employment
Held postdoc appt.
>36 months
Social sciences
.
Total taking postdoc
Prolonged postdoc because
of difficulty in
finding employment
Held postdoc appt.
>36 months
501230271
3,7501,0332,717
30%25%34%28%35%26%
232124
182415
8335481,9415941,347
(43)% (43)%
20 (20)
328 152
31% 25% 36%
29 25 32
t44)%32%36%31%
(21)162013
1761,3683541,014
28%37%25%
243321
90 43 47 441 85 356
14$ (14)% (15)%
-
3 7 0
11% 21% 9%
6 7 6
NOTE: Percentage estimates reported in this table are derived from a sample
and are subject to an absolute sampling error of less than 5 percentage
points, unless otherwise indicated. Estimates with sampling errors of
5 or more percentage points are reported in parentheses.
SOURCE: National Research Council, 1981, p. 152.
3.7
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TABLE 3.5 Geographic limitations as a factor in taking a postdoctoral
appointment, by sex and marital status, 1978 science and engineering
Ph.D.s
Women
Single Married
Men
Single Married
All science/engineering fields
Total taking postdoc
Geographic limitations
Important factor
Incidental factor
Not a factor
Engineering, mathematics,
physical sciences
Total taking postdoc
Geographic limitations
Important factor
Incidental factor
Not a factor
Life sciences
Total taking postdoc
Geographic limitations
Important factor
Incidental factor
Not a factor
Social sciences
Total taking postdoc
Geographic limitations
463436
33%70%
23
44
8
22
5952
24%(60)%
17
59
(36)
234237
22
52
71%
8
21
170 147
1,465 1,742
22
25
52
704
22
29
49
26
25
50
605
26
23
51
554 954
16%
25
58
25%
25
50
207 183
Important factor (44)% (73)% (40)% 28
Incidental factor 26 10 13 27
Not a factor 29 18 (47) 44
NOTE: Percentage estimates reported in this table are derived from a sample
survey and are subject to an absolute sampling error of less than 5
percentage points, unless otherwise indicated. Estimates with sampling
errors of 5 or more percentage points are reported in parentheses.
SOURCE: National Research Council, 1981, p. 151.
3.8
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TABLE 3.6 Host institutions for 1980 Ph.D.s with definite postdoctoral
appointments, by sex and field
WOMEN
MEN
Total no. Total no.
postdocs, postdocs,
excluding % excluding 96
medical Top Second Other medical Top Second Other
schools 25 25 inst. schools 25 25 inst.
Physics 12 50 17 33216 4113 47
Chemistry 74 39 16 45322 4015 45
Biological sci. 389 25 12 641,026 2412 64
Psychology 92 33 11 57150 259 66
a
Institutions are categorized by federal R&D expenditures.
the institutions, see Appendix C.
SOURCE: Doctorate Records File, National Research Council
3.9
For a listing of
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Postdoctoral stipends
.
As of 1981, women postdocs were paid roughly the same as men,
judging by median stipends in chemistry and biosciences (Figure 3.21.
This contrasts with the situation about 12 years ago when women post-
doctorals were reported to be earning an average of about $1400 less
than men and just 4 years ago when the pay differential was estimated
at $800.3 As noted in the Committee's earlier report, equity at this
level is important in that one might expect it would lead to comparable
salaries in subsequent employment. Whether the latter statement has
been realized will be examined in the following chapter.
Chem istry
Biological Sciences
FIGURE 3.2
0 2.0 4.0
Postdoctoral stipends
~ Women
6.0 8.0 100 12.0 14.0 16.0
$ IN THOUSANDS
in two fields by sex, 1981
Median annual stipends. Stipends reported for a 9-10 month period
have been adjusted to a full-year equivalent. Includes both first-
year and renewed appointments.
These two fields were selected because they have substantial numbers
of female postdocs.
SOURCE: Survey of Doctorate Recipients, National Research Council
invisible University (1969) and Climbing the Academic Ladder.
_ _ . .
3.10
Representative terms from entire chapter:
total taking
