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2. BASIC BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES
During the past year, the Committee and its advisory Panel on
Basic Biomedical Sciences have reconsidered each of the recom-
mendations in last year's report. Particular attention has been
given,to I) updating the model projecting supply and demand for
biomedical research personnel; 2) evaluating the impact that
recent reductions in training grant support have had on graduate
programs; and 3) identifying priority training fields in the
biomedical sciences. In evaluating the impact of lost training
grant support, the'Committee relied on findings from a detailed
survey of all 1,324 basic biomedical science departments with
doctoral programs and on impressions gathered on site visits to
selected group of departments that had recently lost training
grant support. In an attempt to identify priority training
fields, consideration was given to statements received at the
Committee's public hearing in February 1978 and to discussions
that were held with several d iverse groups, including members of
an NIH advisory council, a professional society executive
committee, federal agency off icials responsible for setting
training priorities, and other informed individuals.
AS S E S SM ENT OF TH E CURRENT MARKE T
FOR BAS IC BI OMED ICAL SCI ENT I STS
Last year the Committee examined information on current employ-
ment open rtunities for scientists with doctoral training in the
biomedical fields. This information was obtained from a survey
of 7,800 individuals who earned Ph.D. degrees in these fields
between 1971 and 1975 (cited as "Survey of Recent Doctorate
Recipients" ~ . Survey findings revealed that all but a few of
these graduates were ut il i zing their doctoral training and that
no ser ious unempl oyment problem wa s apparent . However, s ig ni f-
icant increases were noted in both the number of biomedical Ph. D.
recipients taking postdoctoral appo intments and the length of
their postdoctoral training period. The Committee's concern over
the growth in the postdoctoral pool was highl ighted in its 1977
report ~ A. 44 ):
During a period ~1972-75 ~ when the number of
biomedical Ph.D. 's awarded annually had in-
creased very little, the total number of
persons hot ding postdoctoral appo intments
expanded at an annual rate o f more than
1 3 percent. This rapid growth ~ from 3, 039
30
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appointees in 1972 to 4,455 in 1975) came
as a result of increases in both the number
of graduates taking postdoctorals and the
length of these appointments.
A large percentage (42 percent) of these postdoctoral
appointees said that they remained in that status because they
could not find a more permanent position. As noted in a report
to the Committee on the labor market for biomedical scientists
(Freeman, 1977), the proportion of new biomedical Ph.D. recip-
ients who are seeking jobs but are without specific prospects at
the time of graduation has increased markedly since 1970.
Projections from a model developed by the Committee to
estimate future needs for biomedical scientists in the academic
sector indicated that supply is likely to exceed demand sig-
nificantly during the next 5 years. On the basis of these
projections and the survey findings, the Committee recommended 1 )
a reduction in predoctoral support for research training in the
basic biomedical sciences and 2) a stabilization of postdoctoral
support in these fields. After comparing the employment pros-
pects in different biomedical specialty fields, the Committee
concluded that, with the exceptions of biomathematics/ bio-
statistics and epidemiology, no fields should be given priority
for predoctoral support.
In April 1977, NIH reported that a survey of the market for
biomedical scientists in all employment sectors, conducted for
NIH by Westat, Inc ., showed that shortages of biomedical
scientists existed in most fields in 1975 (NIH, 1977a). In
almost every field, the number of unfilled positions exceeded the
number of individuals still seeking positions. Hence, NIH
concluded that substantial shortages ex isted . The shortages were
reported to be more severe for M.D. 's with research training than
for Ph.D.'s. These widespread shortages were contrary to the
employment situation observed in most other scientif ic areas .
In concluding from the Westat survey's result ts that manpower
shortages existed in most biomedical fields in 1975, NIH relied
heavily on the number of budgeted vacancies that remained un-
filled in September 1975. Of the estimated 3,500 vacancies
reported in May, 42 percent remained unfit led in September. The
ma jor reason positions were not f illed was reported to be the
lack of suitable e candidates.
On the suppl y side, NIH reported -that most of the individuals
completing programs between May and September 1975 found either a
job or a postdoctoral appointment by September, al though 6 per-
cent were stil ~ seeking positions .
The Committee's findings agree with the NIH assessment of the
market for M.D.'s but disagree with the NIH conclusion with
respect to the market for biomedical Ph.D.'s. The discrepancies
between NIH's and the Committee's assessments of the current
market situation for biomedical Ph.D.'s are largely due to
31
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2)
differing methodological approaches and interpretations of the
data cold ected from both of the (committee' s surveys and from the
NIH survey conducted by Westat. Some possible reasons for the
differences are g iven below.
In the Westat survey, postdoctoral posi t ions were
counted as part of the demand . The Commi ttee bet ieves,
however, that postdoctoral appointments are temporary
- positions intended primarily for training and cannot
be considered equivalent to faculty appointments or
other more permanent posit ions, as they were in the
Westat survey. Indeed, the Committee believes that a
large portion of the individuals on postdoctoral
appointments are candidates for permanent positions
and thus should be counted on the supply side.
The We stat survey asked the reason for not f it ~ ing
the vacancies remaining in September, 1975. Was the
lack of a suitable candidate the. major reason for not
f illing the position? The answer has a bearing on
the interpretation of the survey's results. Although
verification is difficult due to the low response to the
question, and unpublished data indicate considerable
variation among f ields with respect to the ma jor reason,
the fail ure to find a suitable candidate was cited in
only a small portion of cases in many basic biomedical
f idles. In biochemi stry, for example, of the I81
unfilled positions, only 32 (~8 percent ~ cited this
reason; i n mi crobiology the lack of a sui table cand id ate
was ci ted in only 6 percent of the cases; in pharmacology
it was only 3 percent, whereas in anatomy it was 56
percent . More often than not, no reason at al ~ was g iven
for the unfilled positions (Westat, Inc., 1976, pp. Mel,
unpublished). In certain clinical fields the failure
to f ind a sui table candidate was c, early the maj or
reason. In pediatrics it was cited in 58 percent of the
cases, and in medicine it was 34 percent.
3) Another interpretation of the Westat results seems more
supportable. It is likely that the unfilled positions
represent "market friction" rather than shortages. At
any given time, there will likely be unfilled positions
in the market, even in periods of surplus manpower. A
certain amount of searching by both employers and job
seekers is normal in any market situation. The survey
results indicate that those completing programs in May
had no better luck in filling their job expectations
than employers had in f illing their jobs. Of the I, 421
pe rson s who compl e ted programs and who sa ill they we re
seeking new -positions in May, only 540 (38 percent ~
found-new positions by September (Westat, Inc., 1976,
Table ~7, p. 4-4 ~ . Employers seemed to have had more
success, filling 1,794 out of 3~461 positions, or more
32
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than 50 percent of the vacancies. Both the un f il led
positions and the remaining number of job seeker s may
be more a refl ection of communication difficulties
~ i.e., market friction) than market imbalances.
Another approach to the- evaluation of the current market is
to anal yze the percept ions of bioscience department chairpersons
concerning their recent experience in placing Ph.D. 's and post-
doctorals. Findings from the Department Survey offer a comp] ex
picture of the current market situation, With some fief ds clearly
reporting shortages and others surpluses (Appendixes El2 and
El3 ) . Overall, there emerges a perception of overall market
equilibrium, -as shortage and Burps us fields appear to bad ance off
each other. Shortages are reported in such clinically oriented
bioscience fields as anatomy, pharmacology, ~ ant pathology, while
basic bioscience fields such as biochemistry, physiology, anc]
b iology r epo r t sur pi u se s .
Findings from the Department Survey are there fore at var lance
wi th those from the NIH/We stat survey . Where the NIEl/We stat
survey reports shortages of Ph.D. biochemists, biologists, and
physiologists in 1975, many department chairpersons came to the
opposite conclusion in 1977 (Table 2. 1) . Of the f iel ds reported
upon in both the surveys, only in anatomy and pharmacology do the
surveys agree that shortages of biomedical Ph.D. 's existed.
A repeat of the 1975 Westat survey was conducted in 1977, the
resume ts of which are expected to be announced shortly. The
Committee welcomes the opportunity to review these and compare
them wi th the i n format ion be i ng collected from other source s .
Because of the methodology problems noted above, however, the
results of the f irst NIH/Westat market survey do not convince the
Committee that its assessment of the current market for
biomedical Ph.D. 's is erroneous.
THE 1978 OUTLOOK FOR PH.D. ' s
The market for Ph.D. 's in the basic biomedical sciences is a
dynamic system subject to decisions concerning R and D funding
leve--Is on the one hand] and career deci signs by undergraduate and
graduate students on the other . Each ye ar ad<3i t iotas data
red ating -to the system become available through surveys such as
those conducted by the U. S . Of f ice of Education, NSF, and the
Commission on Human Resources (CHR) . These new data have 1 ed to
revised estimates and projections which provide an outs ook only
sl ightly altered from that re ported last year . The revi sed and
updater] information ifs presented in Table 2. 2, the highlights of
wh i ch are the fol lowi ng':
o Ph. D. production in the basic biomedical sciences
dropped 4.3 percent from 1976 to 1977 (3,371 to
33
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3,225) compared to a 2.7 percent decline in all
science fields. From 1971 to 1977, there has been
very little change in the annual number of Ph.D.'s
awarded in the basic biomedical sciences. This is
similar to the general trend in annual Ph.D.
production in all science fields where there has been
a slight decline of 1 percent per year from 1971 to
1977 after more than two decades of practically
uninterrupted growth. -
o The postdoctoral pool continues to expand at a rapid
pace. In 1977 there were more than 6,300 post-
doctorals in the biomedical sciences, up from
5,844 in 1976, thus continuing the growth of the
postdoctoral pool noted in last year's report at an
annual rate of more than 12 percent.
O Estimated undergraduate enrollment in the basic
biomedical sciences continues to grow at more than
7 percent per year. Graduate enrollments in these
fields are growing at about one-half the rate of
undergraduate enrollments. Medical and dental school
enrollments grew less rapidly in 1976 but still
accounted for more than 71,000 students compared with
74,000 in 1975. The net result of the above growth
patterns is that total undergraduate and graduate
enrollments in the biomedical sciences continue to
grow at a substantial rate of almost 7 percent per
year.
0 Real R and D expenditures in the life sciences in
colleges and universities showed almost no change
from 1975 to 1 976. The growth rate in these real
R and D expenditures over the 1 971-76 period has been
only 3.2 percent per year.
O The total l abor force of Ph o De ~ s employed in basic
biomedical f ields has grown almost 7 percent per
year from 1972-77. Growth in tile academic sector is
somewhat lower, about 6 percent per year, while
growth in the business and industry sector i s
somewhat h igher at more than ~ percent per year .
The Committee' s pro jections of academic demand for biomedical
Ph.D. 's have been revised in accordance with both this new
information and a refinement ire the est imating procedures. As
before, these projections are based on a relationship between the
Ph.D. faculty/student ratio ~ F/S) and R and D expenditures in
colleges and universities. (An analogous model is used for the
clinical sciences in Chapter 4. ~ The new data and revised
estimating procedures result in projections of academic demand
36
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for biomedical Ph.D. ' s that are slights y higher than those of
last year. This is primarily because last year's estimates of
the number of Ph.D. ' s employed in biomedical fief ds have been
revised upward, while the estimated undergraduate enroll tment in
these fields has been revised downward due to the elimination of
enrollments in nursing, pharmacy, laboratory technology, and
other heal th professional fields ~ see footnote to Table 2. 2) .
The decision to eliminate these fields from this year's estimate
of biomed ical enro] Iment i s based on two considerat ions: ~ ~
these f ields do not contr ibute very heavily to the demand for
faculty in the basic biomedical fie] ds and 2 ~ the rapid enroll-
ment growth in these fief ds in recent years would distort the F/S
ratio for the basic biomedical sciences. These changes have the
effect of raising the F/S ratio by about 45 percent over 1 ast
year' s estimates. Thus, in this year's estimates, each unit of
enroll ment has a greater impact on the demand for facul ty.
Using the new estimating procedure, the data for 1962-76
indicate that the F/S ratio grew quite rapidly during the ~ 960' s,
along wi th R and D expenditures, but appears to have stabil ized
near the 0.05 level during the 1970' s. This suggests that the
relationship between the F/S ratio and R and D expenditures is in
the form of an S-shaped curve typical of many growth processes.
A growth curve] (Fiqure 2.~) fits the data sl ightly better than
a straight ~ ine and, therefore, has been used to make projections
of demand for biomedical Ph.D. faced ty through 1983 under various
assumptions about future patterns of R and D expenditures and
biomedical science enrollments. These assumptions are presented
in Table 2.3 and Figure 2. 2.
From 1961 to ~ 975, graduate and undergraduate bioscience
enrollments grew steadily at a] most 7 percent per year ~ sl ightly
faster than the 6 percent rate for total enrollments in colleges
and universi tie s ~ ur ing thi s per iod O But the demographic
patterns suggest that college and university enrollments wi] ~
level off and possibly deck ine in the ~ 980' s. The children born
in the post war "baby boom" years between 1947 and 1957 are now
passing through college age and some observers feel that enroll-
ments will have peaked by 1982 (Cartter, 1976, Keyfitz, 1978) .
The Co~runittee' s pro jections of bioscience enrollments to 1983
reflect this view, ranging from a zero growth projection on the
low side to a f ive percent annual growth rate pro jection on the
high side. The most ~ ikely growth rate foreseen by the Committee
is about two percent per year from 1976 to 1983.
Life science R are] ~ expenditures in colleges and univer-
sities also have been pro jected forward under h igh-, middle-, and
low-growth assumptions. The middy e or likely growth assumption
for R and D expend) t ure s i s baser] on an extrapolat ion of the
slower rate of growth in R and D that has occurred since 1968.
High- and low-growth assumptions represent variations from this
trend, based on possible changes in federal support for R and D.
37
OCR for page 38
0.06
o
-
~ 0.05
At
0.04
6
0.03
.
I
UJ
Z 0.02
UJ
en
o
m
0.01
~ _
1 _
~ 1966
_ 1964
1962
1 1
1
'70
1~
'72 '74
· ~
'75
em.
'76
0 200 400 600 800 1,000 1,200
LIFE SCIENCE R AND D EXPENDITURES (M)
(1967 $, millions)
FIGURE 2.1 Ph.D. faculty/student ratio in the bioscience fields as a function of life science R and D expenditures in
colleges and universities, 1962-76. M is a weighted average of the last three years of R and D expenditures, i.e.,
M = 1/4 (Rt + Rt_1 + 2Rt_2). Ph.D. faculty excludes postdoctoral appointees. Solid line represents the estimated
growth curve (see note l to this chapter).
38
OCR for page 39
1.6
u' 1.2
At
o
-
J 0.8
m
fig
0.4
0.07
0.06
0.05
High Estimate
Middle Estimate
_' - Low Estimate
0 0.04
0.03
ol I I I
1961 1965 1970 1975 1980 0.01
FISCAL YEAR
1
0.02
{a} Life Science R and D in
Colleges and Universities {1967 $}
800
700
-
~ 600
u,
us
o
- 500
I_
at
400
o
Cr 300
at
Lo
200
100
O _
it___——C
1 o
1961 1965 1970 1975 1980
FISCAL YEAR
{c} Total Biomedical Graduate and
Undergraduate Enrollment
O . ~ ~ ~ ~
1961 1965 1970 1975 1980
f ISCAL YEAR
{b} Biomedical Ph.D. FaclJltyIStudent Ratio
70r
60;
^ 50
c
Cal
In
o
-
. ~
m
,Z
40
30
20
10
~ . 1 1 1 1
1961 1 965 1970 1975 1 980
FISCAL YEAR
High Estimate,
,, Middle Estimate
A,' Low Estimate
A______
(d) Biomedical Ph.D.'s Employed in
Colleges and Universities {excludes
postdocs.}
FIGURE 2.2 Biomedical enrollment, K and D expenditures, and academic employment, 1961-76, with pr`'jcc~i`,ns is,
1983. Based on data from NRC (1973-77), NSF (1956-70, 1977), and U.S. Office of Education (1959-77).
39
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The nine cells in Table 2.3 thus represent various combina-
tions of R and D and enrollment projections that encompass the
range of possibilities the Committee considers likely based on
trends since 1961 and the analyses it has reviewed. Under the
combination of high-demand assumptions (I-A of Table 2.3), which
the Committee believes to have a low probability of occurrence,
demand for biomedical Ph.D. faculty (excluding postdoctorals) is
expected to be about 2,800 per year for both expansion and
replacement needs. This level would probably be enough to absorb
all new biomedical Ph.D.'s seeking academic positions and would
also reduce the postdoctoral pool.
Under the combination of low-demand assumptions (III-C),
which the Committee also believes to be unlikely, less than 500
academic positions would become available annually. Clearly,
this would create a much worse market for biomedical Ph.D.'s than
currently exists.
Under the middle-demand and most probable set of assumptions
(II-B), demand for faculty is expected to be about 1,400 posi-
tions per year. This is somewhat less than the almost 1,600
biomedical Ph.D.'s that have been added annually to college and
university faculties over the 1972-77 period (Table 2.2).
Estimates of faculty and graduate student growth between 1976
and 1981 derived from the Committee's Department Survey indicate
a decrease in the rate of growth from the first half of the
decade and thus tend to confirm the Committee's projections.
Faculty size was projected by departments to grow at an average
annual rate of 2 percent with an additional 1 percent growth due
to retirement (Appendix E5). This compares to the 6 percent
growth from 1972 to 1976 (Table 2.2). Predoctoral enrollments
were projected by departments to grow at a 2 percent annual rate
to 1981 (Appendix E6), down from a 4 percent growth rate in the
most recent period. If acted upon, these perceptions may be
translated into a more conservative departmental growth in the
future.
The question has arisen as to whether industry can absorb the
anticipated surplus of biomedical doctorates. During the past
few years, almost 12 percent of each year's new biomedical
doctorates have gone to work in the industrial sector (NRC,
1975-77: 1977 report, p. 39). The Committee believes that this
proportion is likely to increase somewhat given the impact of
recent federal health-related regulatory legislation. (See the
section below on priority fields for research training for a
discussion of the impact of recent federal legislation.) In the
pharmaceutical industry, where over one-third of the new bio-
medical Ph.D.'s in industry are employed, a modest increase of
perhaps 2 or 3 percent annual growth of doctoral researchers
could be anticipated in the near future, according to some senior
research executives.
Employment of biomedical Ph.D's in federal, state, and local
governments accounts for only about 10 percent of the biomedical
Ph.D. labor force, somewhat less than the business sector.
Furthermore, employment in the government sector has shown the
40
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levels . Later ~ stud ies of lymphocyte dysfunction were also
carried out in animal s and humans. Attempts were made to
correlate the f ind i ng s wi th the deg ree to wh i ch the ind iv idua
had been ex posed to PBB ~ St ud ie s s uch as th i s requ i re the
involvement of both clinically trained and nonclinical epide-
miolog-i st s .
In summary, it is important to the future of the discip' ine
to have broadly trained epidemiologists from both clinical and
noncl i n i Cal backg round s .
In the case of individuals with health professional degrees,
the research training need general ly is the mirror image of that
discussed above for Ph.D. 's, namely, to acquire the necessary
mathemat i Cal ski ~ ~ s through she c i a] i zed tra in i ng prog rams .
Is
Tox i cology
Historical ly, the science of toxicology developed from a need to
know more about the cause s and e f f e at s of a cute po i son i ngs of
var ious ki nds . Today, however, the need has sh i fted to under-
standing better the results when humans have been exposed for
long periods of time to very small, often trace, amounts of a
whole spectrum of man-made chemicals and other substances that
now permeate our environment.
In recent years a broad array of federal regulatory 1 egis-
lation has been enacted in response to the pub' ic's heightened
concern about the potent i a] hea lth probI ems created by the se
substances. This legislation has been directed primarily toward
the control of insecticides and pesticides, food additives, air
and water pollutants, radiological hazards, new drugs, medical
devices, and toxic chemicals .
Traditionally, this field has been a neglected area from the
research standpoint, and even today there are relet ively few
individuals devoting ful ~ time to fundamental research in toxi-
cology. A heavy (remand has been placed upon industry to conduct
cer ta i n type s of t e st i ng . Such te st i ng pr e suppo se s that the
science base exi sts, that the i nvest igat ive methods have been
developed and tested, and that theories and hypotheses derived
from studies with animals or lower organ) sms can be translated
i nto mean ing f ul terms for humans . On fortunately, much of the
basic research that i s needed to provide the necessary infra-
structure has not been done. Thus, there is a need for addi-
tional research toxicol ogists.
In add i t ion, there i s a concomi tent demand for mid level
professional personnel who have had some advanced training and
for an ev en ~ erg e r number of - ski ~ ~ ed te chn i c i an s to cond uc t the
actual tests and collect the necessary data on the character-
istics of specific substances. Neither of these categories of
personnel lies within the purview of the Committee's
respons ib i ~ i ty .
48
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A workshop held last year, sponsored by the Environmental
Protection Agency ~ EPA), the National Institute of Environmental
Health Sciences (NIEHS), the Chemical Industry Institute of Tox-
icology, and The Conservation Foundation, on Training of Scien-
tists for Future Toxic Substances Probl ems (The Conservation
Foundation, ~ 978 ), estimated that approximately 500 senior pro-
fessional research toxicologists were needed to meet the irn-
mediate needs imposed by environmental health legi elation, to-
gether with an annual continuing need for another 100 to replace
those senior professionals lost each year from the f Held of
toxicology because of death and retirement.
Without endorsing these specific estimates, the Committee is
in agreement with the workshop's basic conclusion that additional
senior research toxicologi sts are needed to conduct the f unda-
mental research that wi 1~ underlie future testing procedures.
although much of the needed research will be conducted by in-
dustry, the Commi thee bet ieves that the national importance of
this work warrants the support of the required research training
under the NRSA program .
Currently, toxicologists rece ive their research training in a
few basic biomedical fields, primari] y pharmacol ogy, biochem-
istry, and pathology. The Committee believes that no critical
shortages exist for research personnel in these fields and that,
given field mobil ity in the basic biomedical sciences, the im-
med late needs for research so ienti sts in taxi cology can best be
met with an organized toxicology postdoctoral training grant
program. Thi s program should be designed to expedite the acqui-
sition of the knowledge and experience necessary for young
doctorate recipients from the various fields of the basic bio-
medical sciences to do research in toxicology. it should help to
ease the current research personnel shortages related to the
recent legislation.
In order to ensure that the long-range needs of the field are
met beyond the immediate entrance of postdoctorals, a small
prototype, multidisciplinary, predoctoral training program in
toxicology is also needed. Since the Committee is engaged in a
continuing study, it will review the situation annually and
revise its recommendations as future assessments warrant.
Formal recommendations are set forth in a later section of
this chapter.
Other Fields
The Committee received evidence from several sources, including
the Department Survey, that anatomy departments are often unable
to find suitable applicants for available faculty positions.
However-, these personnel needs are more related to the teaching
responsibilities of this field than to research needs, and thus
not directly under the purview of this study. Most researchers
49
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in anatomy departments are from the fields of cell biology,
neurobiology, or developmental biology, and the Committee has
found an adequate number of personnel trained in these fields to
satisfy research needs.
In the field of microbiology, the Committee has received
comments that the variety of subdisciplines within microbiology
have not been adequately considered and that there is evidence to
substantiate the existence of overall shortages in this field.
The Committee can find no evidence to support these views. The
Committee believes that interfield mobility adequately fulfills
the personnel needs for research training in the biosciences,
including microbiology. To the extent that microbiology relates
to the shortage fields identified by the Committee--epidemiology,
biomathematics/biostatistics, and toxicology--the Committee
believes that its recommended programs are sufficient to meet
their needs. The evidence of ~ abor market shortage is largely
based on the NIH/Westat survey. As noted earlier in this chapter
(see Assessment of the Current Market), the Committee does not
agree with this interpretation of the findings from that survey.
The perceptions of microbiology department chairpersons ~ as
reported in the Committee's Department Survev) do not support an
appraisal of general shortage (Appendixes E12 and Elk.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Predoctoral Tra i n i ng Leve ~ s
In its previous report the Committee di scussed the h igh mobility
among f ields of the basic biomedical sciences as revealed in the
Survey of Recent Doctorate Recipients. Based in part on these
results, the Committee concl udec3 that specific numerical \recom-
mendat ions should not be mace by ind iv idual f i eld for predoctoral
research training.
During the past year the Committee has examined recent in-
formation concerning future empl oyment opportunities for bio-
med i cal research personnel and found no reason to change the
recommendations for pr-edoctoral training support it made in the
1977 report . In ~ ight of the di scussion in the earlier sections
of thi s chapter, the Committee bel ieves that its previous recom-
mendations of a 30 percent reduction during the past 2 years in
fed eral suppo rt fo r pr edoctoral tra i n i ng are we l l j ust i f i ed ( NRC,
1975-77: 1976 report, p. 9, and 1977 report, p. 67) . The Commit-
tee is hesitant, however, to recommend a further reduction until
i t leas had adequate opport un i ty to evaluate the impact of the se
past recommendations, since further reductions could inadvert-
ently reduce the effect iveness of the training programs and thus
50
OCR for page 51
the future qual i ty of the net iona, endeavor in blamed i Cal
re se arch .
Recommendat ion. The number of predoctorals supported in the
basic biomedical sciences should be maintained at a level of
4, 250 for FY 1980 and until such t ime as new information
ind i cates to the Commi thee that a change should be made O
Postdoctoral Training Levels
The Committee previously has recommended that 3,200 postdoctoral
awards in the basic biomedical sciences be considered at the
present time as the steady-state level. As shown in Table 2.4,
the number of basic biomedical postdoctoral awards listed by the
agencies for 1977 is significantly below the 1975 and 1976
levels . The number of postdoctoral train) ng post t ion s made
available by the agencies in FY 1977 fell short of this recom-
mended level by about 15 percent (Table 1.1 ) . Most probably,
this was the result of budgetary 1 imitations, since the actual
amount appropriated for training was over 12 percent less than
the amount the Committee estimated would be required to sustain
its recommendations. As noted in the Committee' s 1976 report
(NRC, 1975-77), the growing number of Postdoctoral appointees in
the basic biomedical sciences increasingly have drawn support
from research grants and nonfederal sources. In 1976, these
so urce s suppor t ed more than 6 0 percent of the pos tdoctor al ap-
pointees in the biological sciences, while federal fellowships
and training grants supported just under 40 percent (NSF,
1 973-7 7 ) ~
Because of the special but 1 imited need for toxicologists
that now exists (see separate section), the Committee is recom-
mer~ding that NIH earmark 200 of these postdoctoral awards for
individuals who wish to undertake this advanced training in
toxicology or basic research related to toxicology and environ-
mental heal th .
This level of support will approximately double the effort
NIH now provides in this field. The Committee in the future will
monitor the supply/demand balance for this field and revise its
recommendation in the light of these assessments.
Recommendat ion . The Commi ttee recommends that for FY
1980-82, 3,~20-0 postdoctorate continue to be supported annually.
The Committee further recommends that of this number approxi-
mately 200 postdoctoral awards each year be in the f ield of
toxicology or research training related to toxicology. (See
51
OCR for page 52
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the later section on field specification for postdoctoral
training.)
Training Grants and Fellowships
The Committee reaffirms its previous recommendation on this
issue:
Recommendation. The Committee recommends that institutional
training grants be the primary mechanism for NRSA support of
predoctoral students in the basic biomedical sciences. Support
of postdoctoral training, on the other hand, should utilize
primarily the mechanism of individual fellowships.
At the postdoctoral levee in the basic biomedical sciences
for Ph.D. degree holders, the Committee has recommended and
continues to believe that support should generally be on an
individual basis through fellowships e Although the latter police
represents a modification in the current NIH practice of utiliz-
ing both mechanisms, the Committee is convinced that, with some
exceptions, organized training programs are not needed since most
postdoctoral training is focused within the individual research
group. As illustrated in Table 2.5, some change in this direc-
tion is occurring. An example of an exception to this rule is
the recommendation by the Committee for a postdoctoral training
grant program in the field of toxicology, where, the Committee
believes, organized programs would be more effective for pro-
viding the required training and skills to scientists from other
basic biomedical fields.
Priority Fields and Announcement Areas
Predoctoral Training. The Committee reaffirms its past recom-
mendations that l) unless otherwise noted, there be no predoc-
toral field specification except for review and administrative
purposes; 2) all fields appropriate to the mission of NIH receive
equal consideration; and 3) awards be made on the basis of merit
as determined by the peer review system.
As discussed earlier in this chapter in the section on prior-
ity fields, the three fields of epidemiology, biomathematics/-
biostatistics, and toxicology need special attention and there-
fore should be specified in the official
53
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1
TABLE 2 . 5 NIH and ADAMHA Postdoctoral Trainee ship and Fellowship
Awards, 1975-77, in the Basic Biomedical Sciences
Fiscal Year
1975 1976 1977
TOTAL
3,196 3,767 2,717
Postdoctoral Traineeships 1,781 2,076 1,260
Postdoctoral Fellowships 1, 415
1,691 1,457
54
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announcements concerning support for predoctoral research
training.
Recommendation. The Committee recommends that 1) predoctoral
training fields not be specified in agency announcements for
reasons other than for review and administrative purposes except
for epidemiology, biomathematics/biostatistics, and toxicology
which are viewed by the Committee as priority areas for pre-
doctoral training; 2) NIH provide support for the establishment
of prototype, multidisciplinary, predoctoral training grant
programs in toxicology and related research areas in order to
meet the long-term needs in this field for broadly trained
researchers.
Postdoctoral Training. During the past year and-particularly at
its public-meeting, the Committee's attention has been directed
to the needs of certain fields for postdoctorals and the need to
emphasize some aspects of postdoctoral training within those
fields. These expressed needs have been reviewed in the earlier
discussion in this chapter on priority areas. Specifically, the
Committee makes the following recommendation:
Recommendation. The Committee recommends that I ) in the
field of biomathematics/biostatistics, encouragement be given to
establishing programs to provide mathematical training for doc-
torates from other biomedical sciences; 2) in the field of epi-
demio~ogy, encouragement and emphasis be given to attracting and
providing postdoctoral training for M.D.'s; and 3) increased
postdoctoral support be provided to the field of toxicology.
(See the previous recommendation in the section on postdoctoral
training levels.)
Coordination of NIH Support for
Predoctoral Training
In its report for 1977, and again this year, the Committee has
stressed its bel ief that research training at the predoctoral
level should be broadly based and not overly specified or di-
rected toward particular appl ications ~ e.g ., specific diseases) .
This view has been stated again as part 1 of a recommendation
given in the previous section.
With this in mind, it is not surprising that the Committee
has had some difficulty understanding the philosophy and scope of
55
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the predoctoral training programs and policies of NIH,
particularly in view of the differing practices of the several
institutes that share authorization for predoctoral training.
The Committee recognizes the value of supporting research ante
postdoctoral training by the categorical institutes but does not
believe that this pluralistic system is beneficial for pre-
doctoral training. The Committee believes it would be incon-
sistent and administratively unwieldly to eliminate predoctoral
field specification for the basic biomedical sciences, yet
continue to have, without any overall coordination by the agency,
predoctoral awards made by the various categorical institutes in
accordance with their own specific missions.
This problem is particularly acute in such multidisciplinary
fields as epidemio~ ogy an<] biostatistics. The current practice of
having each institute support only the portion of each field
relevant to its interest has made these specialized methods
fields particularly vulnerable to i nadvertent g aps in support by
the agency. The Committee believes that a more comprehensive
approach, entailing either a centralized administrative locus or
a single coordinating unit, is needed to assure that the develop-
ment of these fields proceeds in a-balanced way.
Because the purpose of the predoctoral training grant program
is to train the best young scientists for research careers in all
fields relevant to the overall mission of NIH, the Committee
believes that NIH should institute a mechanism for coordinating
all of the support it provides for predoctora-l training through
the various institutes. Such coordination might be accomplished
either through the Office of the Director or, alternatively, by
concentrating the administrative responsibility for all pre-
doctoral support within one institute. If the latter means is
selected, the Committee considers the National Institute of
Genera] Medical Sciences (NIGMS), the only noncategorical
institute at NIH and the one that now supports about two-thirds
of all NIH-funded predoctora~ training, to be the appropriate
body for this responsibility. The Committee wishes to emphasize
that the coordinating unit, whether within the Office of the
Director, or a single institute, must assure that the separate
institutes both participate fully in the decision-making process
and contribute appropriately to the support required for the
total program. Regards ess of the means sel ected, the objective
of this coordination is to make sure that neither unclue emphasis
nor gaps occur in the support of predoctoral training across the
spectrum of the basic biomedical sciences.
Recommendat ion . The Commi thee recommend s that NIH e stab! i sh
a procedure for coordinating all of its support for oredoctoral
training in the basic biomedical sciences. It is suggested that
this might be accomplished either through the Office of the
Director or by placing this administrative responsibility within
56
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NIGMS. The purpose of such coordination is to ensure that no
aspect of predoctoral training in the basic biomedical sciences,
including the fields of biomathematics/biostatistics and epide-
miology,iis either undersupported or overemphasized.
Regardless of the administrative means selected, the funding
institutes should participate fully both in providing appropriate
support for the final program adopted by the agency, as well as
in the decision-making process whereby this plan is established!.
Multidisciplinary Training Grants
The Committee reiterates the endorsement it gave in its 1977
report to the concept of multidisciplinary training, especially
at the predoctoral level, and also its position that applications
for training grants should be accepted by NIH from single depart-
ments as well as from those which are multidepartmental in na-
sure. Different structural arrangements are possible for acheiv-
ing the objective of multidisciplinary training. NIR, especially
NIGMS, should not preclude considering applications solely on the
basis of department al arrang ements.
Recommendation. The Committee recommends that NIH not dis-
courage applications for predoctoral training grants from single
departments, and that NIH leave to the peer review system, as
part of the application review process, decisions about what de-
partmental arrangements-in each case are best.
Fellowship Applications
The Committee has been informed that NIH and ADAMHA have had
difficulty in receiving an adequate number of qualified postdoc-
toral fellowship applications in the biomedical sciences. This
poor response is believed to have been due, in part, to the dis-
couragingly long wait required for decisions to be made on the
applications as a result of the dual review process, with the
consequence that applicants frequently have had to make other
career decisions prior to their being notified of the action
taken on their application. A related consequence has been that
the shi ft from training grants to fellowships at the postdoctoral
level has been retarded.
Recommendation. The Committee recommends that the time for
reviewing postdoctoral fellowship applications be reduced by
omitting the currently required review and approval by advisory
councils and by whatever other means may be possible.
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for lows:
FOOTNOTES
The mathematical specification of the relationship is as
F/S = exp [ or - ~ / ( Iv-C ) ] + ~ where F = Ph. D . ' s employed in
basic biomedical science fields at co] leges and universities;
est imated graduate and undergraduate enrollment in bioscience and
medical and dental schools; M = weighted average of the 1 ast
three years of life science R and D expenditures in Cal 1 eges and
universities, i.e., b; t = l/4(Rt~ Rt_~ + 2Rt_2), 1967 $,
millions or, 8, C, K = Constants to be determined empirical] y.
Fitting this curve to the data for ~ 962-76 gives
fold owing estimates for the parameters:
=
a = -3, 354
~ = 734.0
C = 300
K = 0.037
2. Tables from the Survey of Biomedical and Behavioral Science
Departments ~ cited as "Department Survey" ~ are contained in
Appenci ix E.
3. Definitions of departmental characteristics--qual ity
(Roose-Andersen) rating, institutional control, school type, and
department age--may be fount] in Append ix E] .
58
Representative terms from entire chapter:
biomedical sciences
