Approaches for Evaluating the NRC Resident Research Associateship Program at NIST (2007) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
1 Overview
1 Overview
Pages 6-22
The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.
From page 6... ...
Individuals with postdoctoral appointments are called postdocs. 4 STEM is science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
|
From page 7... ...
Postdoctoral Research Associate Program.5 The National Research Council Fellowships Office of The National Academies manages several postdoctoral research programs on behalf of federal agencies. Table 1-1 lists several programs administered by National Research Council Fellowships Office.
|
From page 8... ...
Note: Excluded were programs directed solely toward pre-doctoral students or faculty. Source: NRC Associateships Research Opportunity Directory.
|
From page 9... ...
of the National Academies administers a series of postdoctoral programs at several federal agencies. Collectively, these programs are known as the NRC Resident Research Associateship Programs.
|
From page 10... ...
The objectives of the NIST/NRC RAP, as stated by NIST, are: "The postdoctoral program brings research scientists and engineers of unusual promise and ability to perform advanced research related to the NIST mission, introduces the latest university research results and techniques to NIST scientific programs , strengthens mutual communication with university researchers, shares NIST unique research facilities with the U.S. scientific and engineering communities, and provides a valuable mechanism for the transfer of research results from NIST to the scientific and engineering communities."10 Additional objectives for NIST might include attracting a sufficient number of qualified candidates, increasing the pool of potential employees, increasing the breadth or depth of research capability at NIST, or increasing the productivity of NIST,11 NIST may also be interested in whether employees who were research associates have better outcomes than employees who were not in the program and the effect of the program on NIST's mission and reputation over the long-term.
|
From page 11... ...
THE ROLE OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES The National Research Council -- via its Fellowships Office -- conducts the Research Associateship Programs in cooperation with sponsoring federal laboratories and research organizations approved for participation.15 The Fellowships Office conducts a national competition to recommend and make awards (except NIST, which makes its own awards) to outstanding scientists and engineers at the postdoctoral level for tenure as guest researchers at participating laboratories.
|
From page 12... ...
The ACC, therefore, requires evaluations of important STEM16 education programs, including the NIST/NRC Postdoctoral Research Associateships Program. An ad hoc committee under the auspices of the Board on Higher Education and Workforce will describe the pool of applicants for and recipients of the NIST/NRC Postdoctoral Research Associateships and carry out a descriptive analysis of career outcomes of NIST postdoctoral scholars based on available information.
|
From page 13... ...
Comparative data on postdoctoral appointments and postdocs is relatively new -- dating back to the mid- or late-1970s -- and the 17 Given the timeframe for completing the report, the committee was not able to also compare the applicants to the NIST/NRC RAs and those awarded appointments to comparable postdocs outside the RAPs, although such a comparison might be possible in the future with the cooperation of other agencies that maintain postdoctoral programs. 18 Due to privacy concerns over the small number of individuals in some of the RAPs (because they do not make many awards or are relatively newer programs)
|
From page 14... ...
Finally, the committee conducted original research in the form of multiple expert panels with current and former NIST RAs and NIST employees. Table 1-2 summarizes the sources, which are further elaborated on below.
|
From page 15... ...
National Academies' Evaluation forms filled out by postdoc 1965-2006 Chapter 3 "DataRAP" database advisors Experiences National Academies' Post-tenure exit survey of postdocs 1965-2006 Chapter 4 of former "DataRAP" database asking them about immediate career Research plans Associates NIST List of former postdocs who stayed at 1996-2007 Chapter 4 NIST Fellowships Office List of former postdocs with current 1965-2002 Chapter 4 20 Directory employer Data on applicants comes from two sources: a database constructed by the NRC's Fellowship Office to hold application data and the NSF's Survey of Earned Doctorates. The Fellowship's Office maintains a database on applicants, collecting information submitted by applicants during the application process.
|
From page 16... ...
Data on characteristics of those awarded research associates and their experiences during the postdoctoral appointment come primarily from two sources: the post-tenure survey given to research associates by the Fellowships Office and the NSF's Survey of Doctoral Recipients. This information is supplemented by one-time surveys of postdocs conducted by The National Academies and by Sigma Xi.23 Finally, the NSF's Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering is also a potential resource.
|
From page 17... ...
institutions, who were living in the United States during the survey reference week, and who are under age 76. Using postdoctoral status as a starting point, a number of potential relevant variables can be assessed.
|
From page 18... ...
Survey improvements made in 1993 are sufficiently great that SRS staff suggest that trend analyses between the data from the surveys after 1991 and the surveys in prior years must be performed very cautiously, if at all."26 A more limiting factor for the committee was that the survey merely asks respondents if they are currently in a postdoctoral position -- but does not specify how long. Therefore, some respondents could be just starting a postdoctoral appointment (probably their first, but not necessarily)
|
From page 19... ...
A second source of career data consists of monthly reports on NIST Research Associates collected and maintained by NIST. These data record changes in the employment status of NIST Research Associates.
|
From page 20... ...
Finally, the committee undertook original data collection in the form of three expert group discussions with current NIST RAs (CRA) , former NIST RAs still working at NIST (FRA)
|
From page 21... ...
(AD) • What effect do you think the postdoctoral program has on the careers of NIST postdocs?
|
From page 22... ...
Chapter Four examines the careers of former research associates. Chapter Five presents an overall summary of preliminary results and recommendations.
|
Key Terms
This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More
information on Chapter Skim is available.