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NCSES GSS 2012 GSS2012 35 SAS Output Newer information icon. Newer information is available.
Table 35. Postdoctoral appointees in science, engineering, and health in public institutions, by detailed field: 2006–12

Field 2006 2007olda 2007newa 2008 2009 2010b,c 2011c 2012
All surveyed fields 27,719 28,069 28,187 29,686 32,467 35,134 34,266 34,574
   Science and engineering 21,355 21,539 21,687 22,866 24,622 26,148 25,554 25,269
      Science 18,476 18,538 18,653 19,402 20,533 21,845 21,475 21,018
         Agricultural sciences 857 886 923 1,097 1,033 1,136 1,177 1,224
         Biological sciences 10,541 10,677 10,600 10,844 11,270 11,542 10,969 10,353
            Anatomy 257 244 220 231 230 285 261 198
            Biochemistry 1,468 1,393 1,386 1,310 1,418 1,464 1,297 1,248
            Biology 1,203 1,136 1,119 1,217 1,209 1,263 1,141 1,083
            Biometry and epidemiology 179 184 193 161 197 227 199 232
            Biophysics 75 49 49 37 57 63 52 60
            Botany 627 601 599 611 625 545 530 577
            Cell biology 1,061 1,107 1,124 1,151 1,363 1,388 1,244 1,234
            Ecology 145 157 149 158 157 134 118 127
            Entomology and parasitology 232 235 235 210 242 223 249 243
            Genetics 378 349 346 344 385 427 518 477
            Microbiology, immunology, and virology 1,180 1,179 1,143 1,111 1,161 1,281 1,309 1,213
            Nutrition 222 294 268 224 200 194 189 172
            Pathology 538 507 498 587 674 703 633 607
            Pharmacology 905 874 874 895 988 1,008 925 836
            Physiology 796 734 792 770 842 839 864 798
            Zoology 103 103 101 68 78 76 85 87
            Biological sciences nec 1,172 1,531 1,504 1,759 1,444 1,422 1,355 1,161
         Communication a ne ne 14 9 11 29 30 17
         Computer sciences 290 294 247 266 319 429 401 395
         Earth, atmospheric, and ocean sciences 1,164 993 921 953 1,004 1,305 1,319 1,439
            Atmospheric sciences 124 109 111 105 116 177 141 190
            Geosciences 310 300 304 294 271 324 318 347
            Oceanography 264 243 243 224 296 267 324 333
            Earth, atmospheric, and ocean sciences nec 466 341 263 330 321 537 536 569
         Family and consumer sciences and human sciences a ne ne 8 19 20 24 39 45
         Mathematical sciences 369 423 418 450 446 448 515 566
            Mathematics and applied mathematics 329 398 391 410 418 407 458 490
            Statistics 40 25 27 40 28 41 57 76
         Multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary studies a ne ne 208 308 393 626 562 566
         Neuroscience a na na 92 97 277 365 640 623
         Physical sciences 4,502 4,383 4,341 4,453 4,856 4,983 4,850 4,764
            Astronomy 220 241 241 243 289 287 282 275
            Chemistry 2,725 2,608 2,563 2,552 2,802 2,749 2,616 2,572
            Physics 1,433 1,412 1,415 1,519 1,622 1,766 1,776 1,740
            Physical sciences nec 124 122 122 139 143 181 176 177
         Psychology b 513 583 582 586 584 600 607 608
            Clinical psychology 35 46 46 42 52 54 59 56
            Psychology, general 328 338 331 376 333 343 307 319
            Psychology nec 150 199 205 168 199 203 241 233
         Social sciences 240 299 299 320 320 358 366 418
            Agricultural economics 32 46 42 44 41 41 42 56
            Anthropology (cultural and social) 40 53 53 63 57 59 45 57
            Economics (except agricultural) 8 19 23 22 22 18 12 14
            Geography 51 34 34 36 50 53 51 55
            History and philosophy of science 2 3 3 2 3 4 2 7
            Linguistics 7 12 12 13 8 13 16 17
            Political science 26 22 22 23 31 29 64 53
            Sociology 23 18 18 13 26 45 44 42
            Sociology and anthropology 5 0 0 1 0 0 2 2
            Social sciences nec 46 92 92 103 82 96 88 115
      Engineering 2,879 3,001 3,034 3,464 4,089 4,303 4,079 4,251
         Aerospace engineering 117 111 111 96 114 122 134 117
         Agricultural engineering 108 128 128 128 110 110 101 111
         Architecture a na na 2 7 18 7 13 2
         Biomedical engineering 260 273 273 306 438 482 509 600
         Chemical engineering 498 502 534 602 744 708 743 692
         Civil engineering a 319 278 279 322 382 393 369 410
         Electrical engineering 490 570 569 692 708 737 659 725
         Engineering science 51 31 22 69 74 54 72 88
         Industrial engineering 43 50 45 90 83 122 73 71
         Mechanical engineering 386 466 463 493 586 622 522 563
         Metallurgical and materials engineering 386 359 368 394 500 566 595 596
         Mining engineering 11 4 5 5 4 4 4 5
         Nuclear engineering 45 47 43 51 60 66 60 63
         Petroleum engineering 12 13 13 15 23 25 17 32
         Engineering nec 153 169 179 194 245 285 208 176
   Health 6,364 6,530 6,500 6,820 7,845 8,986 8,712 9,305
      Clinical medicine 4,795 4,873 4,746 5,041 5,812 6,781 6,728 7,040
         Anesthesiology 110 143 143 139 161 170 169 184
         Cardiology 132 118 118 171 185 299 331 428
         Endocrinology 157 136 136 145 163 160 160 186
         Gastroenterology 119 73 73 90 116 149 170 155
         Hematology 177 150 150 192 241 177 182 181
         Neurology a 509 490 387 393 514 441 376 304
         Obstetrics and gynecology 113 97 97 114 142 161 160 146
         Oncology and cancer research 558 657 670 590 691 839 810 843
         Ophthalmology 124 116 112 162 175 186 186 232
         Otorhinolaryngology 77 65 65 70 69 77 66 63
         Pediatrics 399 429 429 427 441 577 763 821
         Preventive medicine and community health 180 216 219 239 264 406 391 476
         Psychiatry 346 333 307 329 386 441 443 528
         Pulmonary disease 85 104 104 113 110 146 159 152
         Radiology 181 208 208 220 299 317 333 290
         Surgery 465 448 435 473 554 625 517 581
         Clinical medicine nec 1,063 1,090 1,093 1,174 1,301 1,610 1,512 1,470
      Other health 1,569 1,657 1,754 1,779 2,033 2,205 1,984 2,265
         Dental sciences 149 153 187 179 189 265 244 250
         Nursing 45 52 52 66 50 47 64 54
         Pharmaceutical sciences 713 731 773 779 931 1,030 965 908
         Speech pathology and audiology 45 53 53 44 41 40 34 38
         Veterinary sciences 368 319 379 414 427 403 390 478
         Other health nec 249 349 310 297 395 420 287 537

na = not applicable; data were not collected at this level of detail. ne = not eligible; data were not collected for this field prior to 2007.
nec = not elsewhere classified.
a In 2007, eligible fields were reclassified, newly eligible fields were added, and the survey was redesigned to improve coverage and coding of eligible units. “2007new” presents data as collected in 2007; “2007old” shows data as they would have been collected in prior years. The science fields Communication and Family and consumer sciences and human sciences were newly eligible in 2007; data for these two fields begin in 2007new. The science field Multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary studies was also added to the code list in 2007; some data reported in this field were reported under other fields before 2007 and are included in those fields in 2007old. Neuroscience is reported as a separate field of science in 2007new; data were reported under health field Neurology in 2007old and previous years. Architecture is reported as a separate field of engineering in 2007new; data were reported under Civil engineering in 2007old and previous years. See appendix A in http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/nsf10307/ for more detail.
b In 2010, the postdoc section of the survey was expanded, and significant effort was made to ensure that appropriate personnel were providing postdoc data (see appendix A for more information). Thus, it is unclear how much of the increases in 2010 and later years over 2009 and prior years are from growth in postdoctoral appointments and how much are from improved data collection. More information on the changes to the postdoc data collection is available at http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/infbrief/nsf13334/.
c Postdoc data from 2010 and 2011 were reimputed following the 2012 data collection; these data supersede those contained in previous reports.
NOTES: “Field” refers to the field of the unit that reports postdocs to the GSS.
SOURCE: National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, NSF-NIH Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering.
Data from survey cycle Fall 2012, as of December 2013.