Newer information icon. Newer information is available.
Table 35. Postdoctoral appointees in science, engineering, and health in public institutions, by detailed field: 2007–13
Field 2007a 2008 2009 2010b, c 2011c 2012 2013
All surveyed fields 28,187 29,686 32,467 35,134 34,266 34,574 33,874
   Science and engineering 21,687 22,866 24,622 26,148 25,554 25,269 24,896
      Science 18,653 19,402 20,533 21,845 21,475 21,018 20,605
         Agricultural sciences 923 1,097 1,033 1,136 1,177 1,224 1,220
         Biological sciences 10,600 10,844 11,270 11,542 10,969 10,353 9,857
            Anatomy 220 231 230 285 261 198 176
            Biochemistry 1,386 1,310 1,418 1,464 1,297 1,248 1,239
            Biology 1,119 1,217 1,209 1,263 1,141 1,083 1,077
            Biometry and epidemiology 193 161 197 227 199 232 223
            Biophysics 49 37 57 63 52 60 51
            Botany 599 611 625 545 530 577 601
            Cell biology 1,124 1,151 1,363 1,388 1,244 1,234 1,101
            Ecology 149 158 157 134 118 127 60
            Entomology and parasitology 235 210 242 223 249 243 234
            Genetics 346 344 385 427 518 477 486
            Microbiology, immunology, and virology 1,143 1,111 1,161 1,281 1,309 1,213 1,018
            Nutrition 268 224 200 194 189 172 172
            Pathology 498 587 674 703 633 607 547
            Pharmacology 874 895 988 1,008 925 836 771
            Physiology 792 770 842 839 864 798 764
            Zoology 101 68 78 76 85 87 94
            Biological sciences nec 1,504 1,759 1,444 1,422 1,355 1,161 1,243
         Communication 14 9 11 29 30 17 25
         Computer sciences 247 266 319 429 401 395 430
         Earth, atmospheric, and ocean sciences 921 953 1,004 1,305 1,319 1,439 1,442
            Atmospheric sciences 111 105 116 177 141 190 187
            Geosciences 304 294 271 324 318 347 397
            Oceanography 243 224 296 267 324 333 298
            Earth, atmospheric, and ocean sciences nec 263 330 321 537 536 569 560
         Family and consumer sciences and human sciences 8 19 20 24 39 45 59
         Mathematical sciences 418 450 446 448 515 566 586
            Mathematics and applied mathematics 391 410 418 407 458 490 491
            Statistics 27 40 28 41 57 76 95
         Multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary studies 208 308 393 626 562 566 676
         Neuroscience 92 97 277 365 640 623 708
         Physical sciences 4,341 4,453 4,856 4,983 4,850 4,764 4,550
            Astronomy 241 243 289 287 282 275 223
            Chemistry 2,563 2,552 2,802 2,749 2,616 2,572 2,424
            Physics 1,415 1,519 1,622 1,766 1,776 1,740 1,725
            Physical sciences nec 122 139 143 181 176 177 178
         Psychology 582 586 584 600 607 608 580
            Clinical psychology 46 42 52 54 59 56 62
            Psychology, general 331 376 333 343 307 319 312
            Psychology nec 205 168 199 203 241 233 206
         Social sciences 299 320 320 358 366 418 472
            Agricultural economics 42 44 41 41 42 56 55
            Anthropology (cultural and social) 53 63 57 59 45 57 67
            Economics (except agricultural) 23 22 22 18 12 14 25
            Geography 34 36 50 53 51 55 65
            History and philosophy of science 3 2 3 4 2 7 3
            Linguistics 12 13 8 13 16 17 15
            Political science 22 23 31 29 64 53 70
            Sociology 18 13 26 45 44 42 42
            Sociology and anthropology 0 1 0 0 2 2 3
            Social sciences nec 92 103 82 96 88 115 127
      Engineering 3,034 3,464 4,089 4,303 4,079 4,251 4,291
         Aerospace engineering 111 96 114 122 134 117 135
         Agricultural engineering 128 128 110 110 101 111 133
         Architecture 2 7 18 7 13 2 5
         Biomedical engineering 273 306 438 482 509 600 563
         Chemical engineering 534 602 744 708 743 692 760
         Civil engineering 279 322 382 393 369 410 396
         Electrical engineering 569 692 708 737 659 725 739
         Engineering science 22 69 74 54 72 88 77
         Industrial engineering 45 90 83 122 73 71 82
         Mechanical engineering 463 493 586 622 522 563 614
         Metallurgical and materials engineering 368 394 500 566 595 596 575
         Mining engineering 5 5 4 4 4 5 7
         Nuclear engineering 43 51 60 66 60 63 62
         Petroleum engineering 13 15 23 25 17 32 26
         Engineering nec 179 194 245 285 208 176 117
   Health 6,500 6,820 7,845 8,986 8,712 9,305 8,978
      Clinical medicine 4,746 5,041 5,812 6,781 6,728 7,040 6,658
         Anesthesiology 143 139 161 170 169 184 185
         Cardiology 118 171 185 299 331 428 351
         Endocrinology 136 145 163 160 160 186 175
         Gastroenterology 73 90 116 149 170 155 135
         Hematology 150 192 241 177 182 181 163
         Neurology 387 393 514 441 376 304 343
         Obstetrics and gynecology 97 114 142 161 160 146 153
         Oncology and cancer research 670 590 691 839 810 843 849
         Ophthalmology 112 162 175 186 186 232 241
         Otorhinolaryngology 65 70 69 77 66 63 75
         Pediatrics 429 427 441 577 763 821 818
         Preventive medicine and community health 219 239 264 406 391 476 441
         Psychiatry 307 329 386 441 443 528 443
         Pulmonary disease 104 113 110 146 159 152 151
         Radiology 208 220 299 317 333 290 261
         Surgery 435 473 554 625 517 581 530
         Clinical medicine nec 1,093 1,174 1,301 1,610 1,512 1,470 1,344
      Other health 1,754 1,779 2,033 2,205 1,984 2,265 2,320
         Dental sciences 187 179 189 265 244 250 211
         Nursing 52 66 50 47 64 54 48
         Pharmaceutical sciences 773 779 931 1,030 965 908 932
         Speech pathology and audiology 53 44 41 40 34 38 33
         Veterinary sciences 379 414 427 403 390 478 504
         Other health nec 310 297 395 420 287 537 592

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. 2007 data presented in this table are the data collected in 2007, which were labeled as "2007new" in the past publications. See appendix A in http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/nsf10307/ for more detail on the changes made in 2007.
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.
NOTE: "Field" refers to the field of the unit that reports postdocs to the Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering.
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 2013, as of 8 August 2014.