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Table 35. Postdoctoral appointees in science, engineering, and health in public institutions, by detailed field: 2010–15

Field 2010a 2011a 2012 2013 2014oldb 2014newb 2015
All surveyed fields 35,134 34,266 34,574 33,874 34,355 34,413 34,711
Science and engineering 26,148 25,554 25,269 24,896 25,294 25,351 25,857
Science 21,845 21,475 21,018 20,605 20,913 20,955 21,226
Agricultural sciences 1,136 1,177 1,224 1,220 1,296 1,303 1,407
Biological sciences 11,542 10,969 10,353 9,857 9,703 9,713 9,731
Anatomy 285 261 198 176 156 156 146
Biochemistry 1,464 1,297 1,248 1,239 1,123 1,123 1,121
Biology 1,263 1,141 1,083 1,077 1,078 1,078 957
Biometry and epidemiology 227 199 232 223 237 237 249
Biophysics 63 52 60 51 35 35 26
Botany and plant biology 545 530 577 601 617 617 603
Cell and molecular biology 1,388 1,244 1,234 1,101 1,054 1,061 1,225
Ecology 134 118 127 60 56 56 82
Entomology and parasitology 223 249 243 234 245 245 259
Genetics 427 518 477 486 501 501 481
Microbiology, immunology, and virology 1,281 1,309 1,213 1,018 1,045 1,045 1,068
Nutrition 194 189 172 172 177 177 183
Pathology 703 633 607 547 578 578 582
Pharmacology and toxicology 1,008 925 836 771 700 700 709
Physiology 839 864 798 764 789 789 718
Zoology 76 85 87 94 75 75 51
Biosciences nec 1,422 1,355 1,161 1,243 1,237 1,240 1,271
Communication 29 30 17 25 21 21 28
Computer sciences 429 401 395 430 481 481 515
Earth, atmospheric, and ocean sciences 1,305 1,319 1,439 1,442 1,489 1,491 1,541
Atmospheric sciences 177 141 190 187 192 192 167
Geosciences 324 318 347 397 410 410 426
Ocean sciences 267 324 333 298 298 300 326
Earth, atmospheric, and ocean sciences nec 537 536 569 560 589 589 622
Family and consumer sciences and human sciences 24 39 45 59 72 72 68
Mathematics and statistics 448 515 566 586 593 596 655
Mathematics and applied mathematics 407 458 490 491 520 523 565
Statistics 41 57 76 95 73 73 90
Multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary studies 626 562 566 676 783 783 658
Neurobiology and neuroscience 365 640 623 708 778 778 837
Physical sciences 4,983 4,850 4,764 4,550 4,577 4,594 4,552
Astronomy and astrophysics 287 282 275 223 231 231 239
Chemistry 2,749 2,616 2,572 2,424 2,357 2,369 2,292
Physics 1,766 1,776 1,740 1,725 1,805 1,810 1,840
Physical sciences nec 181 176 177 178 184 184 181
Psychology 600 607 608 580 566 569 619
Clinical psychology 54 59 56 62 49 49 44
Psychology, general 343 307 319 312 277 278 343
Psychology nec 203 241 233 206 240 242 232
Social sciences 358 366 418 472 554 554 615
Agricultural economics 41 42 56 55 57 57 51
Anthropology 59 45 57 67 86 86 114
Economics (except agricultural) 18 12 14 25 30 30 27
Geography 53 51 55 65 75 75 73
History and philosophy of science 4 2 7 3 1 1 3
Linguistics 13 16 17 15 20 20 31
Political science and government 29 64 53 70 97 97 96
Sociology 45 44 42 42 45 45 45
Sociology and anthropology 0 2 2 3 3 3 2
Social sciences nec 96 88 115 127 140 140 173
Engineering 4,303 4,079 4,251 4,291 4,381 4,396 4,631
Aerospace engineering 122 134 117 135 159 159 150
Agricultural engineering 110 101 111 133 132 136 207
Architecture 7 13 2 5 3 3 7
Biomedical engineering 482 509 600 563 606 608 554
Chemical engineering 708 743 692 760 753 753 792
Civil engineering 393 369 410 396 421 421 442
Electrical engineering 737 659 725 739 734 736 717
Engineering science, mechanics, and physics 54 72 88 77 80 80 69
Industrial and manufacturing engineering 122 73 71 82 78 78 87
Mechanical engineering 622 522 563 614 629 632 700
Metallurgical and materials engineering 566 595 596 575 542 546 652
Mining engineering 4 4 5 7 15 15 15
Nuclear engineering 66 60 63 62 69 69 64
Petroleum engineering 25 17 32 26 46 46 49
Engineering nec 285 208 176 117 114 114 126
Health 8,986 8,712 9,305 8,978 9,061 9,062 8,854
Clinical medicine 6,781 6,728 7,040 6,658 6,751 6,751 6,588
Anesthesiology 170 169 184 185 173 173 176
Cardiovascular science 299 331 428 351 348 348 426
Endocrinology 160 160 186 175 170 170 143
Gastroenterology 149 170 155 135 121 121 93
Hematology 177 182 181 163 179 179 152
Neurology 441 376 304 343 333 333 309
Obstetrics and gynecology 161 160 146 153 156 156 138
Oncology and cancer research 839 810 843 849 907 907 832
Ophthalmology 186 186 232 241 263 263 247
Otorhinolaryngology 77 66 63 75 72 72 70
Pediatrics 577 763 821 818 764 764 626
Preventive medicine and community health 406 391 476 441 420 420 429
Psychiatry 441 443 528 443 529 529 513
Pulmonary disease 146 159 152 151 155 155 158
Radiology 317 333 290 261 294 294 294
Surgery 625 517 581 530 493 493 509
Clinical medicine nec 1,610 1,512 1,470 1,344 1,374 1,374 1,473
Other health 2,205 1,984 2,265 2,320 2,310 2,311 2,266
Communication disorders sciences 40 34 38 33 40 40 53
Dental sciences 265 244 250 211 224 224 224
Nursing science 47 64 54 48 58 58 45
Pharmaceutical sciences 1,030 965 908 932 949 950 930
Veterinary sciences 403 390 478 504 441 441 464
Other health nec 420 287 537 592 598 598 550
nec = not elsewhere classified.
a Postdoctoral appointee (postdoc) data from 2010 and 2011 were reimputed following the 2012 data collection; these data supersede those contained in previous reports.
b In 2014, the survey frame was updated following a comprehensive frame evaluation study. The study identified potentially eligible but not previously surveyed academic institutions in the United States with master's- or doctorate-granting programs in science, engineering, or health. A total of 151 newly eligible institutions were added, and two private for-profit institutions offering mostly practitioner-based graduate degrees were determined to be ineligible.
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, Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering.