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Table 35. Postdoctoral appointees in science, engineering, and health in public institutions, by detailed field: 2011–16

Field 2011a 2012 2013 2014oldb 2014newb 2015 2016
All surveyed fields 34,266 34,574 33,874 34,355 34,413 34,711 35,097
Science and engineering 25,554 25,269 24,896 25,294 25,351 25,857 25,796
Science 21,475 21,018 20,605 20,913 20,955 21,226 21,203
Agricultural sciences 1,177 1,224 1,220 1,296 1,303 1,407 1,378
Biological sciences 10,969 10,353 9,857 9,703 9,713 9,731 9,705
Anatomy 261 198 176 156 156 146 132
Biochemistry 1,297 1,248 1,239 1,123 1,123 1,121 1,059
Biology 1,141 1,083 1,077 1,078 1,078 957 927
Biometry and epidemiology 199 232 223 237 237 249 267
Biophysics 52 60 51 35 35 26 23
Botany and plant biology 530 577 601 617 617 603 609
Cell and molecular biology 1,244 1,234 1,101 1,054 1,061 1,225 1,108
Ecology 118 127 60 56 56 82 105
Entomology and parasitology 249 243 234 245 245 259 234
Genetics 518 477 486 501 501 481 560
Microbiology, immunology, and virology 1,309 1,213 1,018 1,045 1,045 1,068 1,024
Nutrition 189 172 172 177 177 183 172
Pathology 633 607 547 578 578 582 518
Pharmacology and toxicology 925 836 771 700 700 709 716
Physiology 864 798 764 789 789 718 779
Zoology 85 87 94 75 75 51 45
Biosciences nec 1,355 1,161 1,243 1,237 1,240 1,271 1,427
Communication 30 17 25 21 21 28 33
Computer sciences 401 395 430 481 481 515 508
Earth, atmospheric, and ocean sciences 1,319 1,439 1,442 1,489 1,491 1,541 1,510
Atmospheric sciences 141 190 187 192 192 167 236
Geosciences 318 347 397 410 410 426 369
Ocean sciences 324 333 298 298 300 326 303
Earth, atmospheric, and ocean sciences nec 536 569 560 589 589 622 602
Family and consumer sciences and human sciences 39 45 59 72 72 68 66
Mathematics and statistics 515 566 586 593 596 655 631
Mathematics and applied mathematics 458 490 491 520 523 565 568
Statistics 57 76 95 73 73 90 63
Multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary studies 562 566 676 783 783 658 765
Neurobiology and neuroscience 640 623 708 778 778 837 833
Physical sciences 4,850 4,764 4,550 4,577 4,594 4,552 4,456
Astronomy and astrophysics 282 275 223 231 231 239 223
Chemistry 2,616 2,572 2,424 2,357 2,369 2,292 2,222
Physics 1,776 1,740 1,725 1,805 1,810 1,840 1,784
Physical sciences nec 176 177 178 184 184 181 227
Psychology 607 608 580 566 569 619 685
Clinical psychology 59 56 62 49 49 44 45
Psychology, general 307 319 312 277 278 343 388
Psychology nec 241 233 206 240 242 232 252
Social sciences 366 418 472 554 554 615 633
Agricultural economics 42 56 55 57 57 51 55
Anthropology 45 57 67 86 86 114 96
Economics (except agricultural) 12 14 25 30 30 27 25
Geography 51 55 65 75 75 73 78
History and philosophy of science 2 7 3 1 1 3 5
Linguistics 16 17 15 20 20 31 26
Political science and government 64 53 70 97 97 96 114
Sociology 44 42 42 45 45 45 49
Sociology and anthropology 2 2 3 3 3 2 3
Social sciences nec 88 115 127 140 140 173 182
Engineering 4,079 4,251 4,291 4,381 4,396 4,631 4,593
Aerospace engineering 134 117 135 159 159 150 131
Agricultural engineering 101 111 133 132 136 207 152
Architecture 13 2 5 3 3 7 6
Biomedical engineering 509 600 563 606 608 554 605
Chemical engineering 743 692 760 753 753 792 786
Civil engineering 369 410 396 421 421 442 471
Electrical engineering 659 725 739 734 736 717 685
Engineering science, mechanics, and physics 72 88 77 80 80 69 52
Industrial and manufacturing engineering 73 71 82 78 78 87 80
Mechanical engineering 522 563 614 629 632 700 617
Metallurgical and materials engineering 595 596 575 542 546 652 540
Mining engineering 4 5 7 15 15 15 10
Nuclear engineering 60 63 62 69 69 64 52
Petroleum engineering 17 32 26 46 46 49 55
Engineering nec 208 176 117 114 114 126 351
Health 8,712 9,305 8,978 9,061 9,062 8,854 9,301
Clinical medicine 6,728 7,040 6,658 6,751 6,751 6,588 6,975
Anesthesiology 169 184 185 173 173 176 156
Cardiovascular science 331 428 351 348 348 426 336
Endocrinology 160 186 175 170 170 143 100
Gastroenterology 170 155 135 121 121 93 82
Hematology 182 181 163 179 179 152 106
Neurology 376 304 343 333 333 309 301
Obstetrics and gynecology 160 146 153 156 156 138 149
Oncology and cancer research 810 843 849 907 907 832 1,275
Ophthalmology 186 232 241 263 263 247 209
Otorhinolaryngology 66 63 75 72 72 70 98
Pediatrics 763 821 818 764 764 626 634
Preventive medicine and community health 391 476 441 420 420 429 452
Psychiatry 443 528 443 529 529 513 543
Pulmonary disease 159 152 151 155 155 158 140
Radiology 333 290 261 294 294 294 280
Surgery 517 581 530 493 493 509 465
Clinical medicine nec 1,512 1,470 1,344 1,374 1,374 1,473 1,649
Other health 1,984 2,265 2,320 2,310 2,311 2,266 2,326
Communication disorders sciences 34 38 33 40 40 53 47
Dental sciences 244 250 211 224 224 224 218
Nursing science 64 54 48 58 58 45 64
Pharmaceutical sciences 965 908 932 949 950 930 918
Veterinary sciences 390 478 504 441 441 464 514
Other health nec 287 537 592 598 598 550 565
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.