Back to Data Tables
Excel icon Download to excel

Table 4-15b. Social sciences postdoctoral appointee and doctorate-holding nonfaculty researcher demographics and funding: 2017

Characteristic Postdoctoral appointees Doctorate-holding nonfaculty researchers
Number Percent Number Percent
Institutions 133 18.9 115 16.4
Schools 139 17.1 122 15.0
Units 504 2.7 380 2.0
All individuals 1,347 100.0 1,524 100.0
Male 624 46.3 689 45.2
Female 723 53.7 835 54.8
U.S. citizens and permanent residentsa 896 66.5 na na
Hispanic or Latino 67 5.0 na na
Not Hispanic or Latino
American Indian or Alaska Native 9 0.7 na na
Asian 76 5.6 na na
Black or African American 71 5.3 na na
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander 2 0.1 na na
White 548 40.7 na na
More than one race 23 1.7 na na
Unknown ethnicity and race 100 7.4 na na
Temporary visa holders 451 33.5 na na
Primary source of support
Federal 323 24.0 na na
Nonfederalb 865 64.2 na na
Personal resources 21 1.6 na na
Unknown or not stated 138 10.2 na na
Primary mechanism of support
Fellowships 212 15.7 na na
Research grants 559 41.5 na na
Traineeships 71 5.3 na na
Other types of support 505 37.5 na na
Degree typec
Doctoral degree 1,043 77.4 1,072 70.3
Professional degree 21 1.6 95 6.2
Dual degree 10 0.7 9 0.6
Unknown 273 20.3 348 22.8
Degree origin
United States 708 52.6 na na
Foreign country 216 16.0 na na
Unknown 423 31.4 na na
na = not applicable; citizenship, race and ethnicity, source of support, mechanism of support, and degree origin data are not collected for doctorate-holding nonfaculty researchers.
a Ethnicity and race data are available only for U.S. citizens and permanent residents.
b Nonfederal includes foreign support.
c Doctoral degree includes PhD, ScD, DEng, etc.; professional degree includes MD, DVM, DO, DDS, etc.; dual degree includes both professional and doctoral degrees (MD-PhD, DVM-PhD, etc.).
NOTES: "Field" refers to the field of the unit that reports postdoctorates and doctorate-holding nonfaculty researchers to the Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering. Percentages may not add to total because of rounding.
SOURCE: National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering, 2017.