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Table A-5b. Science, engineering, and health organizational units with postdocs, by detailed field: 2012–17

Field 2012 2013 2014olda 2014newa 2015 2016b 2017c
All surveyed fieldsd 5,753 5,907 6,093 6,147 6,258 6,493 7,080
Science and engineering 4,203 4,307 4,413 4,456 4,562 4,696 5,057
Science 3,351 3,449 3,550 3,587 3,679 3,789 4,068
Agricultural sciences 209 223 242 245 248 254 179
Biological and biomedical sciencese 1,473 1,478 1,495 1,514 1,521 1,568 1,725
Anatomy 34 32 33 33 30 28 na
Biochemistry 135 130 125 125 126 121 126
Biology 176 170 176 178 182 173 191
Biomedical sciences na na na na na na 59
Biometry and epidemiology 67 73 84 84 91 102 na
Biophysics 13 11 10 10 10 9 13
Biostatistics and bioinformatics na na na na na na 82
Biotechnology na na na na na na 16
Botany and plant biology 49 48 45 45 44 46 46
Cell and molecular biology 125 124 114 117 118 121 na
Cell, cellular biology, and anatomical sciences na na na na na na 123
Ecology 21 17 18 18 16 16 na
Ecology and population biology na na na na na na 62
Entomology and parasitology 32 30 31 31 31 32 na
Epidemiology na na na na na na 32
Genetics 68 72 76 76 74 82 94
Microbiological sciences and immunology 156 152 152 153 159 159 158
Molecular biology na na na na na na 34
Neurobiology and neuroscience 91 108 107 110 118 126 150
Nutrition science 45 41 46 46 41 46 32
Pathology and experimental pathology 84 87 91 91 88 78 81
Pharmacology and toxicology 108 105 106 107 106 109 108
Physiology 118 115 111 113 115 143 165
Zoology and animal biology 14 12 11 11 12 10 50
Biological and biomedical sciences nec 137 151 159 166 160 167 103
Communication 17 20 20 20 24 20 ne
Computer and information sciences 142 146 145 146 157 177 174
Computer science na na na na na na 81
Computer and information sciences, general na na na na na na 63
Computer and information sciences nec na na na na na na 30
Family and consumer sciences and human sciences 24 28 34 35 33 32 na
Geosciences, atmospheric sciences, and ocean sciences 226 235 249 251 260 247 251
Atmospheric sciences and meteorology 34 36 38 38 34 36 44
Geological and earth sciences 109 111 121 121 119 109 117
Ocean and marine sciences 40 44 43 45 49 50 59
Geosciences, atmospheric sciences, and ocean sciences nec 43 44 47 47 58 52 31
Mathematics and statistics 150 153 152 153 166 165 167
Mathematics and applied mathematics 119 118 120 121 132 133 132
Statistics 31 35 32 32 34 32 35
Multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary studies 115 130 142 142 147 176 187
Natural resources and conservation na na na na na na 120
Environmental science and studies na na na na na na 49
Forestry, natural resources, and conservation na na na na na na 71
Physical sciences 483 488 487 493 508 517 559
Astronomy and astrophysics 41 38 40 40 45 47 56
Chemistry 214 222 215 219 224 221 222
Materials sciences na na na na na na 31
Physics 203 206 210 212 220 222 228
Physical sciences nec 25 22 22 22 19 27 22
Psychology 181 182 192 195 187 201 202
Clinical psychology 29 33 30 30 26 27 21
Counseling and applied psychology na na na na na na 47
Psychology, general 75 77 89 91 90 94 105
Psychology nec 77 72 73 74 71 80 na
Research and experimental psychology na na na na na na 29
Social sciences 331 366 392 393 428 432 504
Agricultural economics 24 20 25 25 23 23 19
Anthropology 43 48 56 56 58 60 57
Criminal justice and safety studies na na na na na na 1
Economics (except agricultural) 24 29 33 33 33 30 40
Geography and cartography 31 34 36 36 37 43 34
History and philosophy of science 7 7 4 4 6 7 7
Human development na na na na na na 36
International relations and national security studies na na na na na na 10
Linguistics 17 19 20 20 24 19 20
Political science and government 65 75 86 86 98 95 44
Public policy analysis na na na na na na 42
Sociology 39 45 40 40 42 45 61
Sociology and anthropology 1 1 1 1 1 1 na
Social sciences nec 80 88 91 92 106 109 133
Engineering 852 858 863 869 883 907 989
Aerospace, aeronautical, and astronautical engineering 27 32 30 30 31 30 31
Agricultural engineering 26 31 31 32 34 32 20
Architecture 5 9 6 6 8 8 ne
Bioengineering and biomedical engineering 95 93 97 98 100 99 123
Biological and biosystems engineering na na na na na na 10
Chemical engineering 104 111 108 108 111 113 115
Civil engineering 122 112 116 116 123 128 145
Electrical, electronics, and communications engineering 136 137 133 135 133 144 154
Engineering mechanics, physics, and science 19 19 18 18 17 16 19
Industrial and manufacturing engineering 36 35 40 40 44 42 41
Mechanical engineering 123 125 126 127 124 132 140
Metallurgical and materials engineering 81 78 83 84 79 80 57
Mining engineering 4 2 6 6 6 5 10
Nanotechnology na na na na na na 16
Nuclear engineering 14 12 15 15 14 13 13
Petroleum engineering 8 7 10 10 11 12 10
Engineering nec 52 55 44 44 48 53 85
Health 1,550 1,600 1,680 1,691 1,696 1,797 2,023
Clinical medicinea 1,235 1,255 1,326 1,328 1,332 1,400 1,597
Anesthesiology 42 47 50 50 49 47 50
Cardiology 51 53 50 50 50 50 59
Endocrinology 37 35 36 36 35 38 32
Gastroenterology 35 41 33 33 31 32 31
Hematology 29 33 31 31 27 25 27
Neurology 59 59 67 67 67 62 110
Obstetrics and gynecology 46 42 45 45 43 46 52
Oncology and cancer research 85 86 91 91 87 124 123
Ophthalmology 54 54 58 58 59 62 69
Otorhinolaryngology 28 32 31 31 34 33 32
Pediatrics 77 82 83 83 85 86 88
Psychiatry 68 67 79 79 84 82 86
Public health 113 112 115 115 126 142 143
Pulmonary disease 33 34 39 39 35 34 33
Radiological sciences 76 67 76 76 79 74 90
Surgery 129 122 141 141 137 132 158
Clinical medicine nec 273 289 301 303 304 331 414
Other health 315 345 354 363 364 397 426
Communication disorders sciences 21 20 21 21 22 24 28
Dental sciences 47 46 45 46 42 46 52
Nursing science 24 28 26 26 28 37 38
Pharmaceutical sciences 76 84 81 87 90 96 97
Veterinary biomedical and clinical sciences 56 68 64 65 62 73 77
Other health nec 91 99 117 118 120 121 134
na= not applicable, data collected under different GSS codes; ne = not eligible.
GSS = Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering; nec = not elsewhere classified.
a 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.
b The 2016 survey included a pilot data collection to assess the feasibility of several data collection changes, including the use of Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) codes for reporting data and file uploads for transmitting data. The number of units added and deleted by pilot coordinators was much greater than is typical. These increases are largely due to how data are organized in institutional information systems and the increased granularity of CIP codes relative to GSS codes, rather than a reflection of increased organizational complexity.
c The number of units is not strictly comparable between 2017 and prior years as the change in data collection led to existing units to be split by CIP code. Additionally, many schools reorganized units voluntarily, leading to a large increase in overall units.
d Several field names changed in 2017; the field names listed in this table are the field names used in GSS collection and reporting for 2017. For a complete list of field names used prior to 2017, see https://ncsesdata.nsf.gov/gradpostdoc/2016/html/GSS2016_TTA_17.html
e In 2017, the biological and biomedical sciences fields were reorganized. Part of nutritional sciences became ineligible in 2017; aside from this, all other deleted fields in the Biological and biomedical sciences remained eligible under a different field name. Thus, while fields such as zoology and animal biology existed in prior to 2017 and in 2017, the composition of subfields in this field changed.
SOURCE: National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering.