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Table A-5a. Science, engineering, and health organizational units with nonfaculty researchers, by detailed field: 2014–18

Field 2014newa 2015 2016b 2017c 2018
All surveyed fieldsd 4,006 4,164 4,369 4,856 4,987
Science and engineering 2,848 3,042 3,156 3,460 3,642
Science 2,273 2,424 2,489 2,754 2,891
Agricultural sciences 176 192 193 134 146
Biological and biomedical sciencese 966 1,003 1,055 1,136 1,163
Anatomy 20 17 11 ne ne
Biochemistry 87 86 94 105 101
Biology 91 100 95 111 129
Biomedical sciences ne ne ne 27 27
Biometry and epidemiology 48 60 71 ne ne
Biophysics 7 6 4 5 5
Biostatistics and bioinformatics ne ne ne 56 63
Biotechnology ne ne ne 14 12
Botany and plant biology 33 32 35 36 35
Cell and molecular biology 80 91 89 ne ne
Cell, cellular biology, and anatomical sciences ne ne ne 78 87
Ecology 10 10 13 ne ne
Ecology and population biology ne ne ne 40 45
Entomology and parasitology 21 21 21 ne ne
Epidemiology ne ne ne 24 20
Genetics 48 48 54 67 63
Microbiological sciences and immunology 100 104 109 119 108
Molecular biology ne ne ne 23 29
Neurobiology and neuroscience 71 73 82 100 92
Nutrition science 32 35 36 22 37
Pathology and experimental pathology 61 56 52 47 47
Pharmacology and toxicology 66 65 63 78 71
Physiology 76 75 99 95 94
Zoology and animal biology 7 7 8 34 33
Biological and biomedical sciences nec 108 117 119 55 65
Communication 11 14 11 ne ne
Computer and information sciences 102 114 111 111 126
Computer science ne ne ne 52 52
Computer and information sciences, general ne ne ne 44 45
Computer and information sciences nec ne ne ne 15 29
Family and consumer sciences and human sciences 19 20 27 ne ne
Geosciences, atmospheric sciences, and ocean sciences 177 179 182 198 206
Atmospheric sciences and meteorology 28 27 26 39 41
Geological and earth sciences 87 83 84 88 104
Ocean and marine sciences 32 35 41 49 44
Geosciences, atmospheric sciences, and ocean sciences nec 30 34 31 22 17
Mathematics and statistics 58 65 64 67 69
Mathematics and applied mathematics 44 48 49 50 49
Statistics 14 17 15 17 20
Multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary studies 125 129 128 161 155
Natural resources and conservation ne ne ne 87 118
Environmental science and studies ne ne ne 31 47
Forestry, natural resources, and conservation ne ne ne 56 71
Physical sciences 314 328 328 374 377
Astronomy and astrophysics 35 35 40 46 45
Chemistry 131 140 136 140 144
Materials sciences ne ne ne 21 23
Physics 129 136 136 154 150
Physical sciences nec 19 17 16 13 15
Psychology 93 109 100 106 114
Clinical psychology 9 10 14 9 5
Counseling and applied psychology ne ne ne 24 23
Psychology, general 44 50 41 50 64
Psychology nec 40 49 45 ne ne
Research and experimental psychology ne ne ne 23 22
Social sciences 232 271 290 380 417
Agricultural economics 16 16 17 17 18
Anthropology 26 25 33 29 33
Criminal justice and safety studies ne ne ne 4 6
Economics (except agricultural) 26 29 28 42 41
Geography and cartography 18 20 22 29 30
History and philosophy of science 4 2 5 3 1
Human development ne ne ne 32 26
International relations and national security studies ne ne ne 7 9
Linguistics 8 10 11 16 15
Political science and government 53 67 85 21 23
Public policy analysis ne ne ne 48 62
Sociology 25 26 23 41 42
Sociology and anthropology 0 0 0 ne ne
Social sciences nec 56 76 66 91 111
Engineering 575 618 667 706 751
Aerospace, aeronautical, and astronautical engineering 16 18 19 22 26
Agricultural engineering 17 22 19 16 17
Architecture 5 5 9 ne ne
Bioengineering and biomedical engineering 58 61 62 82 76
Biological and biosystems engineering ne ne ne 6 9
Chemical engineering 68 67 71 68 71
Civil engineering 84 89 105 99 107
Electrical, electronics, and communications engineering 88 91 102 117 120
Engineering mechanics, physics, and science 20 16 14 18 18
Industrial and manufacturing engineering 27 39 40 40 39
Mechanical engineering 83 87 94 99 98
Metallurgical and materials engineering 61 63 65 39 53
Mining engineering 1 4 6 11 12
Nanotechnology ne ne ne 13 11
Nuclear engineering 11 10 9 9 13
Petroleum engineering 6 7 9 9 12
Engineering nec 30 39 43 58 69
Health 1,158 1,122 1,213 1,396 1,345
Clinical medicinef 910 875 946 1,121 1,044
Anesthesiology 35 33 32 38 38
Cardiology 40 39 39 37 33
Endocrinology 27 25 27 25 27
Gastroenterology 19 16 18 20 20
Hematology 26 22 20 20 22
Neurology 53 55 51 77 66
Obstetrics and gynecology 33 33 36 34 27
Oncology and cancer research 50 48 49 51 49
Ophthalmology 42 42 42 51 45
Otorhinolaryngology 20 19 21 26 29
Pediatrics 54 50 65 74 60
Psychiatry 38 38 42 50 52
Public health 85 93 116 116 119
Pulmonary disease 25 24 26 28 25
Radiological sciences 50 44 51 57 52
Surgery 105 93 95 107 113
Clinical medicine nec 208 201 216 310 267
Other health 248 247 267 275 301
Communication disorders sciences 21 23 24 21 25
Dental sciences 27 27 30 28 33
Nursing science 23 22 29 32 40
Pharmaceutical sciences 55 60 63 66 63
Veterinary biomedical and clinical sciences 46 45 50 45 54
Other health nec 76 70 71 83 86
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 reogranized. Part of nutritional sciences became ineligble in 2017; aside from this, all other deleted fields in the biological and biomedical sciences remained eligble 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.
f Clinical medicine includes nonfaculty researchers in anesthesiology, cardiology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, hematology, neurology, obstetrics and gynecology, oncology and cancer research, ophthalmology, otorhinolaryngology, pediatrics, psychiatry, public health, pulmonary disease, radiology, surgery, and clinical medicine not elsewhere classified.
SOURCE: National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering.