The Impacts of Postdoctoral Training on Scientists’ Academic Employment

Abstract:     
This study investigates how postdoc training affects scientists’ academic employment. Based on questionnaire responses from a national representative sample of academic scientists and engineers and the respondents’ curriculum vitae, the results suggest that postdoc training increases scientists’ chances of obtaining a faculty position in highly prestigious departments. Among postdocs, a longer duration (roughly three years) reverses the delayed career development and accelerates their academic entrance. Foreign born postdocs, while showing no difference in the timing of academic entrance, are more likely to be placed into “prestigious” departments; however, Asian postdocs appear to be an exception.

Number of Pages in PDF File: 40

Keywords: Postdoc Training, Academic employment, Postdoc duration

JEL Classification: H52, H50, I22, J22

Accepted Paper Series