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The 1998 ANDP Survey of Neuroscience Graduate & Postdoctoral Programs
Supplement to: by R. Ranney Mize, Barbara R. Talamo, Ronald I. Schoenfeld, Lesly K. Huffman and Robert E. Fellows Nature Neuroscience, May 2000, Volume 3 Number 5 pp 433 - 435 The following data represent a part of the ANDP survey data. The complete results can be found on the ANDP web site at www.andp.org/survey/report.
The number of applications per program continues to increase, up 45% from 1991 and 154% from 1986. These data do not distinguish between increases in the number of applicants and increases in the number of applications per applicant. Offers of admission also continue to increase, up 20% from 1991 and 100% from 1986. Although the number of students matriculating per program increased almost 40% from 1986 to 1991, there was little change between 1991 and 1998, when entering students averaged 5.2 per program.
Survey question: 15. With regard to your most recent predoctoral recruiting efforts (i.e., recruiting of students for the Fall 1997 entering class):
Number of applications to your graduate program
Number of applicants offered admission to your graduate program
Number of applicants matriculated in your graduate program
Entering students have academic credentials similar to those from previous surveys. Both GPAs and GRE scores are essentially unchanged. The percent of entering students with prior research experience remains high.
Survey question: 16. For the most recent entering class (first year graduate students in Fall 1997), please provide the following information as accurately as possible. Enclose estimated data in parentheses.
number of entering students
Number with undergraduate degrees in the following:
Over the decade from 1985 to 1995, the average number of graduate students per program increased steadily, reached a peak of 22 in 1995 and declined to 20 per program in the last year surveyed. The 74% increase in graduate students per program was not accompanied by a similar increase in PhD degrees awarded, which rose from 2.6 per program in 1986 to 3.2 per program in 1997, a gain of 19%. Part of this difference can be attributed to an increase in time to degree (Figure 2e).
Survey question: 13. For each year, indicate the number of first year students, predoctoral students, PhDs granted and postdoctoral trainees in your program.
In 1998, the majority of graduates were engaged in postdoctoral training, up 11% from 1991. The next largest group was enrolled in medical school. Most graduates take positions in scientific fields, with only 3.4% employed out of science and 1.3% unemployed.
Survey question: 18. For each individual receiving a PhD degree in the two year period between July 1, 1996 and June 30, 1998, please indicate gender (M/F), ethnic origin, number of years taken to complete the graduate program (to the nearest 0.5 year), number of publications of graduate research in refereed journals, and current placement.
The National Research Council (NRC) reported that the median time-to-degree was 8 years for life-science PhDs (NRC-LS), and 7.5 years for neuroscience PhDs (NRC-NS). Although the time to obtain the Ph.D. degree in neuroscience lengthened between 1986 and 1998, the ANDP survey data indicates the average for neuroscience in 1998 was 5.5 years, within the 5-6 year recommendation of the NRC. A similar difference from NRC data has been reported by the American Society of Cell Biology (ASCB), 5.6 years and the American Physiological Society (APS), 5.2 years, for their disciplines.
Survey question: 18. For each individual receiving a PhD degree in the two year period between July 1, 1996 and June 30, 1998, please indicate gender (M/F), ethnic origin, number of years taken to complete the graduate program (to the nearest 0.5 year), number of publications of graduate research in refereed journals, and current placement.
The number of postdoctoral trainees remained in the range of 8-10 per program from 1986 to 1997, rising to 12 per program in 1998. Whether this is a significant trend remains to be determined.
Survey question: 21. Indicate the number of each type of advanced degree held by postdoctoral trainees in your program in 1997-98?
PhD only
The average time spent in a postdoctoral trainee position has not changed since the 1991 survey. Information on the number of postdoctoral trainee positions taken by each individual was not obtained.
Survey question: 24. For each postdoctoral trainee leaving your program(s) between July 1, 1997 and June 30, 1998, please indicate gender, ethnic origin, number of years spent in your program (to nearest 0.5 year), number of manuscripts published in refereed journals derived from research conducted while a trainee in your program, and current placement of the individual.
In the current survey, non-US citizens made up one-fifth of graduate students, unchanged from 1991, and half of postdoctoral trainees. However, the percent of non-citizens in faculty positions remains low.
Survey questions: 12. Indicate the number of faculty with appointments in your program by position, ethnicity and gender. 17. Indicate the gender and ethnicity of predoctoral students in your program in 1997-98. 22. Indicate the gender and ethnicity of postdoctoral students in your programs in 1997-98.
There has been a steady decline in the support of first-year graduate students from research grants and teaching assistantships(TAs) from 1986 to 1998. Support from other university funds has increased, providing 41% of the total in 1998. Training grants and individual fellowships from all sources have shown little change over the three surveys.
Survey question:
For first year graduate students:
Teaching assistantships
In 1998, research grants represented the primary source of support for advanced graduate students, accounting for 37% of the total(up from 33% in 1991 and 24% in 1986). This is followed by TAs (29%, similar to previous surveys) and other university funds (12%, down from previous surveys). There has been a steady decline in fellowship and training grant support to 6% and 6.4%, respectively in 1998.
Survey question:
For advanced graduate students:
Teaching assistantships
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