Survey of Former NRC NIST Postdocs - Greater Than 5 Years

Survey of Former NRC NIST Postdocs

(Greater than 5 Years)

NRC NIST POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH ASSOCIATESHIP PROGRAM EVALUATION

SURVEY OF FORMER POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH ASSOCIATES

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has contracted Westat, an independent research firm located in Rockville, Maryland, to conduct a survey of the National Research Council (NRC) NIST Postdoctoral Research Associateship Program. NIST is conducting the study to collect information on the experiences and satisfaction of former NRC postdoctoral associates who participated in the NRC NIST Postdoctoral Research Associateship Program. The evaluation data will provide NIST with a better understanding of how the Postdoctoral Research Associateship Program is being implemented and how NIST program officers can enhance the quality of the program and opportunities made to future postdoctoral associates participating in the program.

Participation in the survey is voluntary; your decision will not affect your current or future employment at NIST. The survey data are being collected by Westat; individual responses to the survey will not be shared with the NRC or NIST. The information collected will be published in aggregate form only and will not identify individuals in any reports or presentations.

The survey should take approximately 30 minutes to complete.

Please complete and return your survey within two weeks of receiving it.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact Kimberley Raue at Westat at (800) 937-8281, ext. 3865 or [email protected].

NOTE: This questionnaire contains collection of information requirements subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). Notwithstanding any other provisions of the law, no person is required to respond to, nor shall any person be subject to penalty for failure to comply with, a collection of information subject to the requirements of the PRA, unless that collection of information displays a currently valid OMB Control Number.  The estimated response time for this questionnaire is 30 minutes.  The response time includes the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information.  Send comments regarding this estimate or any other aspects of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing the length of this questionnaire, to the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Attn., Susan Heller-Zeisler, [email protected], 301-975-3111. The OMB Control No. 0693-0033, Expiration Date: 10/31/2012.

BACKGROUND

1. Our records indicate that you are a former NRC NIST postdoc. Is that correct?

Yes ¹

No ² (In order for us to provide you with the appropriate survey, please stop here and contact Kim Raue, survey manager at (800) 937-8281, ext. 3865 or nrcpostdocsurvey@westat.com.)

2. In what year did you earn your highest degree?

(yyyy)

3. In what field is your highest degree? (Please select one answer.)

Agricultural sciences		1
Biology		2
Biomedical sciences		3
Chemistry		4
Computer sciences		5
Engineering		6
Health sciences		7
Mathematical sciences		8
Natural resources		9
Physics		10
Other (please specify on line below)		11
Interdisciplinary (please specify on line below)		12

4. Prior to your NRC NIST postdoc, how many professional associations (e.g., American Physical Society) were you a member of? (Please select one answer.)

None ¹ (Go to question 6.)

One ²

Two ³

Three ⁴

Four or more ⁵

5. Prior to your NRC NIST postdoc, did you hold either of the following leadership positions in a professional association? (Please select one answer on each row.)

	Yes	No
a. A volunteer leadership position	1	2
b. An elected leadership position	1	2

6. Since accepting your NRC NIST postdoc, how many professional associations (e.g., American Physical Society) have you been a member of? (Please select one answer.)

None ¹ (Go to question 8.)

One ²

Two ³

Three ⁴

Four or more ⁵

7. Since accepting your NRC NIST postdoc, have you held either of the following leadership positions in a professional association? (Please select one answer on each row.)

	Yes	No
a. A volunteer leadership position	1	2
b. An elected leadership position	1	2

8. What is your ethnicity?

Hispanic or Latino ¹

Not Hispanic or Latino ²

9. What is your racial background? (Please select all that apply.)

American Indian or Alaska Native ¹

Asian ²

Black or African American ³

Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander ⁴

White ⁵

RECRUITMENT TO THE NRC NIST POSTDOC PROGRAM

10. At the time you were offered the NRC NIST postdoc position, were you offered any other postdoc positions?

Yes ¹

No ² (Go to question 12.)

11. In which of the following career sectors were you offered a postdoc other than the NRC NIST postdoc? (Please select all that apply.)

Government ¹

Academia ²

Industry ³

12. Was the NRC NIST postdoc your first choice?

Yes ¹

No ²

Why or why not?

Have you encouraged a prospective candidate to consider applying for a postdoc position at NIST? (Please select one answer.)

Yes ¹

Not yet, but I would ²

No, and I would not ³ (Go to question 15.)

13. What would be your primary reason for encouraging a prospective candidate to apply to the NRC NIST postdoc program? (Please select one answer.)

Availability of interesting research projects. ¹

Quality of NIST research facilities and equipment ²

Ability to acquire or improve research skills and knowledge ³

Level of research autonomy and independence ⁴

Quality of interactions with peers ⁵

Quality of interactions with NIST postdoc advisor or direct supervisor ⁶

Existence of an intellectually stimulating atmosphere/culture ⁷

Quality of working conditions ⁸

Benefits to long-term career goals ⁹

^{Other (please specify on line below)} 10

14. What would be your primary reason for discouraging a prospective candidate to apply to the NRC NIST postdoc program? (Please select one answer.)

Availability of interesting research projects. ¹

Quality of NIST research facilities and equipment ²

Ability to acquire or improve research skills and knowledge ³

Level of research autonomy and independence ⁴

Quality of interactions with peers ⁵

Quality of interactions with NIST postdoc advisor or direct supervisor ⁶

Existence of an intellectually stimulating atmosphere/culture ⁷

Quality of working conditions ⁸

Benefits to long-term career goals ⁹

^{Other (please specify on line below)} 10

CAREER SINCE THE NRC NIST POSTDOC PROGRAM

15. Did you leave the NRC NIST postdoc program before the two-year appointment was over?

Yes ¹

No ² (Go to question 18.)

16. Why did you leave the NRC NIST postdoc program before the two-year appointment was over? (Please select one answer.)

Found other employment ¹

Left to accommodate spouse or significant other’s employment ²

^{Other (please specify on line below)} 3

17. Including self-employment, have you been employed in any position since completing your NRC NIST postdoc?

Yes ¹

No ² (Go to question 31.)

18. Including postdoc positions, where have you been employed since finishing your NRC NIST postdoc? (Please select all that apply.)

NIST ¹

Government other than NIST ²

K–12 institution ³

Two-year college, community college, or technical institute ⁴

Four-year college or university ⁵

Industry ⁶

Not-for-profit ⁷

Self-employed ⁸

19. Including postdoc positions, where were you first employed after completing your NRC NIST postdoc? (Please select one answer.)

NIST ¹

Government other than NIST ²

K–12 institution ³

Two-year college, community college, or technical institute ⁴

Four-year college or university ⁵

Industry ⁶

Not-for-profit ⁷

Self-employed ⁸

20. Including postdoc positions, please provide the following information about your first job after your NRC NIST postdoc. (Please select one answer on each row.)

First job after NRC NIST postdoc	Yes	No
a. This was a full-time position	1	2
b. This was a postdoc position .	1	2

21. Rounding to the nearest whole number, how many years did you work at your first job?

year(s)

22. Including self-employment, are you currently employed?

Yes ¹

No ² (Go to question 29.)

23. Where are you currently employed? (Please select one answer.)

If your current employer is the same as your first employer, check this box and go to question 27.

NIST ¹

Government other than NIST ²

K–12 institution ³

Two-year college, community college, or technical institute ⁴

Four-year college or university ⁵

Industry ⁶

Not-for-profit ⁷

Self-employed ⁸

24. Please provide the following information about your current job.

Current job	Yes	No
a. This is a full-time position	1	2
b. This is a postdoc position .	1	2

25. Rounding to the nearest whole number, how many years have you worked at your current job?

year(s)

26. Excluding bonuses and other benefits, what is your current salary? (Please select one answer.)

Less than $50,000 ¹

$50,000–$74,999 ²

$75,000–$99,999 ³

$100,000–$124,999 ⁴

$125,000–$149,999 ⁵

$150,000–$174,999 ⁶

$175,000–$199,999.. ⁷

$200,000–$224,999 ⁸

$225,000–$249,999 ⁹

$250,000 or more ¹⁰

27. To what extent do you agree with the following statements about your current job? (Please select one answer on each row.)

Statements about your current position	Strongly disagree	Disagree	Neither disagree nor agree	Agree	Strongly agree
a. I am satisfied with the type of work I am currently doing	1	2	3	4	5
b. I am satisfied with the opportunities for advancement at my current employer .	1	2	3	4	5
c. I have a leadership role in my current organization	1	2	3	4	5
d. I am compensated fairly for the work that I do.	1	2	3	4	5
e. Overall, my career has met my expectations	1	2	3	4	5

Optional comments:

PROFESSIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS

28. Since completing your NRC NIST postdoc, to what extent have you accomplished the following professional activities? (Please select one answer on each row.)

Professional activities	Not at all	A Minor extent	A Moderate extent	A Great extent	A Very Great extent
a. Engaged in interdisciplinary research	1	2	3	4	5
b. Pursued a new theoretical direction or addressed a topic previously unexplored in your field	1	2	3	4	5
c. Contributed to a scientific breakthrough in your field	1	2	3	4	5
d. Contributed to innovative ideas in your field	1	2	3	4	5
e. Addressed key knowledge gaps in your field	1	2	3	4	5
f. Advanced within your employing organization	1	2	3	4	5
g. Achieved your career goals	1	2	3	4	5

Please use the space below to describe any other professional accomplishments you may wish to highlight or were not included above.

29. During the past five years, how often have you engaged in the following professional activities? (Please select one answer on each row.)

Professional activities		None	Once	Two or three times	Four or five times	Six or more times
a. Organized a seminar or workshop on your research area		1	2	3	4	5
b. Lectured at a host institution		1	2	3	4	5
c. Presented your research in your own lab/department at your organization		1	2	3	4	5
d. Presented your research in another lab/department at your organization		1	2	3	4	5
e. Presented your research at a national meeting		1	2	3	4	5
f. Presented your research at an international meeting		1	2	3	4	5
g. Authored or co-authored a paper in a peer-reviewed journal		1	2	3	4	5
h. Authored or co-authored a book chapter		1	2	3	4	5
i. Authored or co-authored a book		1	2	3	4	5
j. Authored or co-authored a technical report		1	2	3	4	5
k. Received competitive funding for your research		1	2	3	4	5
l. Received a patent		1	2	3	4	5
m. Received a professional award related to your research		1	2	3	4	5
n. Developed a prototype or marketable product		1	2	3	4	5
o. Assumed a role as a group leader (e.g., technical group leader)		1	2	3	4	5
p. Assumed a management position in your organization (e.g., division head)		1	2	3	4	5
q. Served formally or informally as a mentor to others at your organization		1	2	3	4	5
r. Other professional activity(please specify on line below):		1	2	3	4	5

Optional comments:

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

30. Please provide any additional feedback about the NRC NIST postdoc program you have in the box below.

2