Results from a 2016 Pilot Survey on Math Post-docs

TL;DR

This pilot survey of math departments in 2016 revealed post-doc career outcomes, hiring trends, and departmental preparation, highlighting increases in research post-docs and non-tenure-track positions, with limited focus on teaching preparation.

Contribution

First survey providing detailed data on math post-docs' career paths, departmental hiring trends, and preparation practices, filling a gap in empirical understanding.

Findings

25% of post-docs obtained tenure-track jobs in doctoral departments

Research post-doc hiring increased by 35% from early 2000s to early 2010s

Few departments provided explicit teaching preparation for post-docs

Abstract

A pilot survey was sent to chairs of 14 doctoral math departments asking for three types of data: (1) category on job-placements for research post-docs leaving their department in three recent years; (2) category of jobs from which their new faculty hires came in two recent years and two years a decade earlier; and (3) preparation for future careers offered by their department to their research post-docs. Eleven departments submitted data on post-docs. Of the 162 departing post-docs for whom data was supplied, 25% obtained tenure-track jobs in doctoral departments; 22% took another post-doc; and 18% were reported as "unknown/other". The remaining 35% were evenly divided among tenure-track in non-doctoral departments, full-time non-tenure-track, academic outside the US, and business-industry-government. Eight departments gave complete responses to (2): From the early 2000's to the early 2010's tenure track hiring increased by about 35% (from 18 to 25). The changes across this period as strikingly larger for other ranks: 233%(from 21 to 70) for research post-docs and 211% (from 18 to 56)full-time non-tenure-track doctoral teaching faculty. In section (3), all departments reported observing post-docs' teaching and providing feedback. However, relatively few provided explicit preparation for teaching or guidance for communicating with audiences other than research specialists.