Top Spots For US Postdocs

When this article was originally posted, the table ranking was incorrect. The Scientist regrets the error.

Five government organizations, four universities, three private institutes, two cancer centers, and one hospital. Those are the US institutions that landed in the top 15 slots in The Scientist's Best Places to Work for Postdocs 2005, which is based on a survey of postdocs who rate their own institutions.

It is not clear why government and private research centers outranked academic institutions in this year's survey, but Keith Micoli, chair of the National Postdoctoral Association (NPA) says, "In general there's more incentive for government and for-profit institutions to take care of their employees." Lou Simchowitz, head of the fellows' office at the 15th-ranked National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), agrees: "Government institutions have recognized the need for change and have dedicated money, personnel, and resources" to addressing postdocs' needs.

Some ...