Post-doctoral and non-faculty doctorate researchers in engineering education: demographics and funding

Engineering was defined by the Royal Society of Engineers as the creative application of scientific principles to invent, design, build, maintain and improve structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes. The standard model of academic scientific research that has evolved in the United States over the years is predicated on a core research group championed by one principal investigator which might include staff scientists, postdoctoral appointees, non-faculty doctorate researchers and they play major roles in supporting the day to day duties in a research laboratory while they gain more knowledge to continue their own independent research careers. This study examined the demographics and funding of postdoctoral appointees and non-faculty doctorate researchers in engineering education. This research is a case study of postgraduate postdoctoral appointees and non-faculty doctorate researchersin higher education in the United States. In this case study, postgraduate postdoctoral appointees and doctorate holding non-tenure researchers in engineering were the study group and data from National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (2018) was used in this study. Results indicates that there were 204 (28.5%) of post-doctoral appointees in engineering education institutions, while there were 218 (26.7%) of postdoctoral appointees in schools and 1011 (5.2%) in units. non-faculty doctorate researchers were also considered in this study and it was revealed that there were 164 (22.9%) of non?faculty doctorate researchers in institutions, while there were 169 (20.7%) of non?faculty doctorate researchersin schools and 751 (3.8%) non-faculty doctorate researchers in units. and it was revealed in table 1 that there were 6046(76.4%) male’s pastoral appointees and 2749 (77.0%) non-faculty doctorate researchers. it was revealed that 2656 (33.6%) were United states citizens and permanent residents while United States citizens and permanent residents was not applicable for non-faculty doctorate researchers. It was revealed that 2656 (33.6%) were United states citizens and permanent residents while United States citizens and permanent residents was not applicable for non-faculty doctorate researchers. Other ethnicity and race amongst postdoctoral appointees were Hispanic or Latino 127 (1.6%), American India or Alaska native 4 (0.1%), Asian 690 (8.7%), black or African American 77 (1.0%), Native Hawaiian or other pacific highlander 1(*), white 1415 (17.9%). It was revealed that there were 5258 (66.4%) temporary visa holders for postdoctoral appointees. Results indicated that the most prominent primary sources of support for postdoctoral appointees are federal 3709 (46.9%) and nonfederal domestic 3609 (45.6%). From the primary mechanism of support, research grants 5698 (72.0%) was the most available for post-doctoral appointees. This study therefore recommends that there should be more inclusion for females in engineering education and efforts be intensified on increasing funding in postdoctoral engineering education.