No.
Apparenlty not many. While the supply of researchers has continued to
increase dramatically, the number of postitions available to them
began to level off sometime in the 70's. While today's typical
professor generates some 15 replacements, only one of these people
will suffice to fill his shoes in the absence of any new dramatic
growth similar to what we have all enjoyed up to this point.
The word is finally beginning to trickle through the effective
campaign mounted by those currently dependent on this oversupply
of "post-docs", leading to a reduced interest from american students
in these careers, and their replacement with graduate students
from overseas, where presumably different conditions continue to
make such training a good economic decision.
Corporate downsizing, federal budget deficits, lack of appreciation
for science among popular government representatives and the
"scientifically illiterate" general public suggests that this situation
will likely persist.
Efforts are however being made to bolster the future of U.S. science
(and futures of US scientists) by a small group of vocal individuals,
much of which can be tuned into by way of the Young Scientists Network,
and its associated E-mail list. Members are now breaking through in terms
of being heard by policy makers in D.C. and mounting effective responses
to the perpetuation of "the Myth" of an ever-pending shortage of US
scientists and engineers.
The address of the Young Scientists Network is
<ysnadm at crow-t-robot.stanford.edu>. Send a normal message
requesting a subscritption. (I recomended the moderated digest
format.)
A recent Sigma-Xi address by former Caltech Physics Chair, David
Goodstein, and an article by the former president of the FASEB
Cell Biology division which provide the background for the current
"dismal" employment situation are available from me by request.
Jim
J. E. Graham
Biology and Chemistry Departments
Indiana University Bloomington
