Graduate Student and Post-Doctoral Fellow Survey
A. General Questions Your
University :_________________________
1. If you are a graduate student
please indicate which degree you are pursuing and the current year of your
programme.
Masters Doctoral
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5
If you are a post-doctoral fellow
please indicate whether this is your first, second, etc. appointment.
First Second Third Fourth
2. Please indicate your membership to the
following chemical societies:
CIC (Chemical Institute of Canada)
ACS (American Chemical Society)
RSC (Royal Chemical Society)
Other None
3. Please tick which publications you are
familiar with and have read at some time.
Canadian Chemical News Chemical & Engineering News Chemistry
in Britain
Chemistry & Industry Chemical Innovation (formerly CHEMTECH)
None
4. Please indicate which best typifies how
often you take time out to read the current chemistry literature.
Every week Every two weeks Every month
Infrequently
B. The following questions relate to the
criteria you used in selecting your graduate school.
1. Please rank how
important each of the following is in selecting your current graduate school.
(1 = major importance to 5 = minor
importance)
Financial constraints 1 2 3 4 5
Entrance fellowship or bursary 1 2 3 4 5
Proximity to family and friends 1 2 3 4 5
A particular area or specialization of
chemistry 1 2 3 4 5
A particular professor 1 2 3 4 5
Web based information 1 2 3 4 5
Personal recommendation from peers 1 2 3 4 5
Personal recommendation from a teacher or
professor 1 2 3 4 5
2. Did you consider other schools in Canada?
Yes No
3. Did you consider other schools in the
United States?
Yes No
4. Did you consider other schools overseas?
Yes No
C. The following questions relate to the
criteria you used in selecting your current research advisor.
1. Please rank how important each of the following is in selecting your current advisor.
(1 = major importance to 5 = minor
importance)
Publication track record 1 2 3 4 5
Area of chemistry 1 2 3 4 5
Expertise and reputation in their field 1 2 3 4 5
Personal recommendation from peers 1 2 3 4 5
Awards they have received 1 2 3 4 5
Personal recommendation from a teacher or
professor 1 2 3 4 5
Personality 1 2 3 4 5
Prospect of employment in academia 1 2 3 4 5
Prospect of employment in industry 1 2 3 4 5
Similar cultural background to your own 1 2 3 4 5
Experience with advisor as a past
undergraduate 1 2 3 4 5
lecturer
Their scientific pedigree (genealogy) 1 2 3 4 5
2. Knowing what you know now about your advisor would
you make the same choice again?
Yes No Uncertain
3. Regarding your advisor’s scientific lineage, please answer as appropriate
Do you know the name of your current advisor’s
own doctoral advisor? Yes No
Do you know the name(s) of your current
advisor’s own post-doctoral advisor(s)? Yes No
4. Are you aware of your advisor’s sources
of research funds?
Yes No
5. Have you read a past NSERC grant proposal
written by your advisor?
Yes No
D. The following questions relate to your career plans
in the field of chemistry.
1. Did you write and defend a proposal for
your masters or doctoral thesis topic as part of your graduate research?
Yes No
2. Have you had the opportunity to prepare
and deliver an undergraduate lecture during your graduate school or
post-doctoral studies?
Yes No
3. Have you written or are you planning to
write and submit a research paper on your work to a refereed journal so that you
are the author for correspondence?
Yes No
4. Do you know the career outcomes of
graduate and post-doctoral alumni from your current advisor’s group?
Yes No
5. Please indicate your current career plans:
Pursue an academic position
Pursue an industrial position
Pursue a career outside the area of chemistry Uncertain
For female respondents only:
If you are pursuing an academic career in Canada will
you be taking advantage of the NSERC- UFA program open to women candidates?
Yes No Not eligible
6. Please indicate your level of knowledge and
familiarity about each of the following:
Campus seminars and workshops on career
development
good fair inadequate
Campus seminars and workshops on teaching
development
good fair inadequate
Writing a covering letter
good fair inadequate
Writing a letter of recommendation
good fair inadequate
Writing a curriculum vitae
good fair inadequate
Writing a research grant proposal
good fair inadequate
Writing a statement of teaching philosophy
good fair inadequate
Preparing a seminar for a job interview
good fair inadequate
The interview process for an academic
position
good fair inadequate
The interview process for an industry position
good fair inadequate
Job hunting techniques
good fair inadequate
7. Have you consulted your current or past
advisors on any matter of guidance regarding your career path in chemistry?
Yes No
8. How would you rate your current advisor as a resource
for career development?
good fair inadequate
9. How would you rate your
Department of Chemistry in providing support and services through seminars,
workshops, courses, etc. with respect to career development in the pursuit of
academic positions
good fair inadequate
industrial positions
good fair inadequate
10. Please rank the following in order of
choice as to where you would seek support for career development if you were
pursuing an
(Note: 1 = first choice, etc.; you may
rank more than one item with the same rank)
Your current advisor
.
The Chair of your Department of Chemistry
.
Another faculty member within the Department
of Chemistry
.
Another faculty member outside the
Department of Chemistry
.
A fellow graduate student or post-doctoral
fellow
.
The Canadian Institute of Chemistry
resources
.
The American Chemical Society resources
.
Career centre or support group within your
university
.
Career centre or service outside your university
.
Internet resources
.
Your current advisor
.
The Chair of your Department of Chemistry
.
Another faculty member within the Department
of Chemistry
.
Another faculty member outside the
Department of Chemistry
.
A fellow graduate student or post-doctoral
fellow
.
The Canadian Institute of Chemistry
resources
.
The American Chemical Society resources
.
Career centre or support group within your
university
.
Career centre or service outside your
university
.
Internet resources
.
Thank you for taking the time to complete
this survey.
Prepared by
Dr. John Andraos, Course Director
York University, Department of Chemistry,
4700 Keele Street, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3
E-mail: jandraos@yorku.ca February
2001