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)

Academic position

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                                                                                                         .

Industrial position

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