The small size of the small scale market: The early-stage labor market for highly skilled nanotechnology workers

We examine the labor market for the highly trained in nanotechnology and the response of universities toward providing training. We draw comparisons with the labor market and university response in bioinformatics. The demand analysis is based on position announcements in Science in 2002 compared to...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Research policy 2007-07, Vol.36 (6), p.887-892
Main Authors: Stephan, Paula, Black, Grant C., Chang, Tanwin
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Bioinformatics
Comparative analysis
Faculty incentives
Labor market
Labour market
Nanotechnology
Pipeline
Pipelines
Skilled workers
Studies
Training
Universities
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Summary:We examine the labor market for the highly trained in nanotechnology and the response of universities toward providing training. We draw comparisons with the labor market and university response in bioinformatics. The demand analysis is based on position announcements in Science in 2002 compared to 2005. We also analyze online position announcements in late 2005 and early 2006. Our analysis leads us to conclude that at the present time the market is small and growing for positions in academe and at FFRDCs, small and stable for positions at firms. Our analysis of training leads to the conclusion that the pipeline is being filled primarily through a principal investigator approach, where a student is attached to one faculty member's lab, rather than to a formal program. The fundamental difference between nanotechnology and bioinformatics in this respect may be due to differences in the opportunities available to universities and faculty.
ISSN:0048-7333
1873-7625
DOI:10.1016/j.respol.2007.02.006