for scientists, by researchers
In a poll of faculty and researchers conducted by The Scientist magazine, Yale was rated as one of the "Best Places to Work in Academia."
Yale ranked third among U.S. institutions, behind Fox Chase Cancer Center in Pennsylvania and Purdue University in Indiana.
The Yale respondents listed their relationships with colleagues and the quality of physical and financial resources as the most important features in determining their satisfaction at the workplace.
"We enjoy a richly collaborative environment for scholarship, and we have made substantial investments in support of science. It is greatly rewarding to see our culture and investments acknowledged," says Provost Susan Hockfield.
The results are detailed in the article "How They Measure Up: Scientific Institutions" in the Oct. 20 issue of The Scientist. This survey is the third in a series by The Scientist; the first two looked at the best places to work for postdoctoral and industry researchers.
The Web-based questionnaire contained 56 statements describing the scientific workplace. Benefits, start-up funds, core facilities, mentoring, administration, future opportunities and, of course pay, were included in the topics examined. The survey asked researchers to evaluate the accuracy of particular statements about the research environment and the degree to which each issue mattered to them.
More than 38,000 faculty and researchers were invited to participate in the survey. Over 2,200 valid responses were received from the United States, Canada, western Europe and Israel.
Paula Park, the author of the survey, says what surprised her most about the findings was "that salary only rated fourth most important." Most respondents said that a towering salary isn't a main concern; however, they highly value core facilities including libraries, technology and other resources that enable state-of-the-art research. Park adds, "While it is not a fully scientific study, it gives a perspective from scientists who actively respond to the survey."
Michael Snyder, the Lewis B. Cullman Professor and chair of the Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology and professor of molecular biophysics and biochemistry, who participated in the survey, said: "I was delighted to see Yale ranked so highly and ahead of what we view as our usual competitors. Yale's favorable ranking reflects the fact that it is an exciting place to do science. We have a very collaborative and supportive atmosphere, which makes it a fun place; I suspect that showed up in the survey."
The other top 10 U.S. institutions were, in order: University of California at San Francisco; University of Minnesota at St. Paul; Cornell University in Ithaca, New York; National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland; Michigan State University at East Lansing; University of Nebraska at Lincoln; and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas.
The full text of the articles is available at www.the-scientist.com.
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