Postdoctoral Position in Iran Compared to Other Selected Countries

Purpose: Every year, a significant number of young individuals in the country obtain specialized doctorate degrees, and their main concern after graduation is finding a job that aligns with their expertise. One of the anticipated roles for these graduates is to join universities, educational institutions, and research centers as academic staff. Offering post-doctoral courses as short-term programs not only creates a platform for conducting research but also enhances employment opportunities for PhD graduates upon completion of these courses. This article aims to elucidate the initiatives undertaken by the Ministry of Science, Research, and Technology (MSRT) and various universities and research institutes in organizing post-doctoral programs. Additionally, it examines the approaches and performance of other countries in this regard.
Method: The research methodology employed in this study includes surveys and document reviews. Additionally, it examines the approaches and performance of other countries in this regard. The research methodology employed in this study includes surveys and document reviews. To examine the role of post-doctoral positions, four key upstream documents were analyzed: the Law of the Fifth Five-Year Plan for National Development, the Law of the Sixth Five-Year Plan for National Development, the Comprehensive Scientific Map of the Country, and the document on the Transformation of the People's Government (Thirteenth Government), along with the programs proposed by the honorable minister. It involved science, research, and technology. Additionally, to evaluate the scientific outcomes of implementing these regulations in the country's universities and research institutes, a monitoring plan was executed. This plan included gathering information on post-doctoral researchers working in 46 universities and government research institutes by completing their profiles in the system.
Findings: The document review revealed that the term "post-doctorate" is used in only three instances: specifically, in the 12^th row of the national action plan of the 6^th grand strategy of the comprehensive scientific map of the country, the 9^th transformative strategy, and the 18^th grand plan proposed by the highest authority of the Ministry of Science, Research, and Technology, which has been directly referenced in the 13^th government. In all other cases, the term is mentioned more generally, often in the context of phrases such as independent researchers, researchers, postgraduates, elites, and similar terms. The Ministry of Honors has taken significant steps by drafting two key documents: the "Regulations for the Admission of Postdoctoral Researchers" and the "Regulations for the Recruitment and Employment of Postdoctoral Researchers. However, the acceptance rate for conducting courses at universities and institutions has been less than ideal due to limited financial resources. As a result, in 2022, only 879 postdoctoral researchers (516 women and 363 men) were recruited across 42 universities and 4 government research institutes. In examining the status of postdoctoral researchers by gender, it was found that a substantial number of postdoctoral researchers in 2023 were women, comprising 58.7 percent, which is a significant percentage compared to men at 41.3 percent. Additionally, the highest number of post-doctoral researchers was observed in the fields of basic sciences (359 individuals), technical and engineering disciplines (269 individuals), and humanities (146 individuals), respectively.
Conclusion: On one hand, the annual graduation of nearly ten thousand specialized doctorate holders, along with a substantial number of academic staff members holding the rank of associate professor and professor, indicates a significant capacity for conducting post-doctoral programs in the country. However, challenges such as insufficient funding and a lack of necessary credits for research have led to the neglect of this issue. Therefore, allocating appropriate, targeted, and well-planned financial resources can enhance the country's scientific output in specialized fields while creating a conducive environment for attracting more PhD graduates.