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Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics

2020 Planetary Science Survey

The aim of the 2020 Planetary Science Workforce Survey is to repeat the survey that was carried out in 2011 to evaluate how the workforce has evolved over 9 years. There are a few modifications to the survey to clarify the questions, but mostly we have tried to change as little as possible to allow a longitudinal study.

Part A: Academic Dept. Survey – This component was started but then put on hold while the workforce survey was (eventually) carried out. The survey of US academic departments that include planetary science – 2011 and 2018 responses compared.  The survey questions to the departments are here.

Part B: Workforce Survey  – funded by the AAS/DPS, the first part of the 2020 Planetary Science Workforce Survey focusses on the survey of DPS members. The latter part of the report presents the results of surveying members of DPS, LPSC, GSA (planetary)  – but not AGU which declined to participate this time. There were 2,367 respondents. Further work is planned to compare the 2020 and 2011 surveys.

Fran Bagenal’s summary of workforce-related White Papers for the Planetary Science and Astrobiology Decadal Survey 2023-2032 – plus some personal thoughts on demographics of our profession Bagenal-Demog-Data

This project was started mid-2017.