Noble Foundation Earns No. 2 Ranking in National Survey

ARDMORE, Okla., Feb. 26 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation garnered the No. 2 ranking in The Scientist magazine's annual "Best Places to Work for Postdoctoral Fellows" (postdocs) survey, topping more than 90 research institutions nationwide.

Internationally renowned for its plant science discoveries and agricultural programs, the Noble Foundation has participated in the survey for three years, placing in the top 10 each year. This year's No. 2 ranking marks yet another significant jump in the competitive survey. During the previous two years, the Noble Foundation moved from a No. 8 ranking (2008) to No. 4 (2009).  Each year, the Noble Foundation has ranked as the highest plant science research institute on the list.

"This survey allows the Noble Foundation to benchmark our activities against the finest research organizations. We continue to distinguish ourselves as one of the top research institutions in this country and around the world," said Michael A. Cawley, president and chief executive officer of the Noble Foundation. "This survey reaffirms the Noble Foundation commitment to our research and to our researchers. We have the best postdocs from around the world, and we strive to provide them the means to succeed both during and after their time here."

Postdocs are typically defined as non-tenured scientists with a doctoral degree, many of whom have recently graduated. Postdocs typically spend three years at a research institution after graduation, gaining valuable experience. The Noble Foundation employs 61 postdocs from more than 15 different countries to conduct research at the institution's 800-acre campus in Ardmore, Okla. Noble Foundation scientists provide training and mentorship to help postdocs establish their careers and become independent scientific investigators or university faculty.

"When postdocs look for the best possible destination to advance their research and propel their careers, they look for an organization with a solid research reputation, strong mentors and quality facilities," said Richard Dixon, D. Phil., senior vice president and director of the Plant Biology Division. "The Noble Foundation has the rare combination of these qualities, making it a launching pad for the careers of many high-achieving postdocs."

Each fall, The Scientist magazine conducts a Web-based survey, gathering thousands of responses from postdocs at more than 90 institutions in the United States. Participants were asked to rate their institution on 43 criteria in 11 core areas that make up their institutional environment.

The Noble Foundation received its top scores for:

• training and mentoring;
• quality of communication;
• networking opportunities;
• generously funding postdoc research programs; and
• the quality of the infrastructure.

"Institutions would do well to listen to the intellectual and personal needs of their postdocs. There's a small army of great postdocs behind every high-achieving scientist," says Associate Editor Edyta Zielinska, who oversees the Best Places surveys. "Our survey is one of the few in the world to give postdocs a place to voice their concerns. And it highlights the institutions that do the most to nurture talented fellows."

The Noble Foundation topped such recognized research organizations as the Mayo Clinic, the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes for Health, the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, and the J. David Gladstone Institutes, as well as dozens of universities, including Princeton University, Vanderbilt University and the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.

"When you look at the top 40 institutions in this survey and you see so many outstanding organizations, it makes you realize the Noble Foundation is among the very elite research organizations," said Joe Bouton, Ph.D., senior vice president and director of the Forage Improvement Division. "We're proud of the science we're conducting here. We believe it is some of the best in the world because we have such talented researchers and postdocs."  

The Scientist magazine released the results of its eighth annual survey today in anticipation of the publication's March issue.

For media inquiries concerning the Noble Foundation, please contact J. Adam Calaway, Director of Public Relations, at 580.224.6209 or by e-mail at [email protected].

The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Inc. (www.noble.org), headquartered in Ardmore, Okla., is an independent, nonprofit institute conducting plant science research, plant breeding and agricultural programs to enhance agricultural productivity, which influences agriculture regionally, nationally and internationally. The Noble Foundation also provides grants to nonprofit charitable, educational and health care organizations.

SOURCE The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation