Conclusion

By constituting the initial steps of a new scientist into a professional career, the postdoctorate has become a critical institution within the scientific enterprise. Thus, to strengthen and diversify the scientific and technical workforce and leadership in the United States, the postdoctoral experience must be a sustained focus of attention. The workshop discussed in this report provides an opportunity to enlist the assistance of the NSF in promoting positive change in the goals, nature, and outcomes of the postdoctoral experience.

As one workshop participant said, our goal must be to "honor the past, empower the present, and imagine the future." In doing so, the workshop participants hoped to create better opportunities for individuals and for the nation as a whole.