2009 Reports

Employment and Funding in Astronomy

Seth, Anil; Agüeros, Marcel Andre; Covey, Kevin; Danner, Rolf; Jang-Condell, Hannah; Metcalfe, Travis; Modjaz, Maryam; Rasio, Fred; Redfield, Seth; Sheth, Kartik; Waller, William; West, Andrew; Yoachim, Peter

Prior astronomy decadal surveys have been an effective tool for defining our science program, why it is necessary, when it should be accomplished, and how it will need to be done. But it has not to date included a determination of who will be needed to do it – how many graduate students, postdocs, instrument builders, software engineers, and faculty are required. The primary goal of this white paper is to advocate for a discussion of the astronomical employment picture in the current decadal survey. We present a current picture of astronomy employment, then consider how federal funding affects that employment. We then discuss how the current employment demographics could be changed to benefit the field. We finish with recommendations for data that the decadal survey should collect and a few suggestions to promote an effective and sustainable workforce.