From: Ronald Wiltshire

Dear Fellow

As part of our ongoing effort to promote astronomy and space science to policymakers, I would very much like to obtain data on postgraduates in this area who have moved on to other fields. One of the RAS arguments has always been that the training provided by a PhD in astronomy is a valuable preparation for a whole range of careers. However, although a majority of postgraduates eventually make a move of this kind, we lack knowledge of where they go on to work. This information would be particularly helpful for the submission we are preparing for the Royal Society ‘Fruits of Curiosity’ inquiry into the future of UK science (see http://royalsociety.org/downloaddoc.asp?id=6496 for details).

So please accept my apologies for this request if you remain employed in the general area of astrophysics and space science (unless you happen to have contact with former postgraduates in this area who are willing to talk about how they benefitted from their PhD training). But if you are someone who once worked in the field but have now moved on to a different occupation we would very much like to hear from you.

If you are able to help, please contact me directly via rm@ras.org.uk. If you wish to give any information in confidence that is fine too – I will only link examples to names and organisations with the explicit permission of the contributor.

Regards and best wishes

Robert

Dr Robert Massey

Press and Policy Officer

Royal Astronomical Society

www.ras.org.uk [www.ras.org.uk]