As a recipient of federal funding, ODU is required to participate in the annual Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED), conducted by National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Department of Education. It gathers information from approximately 50,000 new doctoral research graduates each year to assist with policymaking at the federal, state and local levels. Identifying information provided by individuals remains confidential and is protected by the Privacy Act of 1974 and the U.S National Science Foundation (NSF) Act of 1050, as amended. The survey data are reported in aggregate form. For instance, the National Science Foundation published the Doctorate Recipients from U.S. Universities report in 2024 based on this data.
Visit the SED homepage to learn more about the SED, including the purpose and use and confidentiality and privacy. The Survey of Earned Doctorates Brochure also provides a brief overview.
How to Take the Survey
- Register for the SED with a valid email address. You will receive a confirmation email with your PIN and password.
- Use the credentials received to access the survey. Complete the current SED questionnaire. The survey should take no more than 20 minutes to complete.
- You will receive a certificate by email, which will also be sent to the ODU Graduate School.
Should you have any questions about the survey or require assistance, please reach out to the SED help desk at sed@rti.org or (877) 256-8167.
Thank You!
Thank you in advance for completing the SED! Doing so is a service to the university, your department, your peers, and future doctoral students. This survey is completed by over 90% of doctoral students in research programs in the US, and we want ODU to be well-represented.