The info about the bill reauthorizing the NSF as having aspects of postdoc mentoring and reporting is very exciting to me. Your analysis of why the academy (I'm in it) is so slow to change due to internal considerations is accurate (although there are also other factors including changing the attitude of the administration re: valuing faculty activities related to postdocs). Having external considerations coming from NSF and hopefully, NIH, will give a big boost to those within the academy who want to make changes in postdoc mentoring and management. At the recent NPA meeting in Berkeley, in a personal discussion with Peter Preusch, NIH Training Officier, he expressed the opinion that federal agency oversight of postdoctoral mentoring and management of postdocs supported on research grants was not likely to happen soon. It's exciting that what is currently being considered in this regard is contrary to his perspective!