Science and Engineering Work Force
History
The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation’s program on the Science and Engineering Work Force was established in 2001 when the Foundation funded the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) to create a national network of leading labor economists, scientists, mathematicians, policy experts and historians. In 2006 the project expanded into a joint program between NBER, Harvard University, and other Boston-area universities. Today the Science and Engineering Workforce Project at the National Bureau of Economic Research provides government, business, and labor with objective and timely analyses of scientific work force issues.
In 2003 a small grant to the Commission on Professionals in Science and Technology produced the report The Outlook in 2003 for Information Technology Workers in the USA. This analysis builds on a series of previously published reports and provides detailed trends in the information technology work force, including an understanding of the effects of recession, immigration, higher education, and outsourcing. A subsequent grant is providing for a novel portrait of the science and engineering work force by tapping into Bureau of Labor Statistics data that had not previously been used for this purpose.
A 2003 RAND Corporation workshop to identify data and analytic methods necessary to assess claims of shortages or surpluses in the science and engineering work force was funded jointly with the White House Office of Science and Technology . The U.S. Scientific and Technological Workforce: Improving Data for Decision Making provides a comprehensive report on the workshop.
An improved understanding of Ph.D. programs, postdoctoral study and the careers in science and engineering has been achieved through a highly successful Web-based survey of more than 32,000 Ph.D. students and recent graduates. This Alfred P. Sloan Foundation-funded experimental survey proved so successful it led to a 2003 grant to Sigma Xi for development and implementation of the Sigma Xi Postdoctoral Survey Project. This project allows institutions to better understand the factors that contribute to productive experiences and enables benchmarking of policies and practices among peer institutions.
A 2002 grant to the American Association for the Advancement of Science led to the development of the National Postdoctoral Association, which has become an influential organization of young scientists who advise science funding agencies and higher education organizations.