Energy and Environment
Background
The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation believes that much could be gained from an improved understanding of the U.S. Science and Engineering (S&E) work force in relation to the domestic and international labor markets in which it operates. These subjects have long attraxcted a gread deal of rhetorical and political commentary, yet objective research attention has been limited by the difficulty of obtaining needed grant funding. The Foundation wishes especially to encourage proposals that focus on the complex nexus between the U.S. science and engineering work force and international migration.
Our reasons for inviting proposals on these topics are as follows. Available data indicate that nearly 7.4 million persons are engaged in S&E occupations, representing about 5% of civilian U.S. work force of 147 million. Though a rather small percentage of the total, this S&E work force is very highly skilled, and many are engaged in leading-edge R&D activities that are critical to the future economic well-being of the United States. In addition, a similar percentage of U.S. workers have earned at least bachelor's degrees in S&E fields but are employed in non-S&E occupations; rather little is known about this latter category.
Depending on the number and quality of proposals received, this grant program will provide up to six research awards. Awardees will be selected on the basis of recommendations by a peer review committee of leading researchers. Projects of up to two years in length will be considereed. Proposed budgets requested cannot exceed a total of $45,000, though we expect that most successful submissions will be smaller than this ceiling. NO overhead or indirect cost deductions are allowed; requested funds should be allocated entirely to the proposed research efforts.
We understand that grants of this size will not be sufficient to support substantial levels of original data collection. However, we encourage applicants to consider creative ways to make use of existing datasets such as those produced by the National Science Foundation, as well as of new and very large datasets emerging from the American Community Survey and the New Immigrant Survey.