Officer grants made in 2001 enabled both San Jose State University and San Diego State University, two of the 23 campuses of the California State University (CSU) system, to expand their master's programs by developing two-year professional science master's (PSM) degrees in selected fields. A subsequent grant to CSU supported an exploration of the potential for PSM degrees throughout the state university system. The current grant supports a large expansion of PSM degree programs in the system. CSU will launch at least a dozen new professional master's degree tracks on eight campuses and will graduate about 150 students per year. The system is making plans to double this number in the long run. Nine of the twelve new programs will be in biomedical sciences. Each program will have an industry advisory board and involve internships and courses outside the sciences designed to improve managerial and professional skills in fields such as business and law. Grant funds will be used to help cover start-up costs of programs and part of the salaries of three coordinators who will help those CSU campuses with PSM degree programs to address common challenges, such as recruiting students, branding and publicizing programs, and arranging internships with employers. Since the system does not offer doctorates in the sciences, CSU's faculty members welcome the opportunities offered by the new programs to teach more advanced students and also for opening contacts with industries. In fact, this project has support throughout the system, including not only faculty but also administrators at the various campuses and in the chancellor's office. Project Directors: Keith O. Boyum, Associate Vice Chancellor, Academic Affairs; Thomas R. Scott, Vice President for Research, San Diego State University; Faramarz Valafar, Associate Professor of Computer Science, San Diego State University.

The National Governors Association (NGA) is made up of the 55 Governors of the 50 States and the Territories of American Samoa, Guam, and the Virgin Islands and the Commonwealths of the Northern Marianna Islands and Puerto Rico. The elected NGA chair this year, Governor Janet Napolitino (D-AZ), has chosen "Innovation America" as her "Chair's Initiative" theme, a topic that suggests a possible role for discussion of professional science master's (PSM) degrees. The NGA staff is familiar with the PSM degree initiative as a result of support from a Foundation officer grant of a 2005 workshop and an Issue Brief on the PSM degree program. The current grant supports a two-year effort to focus substantial attention on the role of PSM degree programs as a tool for developing a competitive workforce that is closely linked to the key science and engineering industries of each state and region. The NGA will devote part of its planned 2007 National Forum on the Role of Postsecondary Education in an Innovative Economy to the professional science master's degree. These degree programs will also be a part of the planned NGA publication, Governor's Guide to Creating 21st Century Postsecondary Systems. The NGA will organize and host a separate Policy Academy for a selected group of state policy directors, designed to inform them of the details and potential benefits of the PSM degree program and to identify concrete approaches to help launch or expand such master's degree programs within their states. Project Director: Stephen Crawford, Director, Economic and Workforce Programs.

To establish a national association of individuals involved in advancing professional science master's degrees. Project Director: Professor Jung Choi, Department of Biology.

To strengthen the educational program of the Michigan Center for Industrial and Applied Mathematics, including its professional science master's degree. Project Director: Professor Gang Bao, Department of Mathematics.