Measuring the 21st Century Science and Engineering Workforce Population

The National Science Foundation's National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES), one of the nation's principal statistical agencies, is charged to collect, acquire, analyze, report, and disseminate statistical data related to the science and engineering enterprise in the United States and other nations that is relevant and useful to practitioners, researchers, policymakers, and to the public. NCSES data, based primarily on several flagship surveys, have become the major evidence base for American science and technology policy, and the agency is well respected globally for these data. This report assesses and provides guidance on NCSES's approach to measuring the science and engineering workforce population in the United States. It also proposes a framework for measuring the science and engineering workforce in the next decade and beyond, with flexibility to examine emerging issues related to this unique population while at the same time allowing for stability in the estimation of key trends Table of Contents Front Matter Summary 1 Introduction and Framework for the Future 2 Background on the Surveys 3 Evolving Data Needs 4 Sample Design and Estimation Procedures 5 Data Collection and Processing 6 Data Analysis, Dissemination, and Outreach References Appendix A Figures and Tables in the 2016 Science and Engineering Indicators Report That Use Data from the Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering, the Survey of Earned Doctorates, the National Survey of College Graduates, and the Survey of Doctorate Recipients Appendix B Questionnaire Content Crosswalk National Survey of College Graduates, Survey of Doctorate Recipients, Survey of Earned Doctorates, and Early Career Doctorates Survey Appendix C Workshop on Data Needs Agenda Appendix D Potential Uses of Unemployment Insurance Earnings Data to Enhance Longitudinal Data Appendix E Biographical Sketches of Panel Members and Staff