# Presentation: 817911

## Attracting the Best and Brightest Minds to Science

- Geraldine Richmond
- University of Oregon

## Scientific Workforce Needs of the Future

- A strong scientific and engineering workforce is essential for maintaining U.S. leadership in a knowledge-driven world economy.
- The demand for physical scientists and engineers by the year 2010 will increase by 18% and 9% respectively.
- In the next 20 years, there will be a significant reduction in the scientific and engineering workforce due to retirements.

## Trends in U.S. Science, Technological, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Training

- The production of Ph.D. degrees has drastically decreased since the 1970s reaching its lowest level in 2001.*
- In the past decade, the number of U.S. science graduate students has decreased by:
- 	   26% in Physics;  19% in Mathematics; 10% in Chemistry.
- U.S. has had one of the lowest growths of Ph.D. degrees in engineering and natural sciences compared to other countries in the past decade.

- *normalized to the GNP

## Racial/Ethnic Distribution of U.S. STEM Workforce in 1997

- *Native American participation was less than 1%.  Source: Commission on the Advancement of Women and Minorities in Science, Engineering and Technology Dvelopment (2000).

## Population Projection for White, Non-Hispanic Males in the United States

- Population Projection for White, Non-Hispanic Males in the United States

- 26%

- 36%

- 1995

- 2050

- Source: Day, J. (1996) Population projections of the United States by age, sex, race and Hispanic origin: 1995 to 2050. Arlington, VA: U.S. Census Bureau.

## Bureau of the Census population projections for five ethnic and gender groups, ages 18 to 64 years.

- Year

- Fraction

- Source: Day, Jennifer Cheeseman, *Population Projections of the United States by Age, Sex, Race, and Hispanic Origin: 1995 to 2050*, U.S. Bureau of the Census, Current Population Reports, pp. 25-1130, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C.

## Earned B.S./B.A. degrees in science, technology and engineering fields by race/ethnicity, 1977 to 1995 (U.S. citizens and permanent residents).

- 0

- 50,000

- 100,000

- 150,000

- 200,000

- 250,000

- 300,000

- 350,000

- 400,000

- 450,000

- 1977

- 1979

- 1981

- 1985

- 1987

- 1989

- 1991

- 1993

- 1995

**Year**

**Degrees Earned**

**Total**

**Non-Hispanic white men**

**Non-Hispanic white women**

**Underrepresented minorities**

**Asians**

- Source: National Science Foundation, *Science and Engineering Degrees by Race/Ethnicity, 1977-1997,* NSF, Arlington, Va., 2000,

## Entry into science and engineering graduate work declines in 1997 (first-year enrollments at surveyed universities).

- 1st Year Enrollments

- Year

- African-Americans

- Hispanics

- Source: National Science Foundation/Division of Science Resource Studies, *Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering: Fall 1997*, NSF 99-325, NSF, Arlington, Va., Tables 27, 28, and 29.

## Calculated fraction of 22-year-olds receiving bachelor’s degrees in science and engineering if award rates of various groups remain constant.

- Year

- Percentage

- Source: Day, Jennifer Cheeseman, *Population Projections of the United States by Age, Sex, Race, and Hispanic Origin: 1995 to 2050*, U.S. Bureau of the Census, Current Population Reports, pp. 25-1130, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C.

## Slide 10

## Field

**Women as a percentage of employed doctoral scientists and engineers in universities and 4-**

**year colleges, by broad field of doctorate and academic rank:  1999**

**5.8**

**2.2**

**14.9**

**9.5**

**24.8**

**14.8**

**0**

**10**

**20**

**30**

**40**

**50**

**60**

**70**

**80**

**90**

**100**

**9.5**

**14.9**

**26.3**

**Computer and**

**mathematical**

**sciences **

** **

** **

**Physical and**

**related**

**sciences **

**Engineering **

**Field**

**Percentage female**

- Source:  National Science Foundation/Division of Science Resources Studies, 1999 Survey of Doctorate Recipients.

## Slide 12

## There is no solution until it is acknowledged that there is a problem.

- There is no solution until it is acknowledged that there is a problem.

- There is no solution without making workforce issues a priority.

## Science Workforce of 2018

- Best in the world.
- Mirrors the demographics of the country.
- Operates on a review process that is free of gender and ethnic bias.
- Receives wages that make it an attractive profession, particularly at the graduate student level.
- Works in an environment that supports achievement of both personal and professional goals.