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This report presents an overview of research and development (R&D) in science and engineering (S&E) fields performed at institutions of higher education in the United States, including historical trends and recent patterns. The report first examines the financing and performance of R&D at universities based on patterns in funding and spending, then discusses the physical infrastructure required to enable and sustain academic R&D. The final section addresses the human resources engaged in academic R&D, particularly the graduate students and postdoctoral researchers (postdocs) who perform academic R&D under the supervision of faculty and full-time research personnel. [For "Academic Research and Development. Science & Engineering Indicators 2022. NSB-2021-3," see ED615448.]

The number of college graduates in the United States reached nearly 68.6 million in 2021, of which approximately 68 million had ever held a job, with nearly 52 million currently employed and 16 million not employed. Although the number of employed college graduates increased by 1.2 million (2.5%) between 2019 and 2021, the number of nonemployed college graduates increased by 2.5 million (17.9%). This large increase in nonemployment coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic and signals important changes in the labor market for college graduates. This InfoBrief provides an overview of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the college-educated workforce, drawing on new data from the National Survey of College Graduates (NSCG). In addition to collecting basic information on labor force status and earnings, the NSCG collects detailed information on reasons for nonemployment, access to various job benefits, participation in professional activities, and measures of job satisfaction. The 2021 cycle of the NSCG elicited additional information related to the pandemic, such as pandemic-related reasons for not working, presence of telework arrangements, and pandemic-related salary effects. Some of this information is highlighted below.

NSF's Eddie Bernice Johnson INCLUDES Initiative has released the Special Report to the Nation III -- Accelerating Collaborative, Systemic Change to Broaden Participation in STEM. The INCLUDES Initiative is catalyzing collaborative, systemic efforts to increase diversity and inclusion in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce on a broad, national scale. This report discusses how the INCLUDES Initiative will approach measuring systems change. It also includes project spotlights that showcase progress toward broadening participation outcomes for the INCLUDES Initiative. As the INCLUDES National Network continues to grow and strengthen toward its goal of a diverse, inclusive STEM enterprise, the report shares information on new projects and new opportunities to join the INCLUDES National Network.

Research and development spending by academic institutions totaled $89.9 billion in FY 2021, an increase of $3.4 billion (4.0%) from FY 2020 (table 1). R&D expenditures funded from federal sources accounted for $3.0 billion of the total increase. Federally funded R&D expenditures had not increased by $3 billion or more since FY 2011, when the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 supplemented the flow of R&D support dollars. University-funded R&D expenditures were 2.1% greater ($459 million) than in FY 2020 due largely to several institutions' improved accounting of internally funded R&D through new financial systems and reorganizations. Universities reported $149 million more in R&D expenditures funded from state and local governments, an increase of 3.2% from FY 2020. R&D expenditures funded by nonprofit organizations (-2.6%, -$150 million) and businesses (-1.3%, -$68 million) decreased, while R&D funded by all other sources was virtually flat (0.2% increase, $6 million increase). The data discussed in this report are from the Higher Education Research and Development (HERD) Survey, sponsored by the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES) within the National Science Foundation (NSF). For more information on the survey, see "Data Sources, Limitations, and Availability." [Data Sources, Limitations, and Availability is a section within this report.]

The educational pathways of doctorate recipients in the United States differ in many ways by race and ethnicity. Despite steady growth in educational attainment, Blacks, Hispanics, and American Indians and Alaska Natives (AIANs) remain underrepresented among U.S. bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree recipients. The persistence of this imbalance has driven greater investment in initiatives focused on closing these gaps and the identification of best practices within successful academic programs. Extending prior analyses, this InfoBrief examines the baccalaureate origins of doctorate recipients from 2010-20 by citizenship status, race, and ethnicity. Black, Hispanic, and AIAN doctorate recipients from 2010-20 disproportionately earned a bachelor's degree from minority-serving institutions, underscoring the importance of these colleges and universities for enhancing the diversity of the U.S. research enterprise. Although most Black and Hispanic doctorate recipients earned a bachelor's degree from public colleges and universities, a higher proportion of Black and Hispanic students with undergraduate degrees from private colleges and universities went on to earn a research doctorate.

The COVID-19 pandemic triggered considerable shifts in enrollment patterns for both U.S. citizens and permanent residents and temporary visa-holding graduate students within science, engineering, and health (SEH) fields during the fall 2020. After 3 years of relative stability, full-time enrollment of temporary visa holders in SEH master's programs declined. First-time, full-time temporary visa holder enrollment was much lower in 2020 than 2019, with just over 25,000 fewer master's students and almost 6,000 fewer doctoral students starting in 2020 than in 2019. At the same time, enrollment of U.S. citizens and permanent residents continued to increase. Specifically, the number of U.S. citizens and permanent residents enrolled in full-time master's programs increased by about 13,600, and part-time master's enrollment increased a similar amount, about 13,400, between 2019 and 2020. These and other findings in this report are from the 2020 GSS, with comparisons to data from 2017 to 2019. Data from the GSS provide insight into the composition of the current and future science and engineering workforce by collecting data on graduate students, postdocs, and nonfaculty researchers (NFRs) in SEH fields.

NSF's new Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2022-2026 was released on March 28, 2022. To achieve NSF's vision of "A nation that leads the world in science and engineering research and innovation, to the benefit of all, without barriers to participation," the Plan lays out four strategic goals. The first, "Empower STEM talent to fully participate in science and engineering," aims to accelerate the advancement of discovery and learning and, in a world in which work is increasingly reliant upon scientific and technological skills, ensure that all citizens share in the benefits that flow from research. NSF will promote inclusion in the research community and STEM workforce, access to STEM learning and training, and widespread STEM literacy. The second strategic goal, "Create new knowledge about our universe, our world and ourselves," aims to advance knowledge through investments in ideas, people, and infrastructure, and to advance the practice of research. The third strategic goal, "Benefit society by translating knowledge into solutions," focuses on delivering benefits from research by advancing discovery and accelerating innovation that address societal challenges, as well as cultivating a global S&E community based on shared values and strategic cooperation. The fourth goal, "Excel at NSF operations and management," includes strategies to attract, retain, and empower a talented and diverse workforce and continually to improve agency operations. NSF's new Strategic Plan lays out a vision for accelerating research and innovation. The Plan includes examples of discoveries that NSF-supported researchers have made, and the impacts these have had on the Nation's economy and well-being. It also includes examples of exciting new opportunities for research at the frontiers of science and engineering. With the support of the American people, NSF-funded researchers will continue to transform the world with their ingenuity and creativity, providing new knowledge and innovations that will propel our economy and enhance our lives. [Cover title varies: "U.S. National Science Foundation 2022-2026 Strategic Plan." For "Building the Future: Investing in Discovery and Innovation--NSF Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years (FY) 2018-2022," see ED594467.]

Baccalaureate education plays a key role in the educational pathways of research doctorate recipients. Most doctoral students earning research doctorates in the United States received their baccalaureate from institutions in the Carnegie Classification group R1: doctoral universities (very high research activity) or from foreign academic institutions. However, on a per capita basis, more graduates from Carnegie-classified baccalaureate colleges: arts and sciences focus earn a doctoral degree in science and engineering (S&E) than their peers at other types of Carnegie Classification of institutions. This InfoBrief examines the top producing baccalaureate-origin institutions of research doctorate recipients in S&E and non-S&E fields over the past decade.

This report provides an overview of science and engineering (S&E) higher education in the United States, including trends over time and comparisons with other nations. S&E fields, as defined in this report, include astronomy, chemistry, physics, atmospheric sciences, earth sciences, ocean sciences, mathematics and statistics, computer sciences, agricultural sciences, biological sciences, psychology, social sciences, and engineering. At the doctoral level, the medical and health sciences are included under S&E because the doctoral-level data correspond to the doctor's-research/scholarship degree level, which includes research-focused degrees but excludes professional practice degrees such as Doctor of Medicine. The first section of this report provides overall information on the U.S. higher education system, with special emphasis on several types of institutions: research universities, minority-serving institutions (MSIs), and community colleges. It includes a sidebar focused on preliminary data on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on higher education. This section also provides information on sources of aid for undergraduate S&E education, with a focus on the federal government's role. The second section looks at national trends over time in S&E degree awards at the undergraduate and graduate levels, highlighting patterns by field. The third section focuses on the demographic attributes of S&E degree recipients, including sex, race, and ethnicity. It examines trends by degree level and field. The final section focuses on international S&E higher education. This section provides data on students on temporary visas who study or earn degrees in the United States, with special emphasis on the sharp decline in international students that resulted from the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. It also benchmarks the United States with other nations in terms of S&E degrees awarded. [SRI International, Center for Innovation Strategy and Policy, assisted with preparation of this report.]

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted the ability of colleges and universities to hold in-person classes and conduct vital research. After closures in March 2020, and the transition to largely online studies to complete the academic year, U.S. educational institutions made difficult decisions regarding how to hold classes in the fall 2020 semester. To understand the pandemic's effects on graduate science, engineering, and health (SEH) education, the 2020 Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering (GSS) included a COVID Impact Module. The module included questions about the pandemic's influence on institutional practices related to doctoral funding, time-to-degree completion, and postdoctoral appointees (postdocs) and nonfaculty researchers (NFRs). These questions provide valuable information about the institutional changes related to graduate students, postdocs, and NFRs. This InfoBrief presents data collected in the COVID Impact Module of the National Science Foundation--National Institutes of Health (NSF-NIH) 2020 GSS, fielded at the end of the fall 2020 semester or quarter. The GSS coordinators responded to the module before completing the standard GSS, answering a series of questions about changes in policies and student counts as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Key findings relate to graduate (i.e., master's and doctoral) enrollment in SEH programs, doctoral funding and time-to-completion policies, and the employment of postdocs and NFRs.

This report summarizes key indicators that assess the status of the science and engineering (S&E) enterprise within the United States and that illustrate the U.S. global position in multiple aspects of the S&E enterprise. This includes information about the geographic distribution of S&E activities; science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) employment opportunities; geographic differences in STEM education; and the participation of demographic and socioeconomic groups in the S&E enterprise within the United States. This report provides high-level findings from detailed analyses in nine thematic reports that together make up "Science and Engineering Indicators 2022." The thematic reports rely on publicly available data, surveys performed by the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES) within the National Science Foundation (NSF), and surveys and analysis performed by a range of other federal and international organizations. Here, selected data from the nine reports are grouped into three major sections, and notes at the end of the report provide information about the specific reports that are the sources for each section. The first section describes the U.S. STEM education system from K-12 through doctoral level education and the STEM workforce, including the international composition of S&E degree-seeking students and the contribution of foreign-born workers. The second section is on R&D, which provides analysis of how various economic sectors fund and perform R&D activities and compares the United States to other top R&D-performing countries. This section also includes two sidebars: one on the revisions to the global R&D estimates and one on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the U.S. S&E enterprise. The final section focuses on outputs of the S&E enterprise to provide insight into how U.S. S&E contributes to global knowledge, innovation, and products of knowledge- and technology-intensive (KTI) industries. Highlighting the global nature of the use of these outputs, this section focuses on comparisons between the United States and other major contributing regions, countries, or economies. [SRI International, Center for Innovation Strategy and Policy, assisted with report preparation. For the previous edition of this report (2020), see ED604762.]

NSF INCLUDES (Inclusion Across the Nation of Communities of Learners of Underrepresented Discoverers in Engineering and Science) is a comprehensive national initiative designed to enhance U.S. leadership in discoveries and innovations by focusing on diversity, inclusion and broadening participation in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) at scale. This second NSF INCLUDES Report to the Nation which highlights the progress of the collective efforts to achieve more diversity in STEM. This report showcases the important work of NSF INCLUDES grantees; the lessons learned on building connections; and the corporate and federal partnerships that are empowering the national movement to broaden participation in STEM. What is uniquely bold about NSF INCLUDES is the focus on developing intentional collaboration and networks that are committed to common agendas and systemic approaches to solving specific STEM-inclusion challenges at a national scale.

In order to build a coherent body of work to inform evidence-based decision making, there is a need to increase the visibility and value of reproducibility and replication studies among education research stakeholders. The purpose of this companion to the "Common Guidelines" is to highlight the importance of these studies and provide crossagency guidance on the steps investigators are encouraged to take to promote corroboration, ensure the integrity of education research, and extend the evidence base. The companion begins with a brief overview of the central role of replication in the advancement of science, including definitions of key terminology for the purpose of establishing a common understanding of the concepts. The companion also addresses the challenges and implications of planning and conducting reproducibility and replication studies within education. [For "Common Guidelines for Education Research and Development," see ED544215.]

National Science Foundation's (NSF's) new Strategic Plan, "Building the Future: Investing in Discovery and Innovation--NSF Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years (FY) 2018-2022," was released on February 12, 2018. To achieve NSF's vision of "A Nation that is the global leader in research and innovation," the Plan lays out three strategic goals. The first, "Expand knowledge in science, engineering, and learning," is aligned with the first part of NSF's mission, "to promote the progress of science." It aims to advance knowledge through investments in ideas, people, and infrastructure, and to advance the practice of research. The second strategic goal, "Advance the capability of the Nation to meet current and future challenges," flows from the latter part of the NSF mission statement--"to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; to secure the national defense; and for other purposes." It focuses on societal impacts and the STEM workforce. The third goal, "Enhance NSF's performance of its mission," includes strategies to attract, retain, and empower a talented and diverse workforce, and to continually improve agency operations. NSF's new Strategic Plan lays out a vision for sustaining the momentum of discovery through research and innovation. The Plan includes examples of discoveries that NSF-supported researchers have made, and the impacts these have had on the Nation's economy and well-being. It also includes examples of exciting new opportunities for research at the frontiers of science and engineering. With the support of the American people, NSF-funded researchers will continue to transform the world with their ingenuity and creativity, providing new knowledge and innovations that will propel our economy and enhance our lives.

NSF INCLUDES is a comprehensive initiative to enhance U.S. leadership in science and engineering discovery and innovation by proactively seeking and effectively developing science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) talent from all sectors and groups in our society. By facilitating partnerships, communication and cooperation, NSF aims to build on and scale up what works in broadening participation programs to reach underserved populations nationwide.

NSF INCLUDES (Inclusion across the Nation of Communities of Learners of Underrepresented Discoverers in Engineering and Science) is a comprehensive national initiative designed to enhance U.S. leadership in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) discoveries and innovations by focusing on diversity, inclusion and broadening participation in these fields at scale. The vision of NSF INCLUDES is to catalyze the STEM enterprise to collaboratively work for inclusive change, which will result in a STEM workforce that reflects the diversity of the Nation. This publication describes the distinct collaborative components of NSF INCLUDES: Vision, Partnerships, Goals and Metrics, Leadership and Communication, and Potential for Expansion, Sustainability and Scale.

The National Science Foundation's (NSF) decades-long investment in science and engineering (S&E) research helped build the backbone of the U.S. scientific enterprise and transformed universities and colleges into centers of scientific innovation, creativity, knowledge and discovery. It also brought about the benefits of scientific discovery--new technologies, products and knowledge--that have fueled the economy, strengthened national security, enhanced the well-being of millions of Americans and shaped the nation as a world leader in science and technology. Today, NSF-funded research continues to advance the nation's prosperity, welfare and leadership. As these pages reflect, outcomes from basic research across multiple scientific disciplines are transforming entire industries, from transportation to computing to manufacturing and agriculture. Across--and among--its seven directorates, each one representing a broad field of science, engineering and education, NSF funds ideas that push the boundaries of innovation and productivity. With the power to transform daily life, from increasing crop yields to high-speed communication networks, these ideas are critical to moving the nation forward. Grants span all parts of the research and innovation pipeline, from fundamental research to transition to practice of research innovations. Researchers are encouraged to apply at all levels of their careers. Specific awards can assist young researchers with establishing their scientific and teaching trajectory--cementing research pathways that can transfer to commercial arenas.

This document reports on the proceedings of a meeting held June 16-17, 2016 in Arlington Virginia to identify key opportunities and challenges around the creation and use of open educational resources (OER). The meeting brought together different groups within the community of education researchers and practitioners to discuss the opportunities and challenges they face in the development and use of open educational resources OERs. After a short description of the background context for the meeting and its organization, there is a section on the major topical areas of discussion and the associated research questions and infrastructure needs identified by the attendees. The meeting allowed ample time for attendees to explore mutual areas of interest and to identify common issues regarding the use of OERs. Attendees honed in on six major themes: Professional Learning, Impact on Teaching, Impact on Learning, Policy and Procurement, Curation and Quality, and Accessibility. Small group discussions around each of these topics ensued. Specific research questions were offered for discussion for each topic area. The meeting included a time to hear from program officers about potential U.S. Department of Education (ED), Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS), and National Science Foundation (NSF) funding opportunities. Immediate feedback during and after the meeting was that all participants appreciated the opportunity to work with people they would not normally engage with to exchange ideas, issues, and opportunities. Looking forward, the areas of interest and research identified and articulated by participants in the workshop suggest the need for continued work and partnerships in these areas. In some cases, it was clear that there are specific research and implementation projects that would be the logical next step. In many others, it was clear that the next steps would be additional convenings, workshops or summits to focus more specifically in these areas. The paper concludes with a summary of potential next steps for the community. Appendixes include the final meeting agenda and a list of participants.

Graduate education plays a central role in advancing the Nation's science and engineering research enterprise. It is also increasingly the means by which the Nation develops a diverse and highly technical Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) professional workforce. The view that graduate education in STEM disciplines is an essential asset for achieving national priorities is one of the foundational principles for the "Federal STEM Education 5-Year Strategic Plan." The primary purpose of this Strategic Framework for Investments in Graduate Education is to state the Foundation's goals in supporting graduate education, and to formulate a set of strategic objectives that describe the ways that NSF plans to meet those goals. The first section of this framework describes the rationale for its creation and outlines the coordination strategy for its development and implementation. The next section discusses the importance of graduate STEM education to the Nation's scientific discovery and innovation. It presents the need to better prepare students for today's jobs and those of the future, and summarizes the primary challenges facing graduate education. The framework then presents three goals that serve as the foundation of the NSF investments in graduate education, along with a set of strategic objectives for these investments: (1) Advance Science and Engineering (S&E) Research; (2) Broaden Participation to Promote Excellence in Research and Build the Next Generation STEM Workforce; and (3) Build Effective Models of Graduate Education and Workforce Development. Five strategic objectives demonstrate how the Foundation will advance these goals over the next five years. The following are appended: (1) NSF Investments in Graduate Education; (2) Selected Contributing Programs for Strategic Objectives; and (3) Issues for Further Discussion.

The Science Indicators series was designed to provide a broad base of quantitative information about U.S. science, engineering, and technology for use by policymakers, researchers, and the general public. "Science and Engineering Indicators 2010" contains analyses of key aspects of the scope, quality, and vitality of the Nation's science and engineering enterprise in the context of global science and technology. The report presents information on science, mathematics, and engineering education at all levels; the scientific and engineering workforce; U.S. international research and development performance; U.S. competitiveness in high technology; and public attitudes and understanding of science and engineering. A chapter on state-level science and engineering presents state comparisons on selected indicators. An overview (Rolf F. Lehming) distills selected key themes emerging from the report. A list of chapters and their authors include: (1) Elementary and Secondary Mathematics and Science Education (Martha Naomi Alt, Xianglei Chen, Leslie Hall, Lawrence Burton); (2) Higher Education in Science and Engineering (Joan S. Burrelli,) (3) Science and Engineering Labor Force (Nirmala Kannankutty, Steven Proudfoot, Mark C. Regets); (4) Research and Development: National Trends and International Linkages (Mark Boroush, Francisco A. Moris, Raymond M. Wolfe); (5) Academic Research and Development (Ronda Britt, Joan S. Burrelli, Lawrence Burton, Leslie Christovich); (6) Industry, Technology, and the Global Marketplace (Derek Hill); (7) Science and Technology: Public Attitudes and Understanding (Jaquelina C. Falkenheim); and (8) State Indicators (Paula C. Dunnigan). Chapters contain individual references, and in some instances a glossary of terms. Appended are: (1) Methodology and Statistics; and (2) List of appendix tables.

This study investigates the effects of integrating literacy instruction with biology coursework on high school student learning. It would investigate the relationship between the growth in reading achievement and biology learning. It will target schools serving especially large populations of African American and Latino students. The project will include use a randomized experimental design with multiple measures of student learning, classroom observations, surveys, and interviews for validating quantitative results. The researchers have consulted research studies of reading practices. The project would create a professional development reading apprenticeship program to prepare teachers. Teachers will also be provided with funds to supplement their textbooks with science magazines, trade books, and fiction related to biology topics in the state curriculum frameworks. The study will occur in cities of California. Teachers will be assigned to immediate or delayed intervention randomly assigned to treatment and control groups.

This is a copy of the 2007 report prepared by the DOE/NSF Nuclear Science Advisory Committee in response to the charge from DOE and NSF to "conduct a study of the opportunities and priorities for U.S. nuclear physics research and recommend a long range plan that will provide a framework for coordinated advancement of the nation's nuclear science research programs over the next decade."