National Academies Press: OpenBook

Graduate STEM Education for the 21st Century (2018)

Chapter: Front Matter

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2018. Graduate STEM Education for the 21st Century. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25038.
×

GRADUATE
STEM EDUCATION
FOR THE
21ST CENTURY

Alan Leshner and Layne Scherer, Editors

Committee on Revitalizing Graduate STEM Education
for the 21st Century

Board on Higher Education and Workforce

Policy and Global Affairs

A Consensus Study Report of

images

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS
Washington, DC
www.nap.edu

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2018. Graduate STEM Education for the 21st Century. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25038.
×

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS 500 Fifth Street, NW Washington, DC 20001

This activity was supported by contracts between the National Academy of Sciences, the National Science Foundation (1642408), the Institute of Education Sciences (R305U160001), the Burroughs Wellcome Fund (103932-4031), and the Spencer Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of any organization or agency that provided support for the project.

International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-309-47273-9
International Standard Book Number-10: 0-309-47273-3
Library of Congress Control Number: 2018941720
Digital Object Identifier: https://doi.org/10.17226/25038

Additional copies of this publication are available for sale from the National Academies Press, 500 Fifth Street, NW, Keck 360, Washington, DC 20001; (800) 624-6242 or (202) 334-3313; http://www.nap.edu.

Copyright 2018 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.

Printed in the United States of America

Suggested citation: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2018. Graduate STEM Education for the 21st Century. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: https://doi.org/10.17226/25038.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2018. Graduate STEM Education for the 21st Century. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25038.
×

Image

The National Academy of Sciences was established in 1863 by an Act of Congress, signed by President Lincoln, as a private, nongovernmental institution to advise the nation on issues related to science and technology. Members are elected by their peers for outstanding contributions to research. Dr. Marcia McNutt is president.

The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences to bring the practices of engineering to advising the nation. Members are elected by their peers for extraordinary contributions to engineering. Dr. C. D. Mote, Jr., is president.

The National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine) was established in 1970 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences to advise the nation on medical and health issues. Members are elected by their peers for distinguished contributions to medicine and health. Dr. Victor J. Dzau is president.

The three Academies work together as the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to provide independent, objective analysis and advice to the nation and conduct other activities to solve complex problems and inform public policy decisions. The National Academies also encourage education and research, recognize outstanding contributions to knowledge, and increase public understanding in matters of science, engineering, and medicine.

Learn more about the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine at www.nationalacademies.org.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2018. Graduate STEM Education for the 21st Century. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25038.
×

Image

Consensus Study Reports published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine document the evidence-based consensus on the study’s statement of task by an authoring committee of experts. Reports typically include findings, conclusions, and recommendations based on information gathered by the committee and the committee’s deliberations. Each report has been subjected to a rigorous and independent peer-review process and it represents the position of the National Academies on the statement of task.

Proceedings published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine chronicle the presentations and discussions at a workshop, symposium, or other event convened by the National Academies. The statements and opinions contained in proceedings are those of the participants and are not endorsed by other participants, the planning committee, or the National Academies.

For information about other products and activities of the National Academies, please visit www.nationalacademies.org/about/whatwedo.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2018. Graduate STEM Education for the 21st Century. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25038.
×

COMMITTEE ON REVITALIZING GRADUATE STEM EDUCATION FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

Members

ALAN LESHNER (Chair) [NAM], Chief Executive Officer, Emeritus, American Association for the Advancement of Science

SHERILYNN BLACK, Assistant Professor of the Practice, Medical Education; Associate Vice Provost for Faculty Advancement; and Co-Principal Investigator, Duke University BioCoRE Program, Duke University

MARY SUE COLEMAN [NAM], President, Association of American Universities

JAIME CURTIS-FISK, Scientist and STEM Education Advocate, Dow Chemical Company

KENNETH GIBBS, JR., Program Director, National Institute of General Medical Sciences

MAUREEN GRASSO, Professor of Textile Sciences and Former Graduate School Dean, North Carolina State University

SALLY F. MASON, President Emerita, University of Iowa

MARY MAXON, Associate Laboratory Director for Biosciences, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

SUZANNE ORTEGA, President, Council of Graduate Schools

CHRISTINE ORTIZ, Morris Cohen Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Founder, Station1

MELANIE ROBERTS, Director of State and Regional Affairs, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

HENRY SAUERMANN, Associate Professor of Strategy and Peter Pühringer Chair in Entrepreneurship, European School of Management and Technology, Berlin; Research Associate, National Bureau of Economic Research

BARBARA ANNA SCHAAL [NAS], Dean of Arts and Sciences and Professor, Washington University in St. Louis

SUBHASH SINGHAL [NAE], Battelle Fellow and Fuel Cells Director, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

KATE STOLL, Senior Policy Advisor, MIT Washington Office

JAMES M. TIEN [NAE], Distinguished Professor and Dean Emeritus, University of Miami College of Engineering

KEITH R. YAMAMOTO [NAM, NAS], Vice Chancellor for Science Policy and Strategy, Director of Precision Medicine, and Professor of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2018. Graduate STEM Education for the 21st Century. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25038.
×

Study Staff

LAYNE SCHERER, Study Director

THOMAS RUDIN, Director, Board on Higher Education and Workforce

ADRIANA NAVIA COUREMBIS, Financial Officer

TOM ARRISON, Program Director, Policy and Global Affairs

JAY LABOV, Senior Advisor for Education and Communication

BARBARA NATALIZIO, Program Officer, Board on Higher Education and Workforce

MARIA LUND DAHLBERG, Program Officer, Board on Higher Education and Workforce

YASMEEN HUSSAIN, Christine Mirzayan Science and Technology Policy Fellow and Associate Program Officer, Board on Higher Education and Workforce (January to July 2017)

ELIZABETH GARBEE, Christine Mirzayan Science and Technology Policy Fellow, Board on Higher Education and Workforce (January to April 2018)

IRENE NGUN, Research Associate

AUSTEN APPLEGATE, Senior Program Assistant

ALLISON L. BERGER, Senior Program Assistant

JAIME COLMAN, Senior Program Assistant (through November 2017)

FREDERIC LESTINA, Senior Program Assistant

Consultants

JOSEPH ALPER, Writer

MARGARET BLUME-KOHOUT, Visiting Professor in Economics, Colgate University

JENNIFER LEBRÓN, Doctoral Student, Higher Education and International Education, George Mason University

JESSICA ROBLES, Senior Research Associate, Research Triangle International

ROBIN WISNIEWSKI, Director of Education Systems Improvement, Research Triangle International

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2018. Graduate STEM Education for the 21st Century. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25038.
×

BOARD ON HIGHER EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE

Members

RICHARD K. MILLER (Chair) [NAE], President, Olin College of Engineering

LAWRENCE D. BOBO [NAS], W.E.B. Du Bois Professor of the Social Sciences, Department of Sociology, Harvard University

ANGELA BYARS-WINSTON, Professor of Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison

JAIME CURTIS-FISK, Scientist and STEM Education Advocate, Dow Chemical Company

APRILLE ERICSSON, Capture-Mission Manager, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

RICHARD FREEMAN, Herbert Ascherman Professor of Economics, Harvard University

PAUL J. LEBLANC, President, Southern New Hampshire University

SALLY F. MASON, President Emerita, University of Iowa

FRANCISCO RODRIGUEZ, Chancellor, Los Angeles Community College District

SUBHASH SINGHAL [NAE], Battelle Fellow Emeritus, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

KUMBLE R. SUBBASWAMY, Chancellor, University of Massachusetts Amherst

SHELLEY WESTMAN, Senior Vice President, Alliances & Field Operations, Protegrity

MARY WOOLLEY [NAM], President and CEO, Research! America

Board Staff

AUSTEN APPLEGATE, Senior Program Assistant

ASHLEY BEAR, Program Officer

LIDA BENINSON, Program Officer

ALLISON BERGER, Senior Program Assistant

JAIME COLMAN, Senior Program Assistant (Until December 2017)

MARIA LUND DAHLBERG, Program Officer

YASMEEN HUSSAIN, Associate Program Officer (January to July 2017)

LEIGH JACKSON, Senior Program Officer

FREDERIC LESTINA, Senior Program Assistant

BARBARA NATALIZIO, Program Officer

IRENE NGUN, Research Associate

LAYNE SCHERER, Program Officer

THOMAS RUDIN, Director

Page viii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2018. Graduate STEM Education for the 21st Century. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25038.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2018. Graduate STEM Education for the 21st Century. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25038.
×

Acknowledgments

The Committee on Revitalizing Graduate STEM Education for the 21st Century would like to acknowledge and thank the many people who made this study possible. First, we would like to acknowledge the support of the standing National Academies Board on Higher Education and Workforce (BHEW), which offered oversight for this study. Second, we would like to acknowledge that this report was informed by the efforts of many people who shared their data, insights, ideas, enthusiasm, and expertise with the committee. We would especially like to thank the following people (in alphabetical order), who presented at the open sessions of the committee’s meetings:

DAVID ASAI, Howard Hughes Medical Institute

ELIZABETH BACA, California Governor’s Office of Planning and Research

PATRICK BRENNWALD, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

THOMAS BROCK, National Center for Education Research

AMY CHANG, American Society for Microbiology

DONA CHIKARAISHI, Duke University (Emerita)

EARNESTINE PSALMONDS EASTER, National Science Foundation

DAVID FELDON, Utah State University

JOAN FERRINI-MUNDY, National Science Foundation

CHRIS GOLDE, Stanford University

CHRISTINE GRANT, North Carolina State University

JOSEPH GRAVES, North Carolina A&T University

CLAUDIA GUNSCH, Duke University

DAVE HARWELL, American Geophysical Union

SAMANTHA HINDLE, University of California, San Francisco

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2018. Graduate STEM Education for the 21st Century. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25038.
×

THEODORE HODAPP, American Physical Society

STEVEN HUNTER, IBM Fellow at North Carolina State University

YASMEEN HUSSAIN, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

DANA (KEOKI) JACKSON, Lockheed Martin

NIMMI KANNANKUTTY, National Science Foundation

JONATHAN KERSHAW, Purdue University

TRISH LABOSKY, National Institutes of Health

JULIA LANE, New York University

MICHAEL LIPPS, LexisNexis

SEAN MCCONNELL, University of Chicago

VICTORIA MCGOVERN, Burroughs Wellcome Fund

THOMAS MILLER, North Carolina State University

BARBARA NATALIZIO, AAAS Fellow, National Science Foundation

HIRONAO OKAHANA, Council of Graduate Schools

JASON OWEN-SMITH, Institute for Research on Innovation in Science

MARINA RAMON, Cabrillo College

MICHAEL RICHEY, The Boeing Company

NANCY SCHWARTZ, University of Chicago

DAVID SHAFER, North Carolina State University

BASSAM SHAKHASHIRI, University of Wisconsin–Madison

DEBRA STEWART, NORC

LINDA STRAUSBAUGH, Professional Science Master’s Association

LE TANG, ABB

CORY VALENTE, The Dow Chemical Company

KIMBERLY WEEMS, North Carolina Central University

BRUCE WEINBERG, Ohio State University

AYANNA BOYD WILLIAMS, North Carolina A&T University

The committee would like to thank the sponsors that made this study possible: the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Institute of Education Sciences, the Burroughs Wellcome Fund, and the Spencer Foundation. In addition, we would like to send our deep appreciation to our Program Officer Earnestine Easter (program director, NSF) and Joan Ferrini Mundy (assistant director for education and human resources, NSF, at the time of award and chief operating officer at time of publication).

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the generous hosts for the focus groups conducted by Research Triangle International: the American Indian Science and Engineering Society, Florida A&M University, South Dakota State University, Texas A&M University Corpus Christi, Texas A&M University Kingsville, and University of Northern Colorado. Additionally, we would like to thank all of the current and former participants and directors of the Institute

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2018. Graduate STEM Education for the 21st Century. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25038.
×

of Education Sciences’ Predoctoral Interdisciplinary Research Training Program who contributed their responses to our researcher, Ms. Jennifer Lebrón.

The committee would also like to thank all of those who took time to provide valuable feedback to the project during the information-gathering period. This includes individuals who attended conference sessions or meetings on the topic, who hosted us at their institutions, or who responded to the committee’s “Discussion Document and Call for Community Input.”

We would like to send our thanks to the hosts of our two regional meetings at North Carolina State University and the University of California, San Francisco.

The committee would like to acknowledge the work of the consultants who have contributed to the report: Dr. Margaret Blume-Kohout, Ms. Jennifer Lebrón, Dr. Jessica Robles, and Dr. Robin Wisniewski. The committee would also like to thank Daniel Bearss, Senior Researcher at the National Academies, for his fact-checking and research assistance. We would like to send our deepest thanks to our report writer, Joseph Alper, for his tremendous work on this report.

This Consensus Study Report was reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in making each published report as sound as possible and to ensure that it meets the institutional standards for quality, objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process.

We wish to thank the following individuals for their review of this report: Dianne Chong, Boeing Research and Technology (Retired); Jingsheng Cong, University of California, Los Angeles; Peter Fiske, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; Chris Golde, Stanford University; Beverly Hartline, Montana Tech; Kasia Grzebyk, University of North Carolina; Jonathan Kershaw, Purdue University; Philip Kutzko, University of Iowa; Deb Niemeier, University of California, Davis; Jennifer Pearl, American Association for the Advancement of Science; Julie Posselt, University of Southern California; Vassie Ware, Lehigh University; Hugh Welsh, DSM; and Carl Wieman, University of Colorado at Boulder.

Although the reviewers listed above provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions or recommendations of this report nor did they see the final draft before its release. The review of this report was overseen by John Dowling, Harvard University, and Catherine Kling, Iowa State University. They were responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with the standards of the National Academies and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content rests entirely with the authoring committee and the National Academies.

Finally, we thank the staff of this project for their valuable leadership, input, and support. Specifically, we would like to thank Program Officer and Study

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2018. Graduate STEM Education for the 21st Century. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25038.
×

Director, Layne Scherer; BHEW Director, Tom Rudin; Program Director, Tom Arrison; Senior Advisor, Jay Labov; Program Officer, Barbara Natalizio; Program Officer, Maria Dahlberg; Christine Mirzayan Science and Technology Fellow and Associate Program Officer, Yasmeen Hussain; Christine Mirzayan Science and Technology Fellow, Elizabeth Garbee; Research Associate, Irene Ngun; Senior Program Assistant, Austen Applegate; Senior Program Assistant, Allison Berger; Senior Program Assistant, Jaime Colman; and Senior Program Assistant, Frederic Lestina.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2018. Graduate STEM Education for the 21st Century. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25038.
×

2-10 Comparison of Master’s and Doctoral Degrees Awarded in STEM Disciplines, by White Students, in 2000 and 2015

2-11 Master’s and Doctoral Degrees Awarded to U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents, by Sex, Race, Ethnicity, and Broad Field Category in 2015

2-12 Comparison of Master’s Degrees Awarded in STEM Disciplines, by Citizenship Status, in 2000 and 2015

2-13 Comparison of Doctoral Degrees Awarded in STEM Disciplines, by Citizenship Status, in 2000 and 2015

4-1 Percent Distribution of STEM Master’s Degree Holders in Broad Employment Sectors, by Field, 2015

4-2 Selected STEM Occupations in Which Workers with a Master’s Degree Earned a Premium Over Workers with a Bachelor’s Degree, 2013

5-1 Tenure Status of STEM Doctorate Holders Employed in Academia, by Age: 1995 and 2015

5-2 Employment Sector of STEM Doctoral Degree Holders, by Field of Highest Degree, 2015

FIGURES

2-1 Graduate degrees awarded in STEM fields, by degree level, 2000-2015 selected years

2-2 Graduate degrees awarded in STEM fields, by degree level and gender, 2000-2015, selected years

2-3 Proportion of U.S. resident population, by race and or ethnicity, across age groups, in 2014

2-4 Master’s degrees awarded in STEM fields, by race and ethnicity, 2000-2015, selected years

2-5 Detail of master’s degrees awarded in STEM fields, for racial and ethnic minorities, 2000-2015, selected years

2-6 Doctoral degrees awarded in STEM fields, by race and ethnicity, 2000-2015, selected years

2-7 Detail of doctoral degrees awarded in STEM fields, for racial and ethnic minorities, 2000-2015, selected years

2-8 Graduate degrees awarded in STEM fields, by citizenship status, 2000-2015

3-1 Knowledge-doubling curve; “Internet of Things” or IoT Tipping Point refers to the anticipated acceleration of knowledge associated with widespread growth of the IoT

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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2018. Graduate STEM Education for the 21st Century. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25038.
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Abbreviations and Acronyms

AAAS American Association for the Advancement of Science
AAU Association of American Universities
AGEP Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate
AIAN American Indian and Alaska Native
BEST Broadening Experiences in Scientific Training program
BHEW Board on Higher Education and Workforce
BLS Bureau of Labor Statistics
CGS Council of Graduate Schools
COSEMPUP Committee on Science, Engineering, Medicine, and Public Policy
GRE Graduate Record Examinations
IES Institute of Education Sciences
IIE Institute of International Education
IoT Internet of Things
IRIS Institute for Research on Innovation and Science
LSAMP Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation program
MARC U-STAR Maximizing Access to Research Careers Undergraduate Student Training in Academic Research
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2018. Graduate STEM Education for the 21st Century. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25038.
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NCES National Center for Education Statistics
NCSES National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics
NIGMS National Institute of General Medical Sciences
NIH National Institutes of Health
NRSA National Research Service Award
NSF National Science Foundation
OPT Optional Practical Training Extension
PREP Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program
PSM Professional Science Master’s (degree)
RTI Research Triangle International
S&E science and engineering
SDR Survey of Doctorate Recipients
SED Survey of Earned Doctorates
SEI Science and Engineering Indicators
STEM science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
URM underrepresented minority
USCIS U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services
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Next: Summary »
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The U.S. system of graduate education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) has served the nation and its science and engineering enterprise extremely well. Over the course of their education, graduate students become involved in advancing the frontiers of discovery, as well as in making significant contributions to the growth of the U.S. economy, its national security, and the health and well-being of its people. However, continuous, dramatic innovations in research methods and technologies, changes in the nature and availability of work, shifts in demographics, and expansions in the scope of occupations needing STEM expertise raise questions about how well the current STEM graduate education system is meeting the full array of 21st century needs. Indeed, recent surveys of employers and graduates and studies of graduate education suggest that many graduate programs do not adequately prepare students to translate their knowledge into impact in multiple careers.

Graduate STEM Education for the 21st Century examines the current state of U.S. graduate STEM education. This report explores how the system might best respond to ongoing developments in the conduct of research on evidence-based teaching practices and in the needs and interests of its students and the broader society it seeks to serve. This will be an essential resource for the primary stakeholders in the U.S. STEM enterprise, including federal and state policymakers, public and private funders, institutions of higher education, their administrators and faculty, leaders in business and industry, and the students the system is intended to educate.

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