. "Attracting the Most Able US Students to Science and Engineering." Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 2007.
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Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future
pare for careers in S&E and to transfer to 4-year programs. Tax credits could be provided to companies or individuals who contribute to scholarship funds for S&E students.
Provide at least 5,000 portable graduate fellowships, each with a duration of up to 5 years, for training in emerging fields.29
Support prestigious fellowships for graduate study in S&E at US universities that would inspire the best US students in these fields. Though these grants should be linked to the student and therefore portable, an institutional component of each grant would spur competition for these students among institutions.
Provide graduate-student stipends competitive with opportunities in other venues.30
Substantially increase the number of undergraduate and graduate S&E students drawn from the “underrepresented majority.”31 Today, women, Blacks, Hispanics, American Indians, and persons with disabilities make up two-thirds of the US workforce but only 25% of the technical workforce.
Support a significant number of selective research assistant professorships in the natural sciences and engineering at universities.32 These would be highly competitive positions open to postdoctoral scholars who are US citizens or permanent residents. They would provide young and creative scholars with opportunities to pursue research of their own choosing even if they cannot secure positions at research institutions. This would expand the pool of good jobs in S&E in a way that would be expected to affect young people who are trying to decide whether to go to graduate school.
Develop prizes for research goals of particular national interest, such as curing AIDS or going into space cheaply. Such prizes can provide flexibility for the researchers striving to achieve them and inspire and educate the public in current research interests.33
29
Ibid.
30
National Science Board, 2003.
31
Building Engineering & Science Talent. The Talent Imperative, San Diego: BEST, 2004.
32
W. Zumeta and J. S. Raveling. “Attracting the Best and the Brightest.” Issues in Scienceand Technology (Winter 2002):36-40.
33
National Academy of Engineering. Concerning Federally Sponsored Inducement Prizes inEngineering and Science. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1999.
