Measuring the Science and Engineering Enterprise Priorities for the Division of Science Resources Studies (2000) / Chapter Skim
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2 History and Assessment of SRS
2 History and Assessment of SRS
Pages 17-36
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From page 17... ...
As amended, it requires NSF: to provide a central clearinghouse for the collection, interpretation, and analysis of data on scientific and engineering resources, and to provide a source of information for policy formulation by other agencies of the federal government. These activities were initially carried out by staff in NSF's Office of the Director until the Division of Science Resources Studies (SRS)
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From page 18... ...
The Science anc} Engineering Indicators Program is responsible for coordinating SRS activities in support of the National Science Boarcts' biennial publication of Science arc! Engineering Indicators, as well as periodic reports on international comparisons for science and technology resources inclicators.
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From page 19... ...
This effort fed to the fielding, in 1957, of the NSF-funded Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED - now a staple of the SRS Human Resources Statistics program. The SED collects data on the field of study, demographic characteristics, educational history, and future plans of new doctorate recipients.
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From page 20... ...
, which improved the data quality and integration of the three surveys by modifying sample design, data collection procedures, and questionnaire content for each survey. SESTAT draws data from the National Survey of College Graduates (a postcensal survey)
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From page 21... ...
Bureau of Labor Statistics and uses data from surveys conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics, including the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) Completions Survey, the National Postsecondary Student Aid Survey, and the National Postsecondary Faculty Survey.
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From page 22... ...
recipients leads to the NRC's Doctorate Records Project 1950 Congress establishes the National Science Foundation and directs it to maintain the National Register of Scientific and Engineering Personnel (NRSEP) 1952 Federal Security Agency develops the NRSEP 1953 NSF talces responsibility for operating the NRSEP 1957 Doctorate Records Project establishes the annual Survey of Earned Doctorates with funding from NSF and other agencies 1962 NSF and other agencies sponsor the Postcensal Manpower Survey 1966 Annual Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering established 1966 National Center for Education Statistics begins Completions Survey as part of its Higher Education General Information Survey 1968 Start of trend data available on Immigrant Scientists and Engineers from INS records 1970 Last registration for the National Register of Scientific and Engineering Personnel (NRSEP)
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From page 23... ...
The same year, NSF conducted the first of six occasional surveys of R&D performance by nonprofit institutions. In 1954, NSF conducted the first of three occasional smallscale surveys of R&D at major universities.
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From page 24... ...
The annual Survey of Federal Funds for Research and Development collects information about the characteristics and geographic distribution of all federal R&D funding from the approximately ~ 00 federal agencies and subagencies that obligate funds for R&D. The annual Survey of Federal Support to Universities, Colleges, and Nonprofit Institutions collects information about federal obligations to individual academic and nonprofit institutions by the ~ 5 federal agencies that provide virtually all federal R&D hinds to academic institutions.
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From page 25... ...
Further work to improve comparability even the integration-of these surveys would improve their analytic value. Evolution of the Data Collection Activities of the SRS Research and Development Statistics Program 1953 The Bureau of Labor Statistics conducts the first Survey of Industrial Research and Development 1953 Establishment of Survey of Federal Funds for Research and Development 1953 SRS conducts the first of six occasional surveys of R&D performance by nonprofit institutions (the last collected 1973 data)
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From page 26... ...
1990 Congress requires NSF to maintain Master List of FFRDCs (Federally Funded Research and Development Centers) 1991 Industrial Panel on Science & Technology discontinued 1992 National Survey of Academic Research Instruments and Instrumentation Needs becomes biennial 1992 Sample design for the Survey of Industrial Research and Development revised to better capture R&D performed by small and non-manufacturing firms 1994 Bureau of the Census conducts a pilot innovation survey of 1,000 companies for SRS 1995 Survey of Federal Funds and Survey of Federal Support first provide data on the Department of Defense's Science and Technology budget 1997 Formal collection of the Survey of Academic Research Instrumentation and Instrumentation Needs suspended 1998 SRS fields the Survey of Science and Engineering R&D Funding and Performance by Nonprofit Organizations (last conducted in 1973)
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From page 27... ...
. Detailed Statistical Tables: reports containing an extensive collection of tabulated data from each of SRS's surveys Data Briefs and Issue Briefs: short reports highlighting results from recent surveys and analyses Periodic reports, such as Science arid Engineering Indicators; National Patterns of R&D Resources; Women, Minorities, and Persons With Disabilities in Science and Engineering; and International Science ant!
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From page 28... ...
Staff in this program conduct analyses for the biennial Science anc! Engineering Inclicators and for publication in topical Issue Briefs.
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From page 29... ...
The contents ofthe 1998 volume are outlined in Box 2-5. Assessing SRS Data collection activities at NSF have grown over the last half century into the Division of Science Resources Studies a small federal statistical agency with a range of programs centered on the topic of science and engineering resources.
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From page 30... ...
and International Research and Development: Funds and Alliances National Trends in R&D Expenditures R&D Patterns by Sector Inter-Sector and Intra-Sector Partnerships and Alliances Government R&D Support International Comparisons of National R&D Trends Chapter 5: Academic Research and Development: Financial and Personnel Resources, Integration With Graduate Education, and Outputs Financial Resources for Academic R&D Academic Doctoral Scientists and Engineers Integration of Research with Graduate Education Outputs of Scientific and Engineering Research Chapter 6: Industry, Technology, and Competitiveness in the Marketplace U.S. Technology in the Marketplace International Trends in Industrial R&D Patented Inventions Venture Capital and High-Technology Enterprise New High-Tech Exporters Summary: Assessment of U.S.
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From page 31... ...
Census Bureau. In general, NSF should see SRS as a federal statistical agency and should support the division in its efforts to meet fully those standards for statistical agencies regarding independence, professional staffing, data quality, and data analysis.
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From page 32... ...
Data Quality The Committee on National Statistics specifies that to assure commitment to data quality a federal statistical agency should: .
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From page 33... ...
New hires in HRS and RDS should have strong skills in statistical methods and subject matter knowledge. New hires in the Indicators or Integrated Studies programs should have strong analytical skills, subject matter knowledge, and the ability to draw on diverse data to provide meaningful analyses of science and engineering resources.
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From page 34... ...
To achieve this, SRS must strengthen its dialogue and interactions with policymakers, academic researchers and other data users to capitalize on their insights, expertise, and analytic capabilities. Means for accomplishing this include establishing advisory committees for each survey; holding a series of workshops on emerging issues in the science and engineering enterprise; improving outreach with constituent groups; more purposeful dissemination of publications; and the promotion of data use through easier access to data and programs to more deeply involve external researchers in SRS data analysis.
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From page 35... ...
Data Linkages The Committee on National Statistics states that an effective statistical agency promotes data linkages in order to enhance the value of data sets and their analytic power (NRC ~ 992~. SRS's portfolio of data collection activities has grown over the past half century as individual surveys have been established to provide information on specific pieces of the science and engineering enterprise.
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From page 36... ...
As noted above, we also urge SRS to engage outside experts and researchers in research activities using SRS data. The division has not realized the potential benefits of more fully interacting with outside researchers and leveraging their expertise.
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