Revitalizing Graduate STEM Education

National Academy Of Sciences, Washington DC

Investigators

Abstract

The National Academies will conduct a consensus study of the current state and effectiveness of graduate education in the United States. The project will be led by the Board on Higher Education and Workforce (BHEW) in collaboration with the Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy (COSEPUP). The study will produce the first major comprehensive policy report focused on graduate education since the seminal 1995 COSEPUP report "Reshaping the Graduate Education of Scientists and Engineers". The study will provide policy and programmatic recommendations for strengthening the quality of graduate education to align it more closely with the nation?s current and future economic, educational, and cultural needs and to ensure that graduate education can adapt to the domestic and global challenges over the next decades. The proposed study will build on and extend the earlier study by examining changes in graduate education, the STEM workforce, and skills needed for today?s global economy. A committee of experts will be selected to review the relevant data, analyze the graduate education landscape, convene informational meetings and multi-stakeholder focus groups, develop findings and recommendations, and participate in strategic conversations with stakeholders about the report?s findings, recommendations, and implications. In addition to investigating the impact of the 1995 COSEPUP study, the committee will consider the following questions: (1) What kind of academic/lab/internship experiences are necessary to help graduate students appreciate the range of careers available and to help them evaluate their fit with careers of interest? (2) If science and engineering are increasingly interdisciplinary and influenced by the convergence of fields such as engineering, life sciences, social sciences, and the humanities, should graduate education be restructured to reflect this trend? (3) Can structural changes to graduate education better prepare students for careers without requiring one or more postdoctoral experiences? (4) What are some of the most important and relevant experiments and innovations in graduate education currently underway? How successful have they been, and to what extent can they serve as models to be adapted for broader use in other institutions? (5) What are the opportunities and barriers to implementing recommendations from the President?s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology that all graduate students be given opportunities to develop pedagogical skills? Specific study activities will include (1) conducting an overall systems analysis of graduate education in the natural sciences, engineering, and social sciences to identify policies, practices, and programs that can better meet the changing education and career needs of an increasingly diverse population; (2) identifying core principles and strategies to improve the alignment of graduate education curricula, internships, and fellowship experiences for students who are likely to pursue non-academic as well as academic careers; (3) understanding whether and how graduate education is meeting the needs of increased numbers of U.S.-born underrepresented students as well as foreign students in U.S. institutions, and how their changing needs might be accommodated more effectively; and (4) proposing a clear set of national goals for graduate education in S&E that can be used by stakeholders to guide future directions for graduate education. The voices of employers (industry, academia, government and nonprofits) as well as graduate students themselves will be prominent in all elements of the study. The results of the proposed study will inform the higher education community, policy makers, and funders about evidence-based strategies that produce outcomes needed to ensure the future of the STEM enterprise and the nation?s global competitiveness.