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==
The National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES) is a principal agency of the [[Federal Statistical System of the United States]] that serves as a clearinghouse for collecting, interpreting, analyzing, and disseminating objective statistical data on the [[United States]] and other nations’ [[Science |science]] and [[Engineering |engineering]] enterprises.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/42/1862p|title=42 U.S. Code § 1862p - National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics|website=LII / Legal Information Institute|language=en|access-date=2021-03-03}}</ref> This includes data on the science and engineering [[Workforce|workforce]], the condition and progression of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education in the U.S. and abroad, and U.S. competitiveness in science, engineering, technology, and research and development (R&D). Additionally, NCSES’s [[United states congress |U.S. Congressional]] mandate includes supporting research that uses the data NCSES have acquired, educating and training researchers in the use of these data, and conducting methodological research in areas related to data collection and analysis. NCSES is also required to provide information to practitioners, researchers, policymakers, and the public using the processes established by the [[Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act]] of 2019 (Evidence Act).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/PLAW-115publ435/html/PLAW-115publ435.htm|title = Official Text and Related Information on the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2019 |website=www.govinfo.gov|access-date=2021-03-03}}</ref>
NCSES is unique as the only federal statistical agency to also be a division within the [[National Science Foundation]] (NSF). Originally named the Division of Science Resources Statistics and located within NSF’s Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences, Section 505 of the [[America COMPETES Act |America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/PLAW-111publ358/html/PLAW-111publ358.htm|title = Official Text and Related Information on the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 |website=www.govinfo.gov|access-date=2021-03-04}}</ref> authorized the division to be renamed the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics and expanded the new center’s role within NSF. Despite the name change, recognized by NSF on February 15, 2011,<ref name="NSF">{{Cite web|url=https://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=118648|title=NSF's Division of Science Resources Statistics Is Now the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics|website=www.nsf.gov|language=English|access-date=2021-03-04}}</ref> NCSES continues to serve as the primary statistical resource for NSF.
NCSES is the second smallest of the thirteen Federal statistical agencies in terms of staff (56 permanent full-time employees as of 2020), but ranks 9<sup>th</sup> in terms of budget ($58 million for [[Fiscal year |fiscal year]] 2020).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/statistical-programs-20192020.pdf|author = Voigt, Russel T. |title = Statistical Programs of the United States Government: Fiscal Years 2019/2020| website=Office of Management and Budget |language=en|access-date=2021-03-04}}</ref> Despite its relatively small size, NCSES is composed of seven different programs.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://orise.orau.gov/ncses//index.html|title=The National Science Foundation National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics Research Ambassadors Program|website=Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education/Oak Ridge Associated Universities|language=en|access-date=2021-03-04}}</ref> The Administrative and Program Operations Groups is responsible for managerial, budget, and business process support, as well as assistance to the Office of the Director. The Human Resources Statistics Program is responsible for collecting and disseminating data on STEM education and the STEM workforce. The Information and Technology Services Program oversees NCSES’s data management and information dissemination, both print and electronic. The Office of the Director, which includes the NCSES Director, Deputy Director, Chief Statistician, and Research Director, sets priorities for the center and ensures NCSES meets its Congressional mandate. The Research and Develop Statistics Program is responsible for collecting and disseminating data on U.S. R&D including expenditures, infrastructure, innovation, and international comparability. The Science and Engineering Indicators Program is tasked with producing the biennial Congressionally mandated report ''Science and Engineering Indicators''. The Statistics, Methods and Research Program provides [[Statistics |statistical]] and [[Survey methodology |survey methodology]] support within NCSES and conducts statistical research with a focus towards improving the quality of the data collected by NCSES.
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== Key
While NCSES prepares or assists with preparing many different reports, briefs, and working papers, the center focuses on two key publications: the ''Science and Engineering Indicators'' (SEI) report<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ncses.nsf.gov/indicators|title=Science and Engineering Indicators|website=ncses.nsf.gov|access-date=2021-03-04}}</ref> and the ''Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering'' (WMPDSE) report.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsf19304/digest|title=Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering: 2019 |website=ncses.nsf.gov|access-date=2021-03-04}}</ref> SEI is a biennial Congressionally mandated report prepared by NCSES under the guidance of the [[National Science Board]] that provides quantitative information on the scope, quality, and vitality of the U.S science and engineering enterprise, as well as competitiveness in this area compared with other countries. While SEI is policy neutral, the report is intended to inform the development of future domestic and international science and engineering policy. The 2020 SEI included thematic sub-reports on the following 9 areas:
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* Science and Engineering Labor Force
* Science and Technology: Public Attitudes, Knowledge, and Interest
The WMPDSE is also a biennial report, mandated by the Science and Engineering Equal Opportunities Act (Public Law 96-516<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/STATUTE-94/pdf/STATUTE-94-Pg3007.pdf#page=6|title=Official Text and Related Information on the Science and Engineering Equal Opportunities Act|website=www.govinfo.gov|access-date=2021-03-04}}</ref>), that provides information on the participation of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities in STEM education and the science and engineering workforce. Similar to SEI, WMPDSE is policy neutral, but intended to inform the development of future domestic and international science and engineering policy.
== Current
As evidenced by existing surveys, the science and engineering enterprise workforce has traditionally only included individuals with [[Bachelor's degree |bachelor’s]], [[Master's degree |Master’s]], and/or [[Doctorate |doctorates]] in STEM fields. The [[United States Census Bureau]], however, estimates there are approximately 17 million individuals over the age of 25 who work in highly technical fields who do not possess a bachelor’s degree. These individuals have been called the Skilled Technical Workforce (STW)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nsf.gov/nsb/publications/2019/nsb201923.pdf|title=The Skilled Technical Workforce: Crafting America’s Science and Engineering Enterprise (NSB-2019-23)|website=www.nsf.gov |access-date=2021-03-04}}</ref> and have been identified by the [[National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine]]'s Committee on National Statistics,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nationalacademies.org/cnstat/about|title=About the Committee on National Statistics|website=www.nationalacademies.org|access-date=2021-03-04}}</ref> the [[National Science Board#Work of the National Science Board |National Science Board's STW Task Force]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.nsf.gov/nsb|title=Skilled Technical Workforce (STW) Resources|website=www.nsf.gov|access-date=2021-03-04}}</ref> and the Innovations in Mentoring, Training, and Apprenticeships Act of 2018<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/5509/text|title=Text - H.R.5509 - 115th Congress (2017-2018): Innovations in Mentoring, Training, and Apprenticeships Act|last=McCarthy|first=Kevin|date=2018-12-31|website=www.congress.gov|access-date=2021-03-04}}</ref> as a segment of the U.S. science and engineering workforce that needs to be measured in order to better understand health and breadth of the U.S. science and engineering enterprise. As a result, NCSES launched the STW Initiative<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nsf.gov/statistics/stw/skilled-technical-workforce.cfm|title=Skilled Technical Workforce Initiative|website=www.nsf.gov|access-date=2021-03-04}}</ref> to collect data on this segment of the workforce that include the creation of a new survey: the ''National Training, Education, and Workforce Survey.''
==Data and
In keeping with the Evidence Act, much of the data that NCSES has acquired, including data used in the SEI and WMPDSE reports, is available to researchers, policymakers, and the general public for free as de-identified [[Public use |public-use]] [[Microdata (statistics) |microdata]]. Restricted-use data files that may contain information that could lead to direct or indirect identification of respondents can also be requested, but requires an application describing the intended use and approval from NCSES. As of March 2021, NCSES sponsors or co-sponsors ongoing data collection on 15 [[Survey (human research) |surveys]] in four content areas.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nsf.gov/statistics/surveys.cfm|title=Surveys {{!}} NCSES {{!}} NSF|website=www.nsf.gov|access-date=2021-03-04}}</ref>
===Education of
'''''Survey of Earned Doctorates''''' ('''SED''')<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://nsf.gov/statistics/srvydoctorates/|title=Survey of Earned Doctorates {{!}} NCSES {{!}} NSF|website=nsf.gov|access-date=2021-03-04}}</ref> – The SED is likely the most well-known survey, at least to scientists in the U.S., because it is a [[Census |census]] that collects data on the educational history, [[Demography |demographic]] characteristics, and postgraduation plans for all individuals receiving a research doctorate from an accredited U.S. institution in a given [[Academic year |academic year]]. The SED, in partnership with the [[National Institutes of Health]] (NIH), the [[United States Department of Education]], and the [[National Endowment for the Humanities]], has been collected annually since 1957.
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'''''Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering''''' ('''GSS''')<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://nsf.gov/statistics/srvygradpostdoc/|title=Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering {{!}} NCSES {{!}} NSF|website=nsf.gov|access-date=2021-03-04}}</ref> – The GSS, collected in partnership with NIH, is an annual census started in 1966. The GSS collects data on demographic characteristics and financial support for all [[Graduate school |graduate students]], [[Postdoctoral researcher |postdoctoral researchers]], and doctorate-holding nonfaculty researchers at [[Academic institution |academic institutions]] in the U.S., [[Guam]], and [[Puerto Rico]] granting research-based master’s and doctoral degrees in science, engineering, and selected health fields as of the fall of the survey year.
===Research and
'''''Annual Business Survey''''' ('''ABS''')<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://nsf.gov/statistics/srvyabs/|title=Annual Business Survey {{!}} NCSES {{!}} NSF|website=nsf.gov|access-date=2021-03-04}}</ref> – The ABS, started in 2018 and collected annually in partnership with the U.S. Census Bureau, is actually composed of two surveys. The ABS-1 collects data on R&D, innovation, technology, intellectual property, and business owner characteristics for a [[Sample (statistics) |sample]] of all non[[Farm |farm]], for-profit [[Business |businesses]] operating within the U.S. with less than 10 employees. The ABS-1 includes questions from the Business Research and Development and Innovation Survey – Microbusiness (BRDI-M). The ABS-2 collects the same data as the ABS-1 for a sample of all nonfarm, for-profit businesses operating within the U.S. with 10 or more employees with exception of R&D activity, which is captured by the Business Enterprise Research and Development Survey (BERD).
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'''''Survey of State Government Research and Development''''' ('''SRDS''')<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://nsf.gov/statistics/srvystaterd/|title=Survey of State Government Research and Development {{!}} NCSES {{!}} NSF|website=nsf.gov|access-date=2021-03-04}}</ref> – The SRDS is an annual census of all R&D activities funded by the state governments of the 50 [[U.S. states]], the [[Washington, DC |District of Columbia]], and Puerto Rico and has been collected since 2006.
===Science and
'''''Survey of Science and Engineering Research Facilities''''' ('''SEFS''')<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://nsf.gov/statistics/srvyfacilities/|title=Survey of Science and Engineering Research Facilities {{!}} NCSES {{!}} NSF|website=nsf.gov|access-date=2021-03-04}}</ref> – The SEFS started data collection in 1986 and is a biennial census of the cost and space of S&E research facilities at all U.S. research-performing universities and colleges that reported at least $1 million in R&D expenditures on the HERD survey.
===Science and
'''''Early Career Doctorates Survey''''' ('''ECDS''')<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://nsf.gov/statistics/srvyecd/|title=Early Career Doctorates Survey {{!}} NCSES {{!}} NSF|website=nsf.gov|access-date=2021-03-04}}</ref> – Started in 2015 in partnership with NIH, the ECDS collects data on demographic characteristics and [[Professional |professional]] activities including achievements, research, and [[Work–life balance in the United States |work-life balance]] for a sample of individuals who earned their first doctorate degree in the previous 10 years.
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'''''Survey of Postdocs at Federally Funded Research and Development Centers''''' ('''FFRDCPS''')<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://nsf.gov/statistics/srvyffrdcpd/|title=Survey of Postdocs at Federally Funded Research and Development Centers {{!}} NCSES {{!}} NSF|website=nsf.gov|access-date=2021-03-04}}</ref> – The FFRDCPS is a periodic survey, first collected in 2005, that measures demographic characteristics and fields of research for all postdoctoral researchers at FFRDCs.
==Data and
While the following examples are not intended to be an exhaustive list, it is illustrative to see some examples of how NCSES survey data and reports are currently being used by researchers and policymakers.
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'''Women in Academic Science''': Researchers published a paper titled "Women in Academic Science: A Changing Landscape"<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Ceci |first1=Stephen J. |last2=Ginther |first2=Donna K. |last3=Kahn |first3=Shulamit |last4=Williams |first4=Wendy M. |title=Women in Academic Science: A Changing Landscape |journal=Psychological Science in the Public Interest |date=2014 |volume=15 |issue=3 |pages=75–141 |doi=10.1177/1529100614541236}}</ref> that sought to make sense of the contradictory literature on the topic that used both the SEI reports and SED survey data.
==Research
In order to improve the quality and efficiency of data collection and analysis, NCSES directly funds survey-related analytic and methodological research through its annual competitive Research on the Science and Technology Enterprise: Statistics and Surveys program (RSTESS; Solicitation 15-521<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2015/nsf15521/nsf15521.pdf|title=Research on the Science and Technology Enterprise: Statistics and Surveys – R&D, U.S. S&T Competitiveness, STEM education, S&T Workforce|website=nsf.gov|access-date=2021-03-04}}</ref>). In addition to survey methodology research, the RSTESS program also accepts proposals for research projects that use NCSES data to investigate research questions on the science and technology enterprise, efforts to create or improve [[Indicator (statistics) |indicators]] of activities and resources related to the science and technology enterprise, doctoral [[Thesis |dissertation]] projects, and workshops, as well as funding [[Research fellow |research fellowships]] at the center. The research fellowships are administered by the [[Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education]] (ORISE) and [[Oak Ridge Associated Universities]] (ORAU)<ref name=":0" /> or by the [[American Association for the Advancement of Science]] (AAAS).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.aaas.org/programs/science-technology-policy-fellowships|title=AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellowships|website=www.aaas.org|access-date=2021-03-04}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nsf.gov/od/oia/activities/aaasfellows/index.jsp|title=NSF AAAS Science and Technology Policy (STP) Fellows|website=www.nsf.gov|access-date=2021-03-04}}</ref>
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