Transcript Advancing the Federal-University Partnership in STEM Graduate Education and Workforce Development: A Dialogue with the NSF Dean in Residence Richard W.

Advancing the Federal-University Partnership in STEM
Graduate Education and Workforce Development:
A Dialogue with the NSF Dean in Residence
Richard W. Linton
Dean in Residence
National Science Foundation
Council of Graduate Schools
[email protected]
Federal Demonstration Partnership
Faculty Committee Lunch Forum
January 28, 2013
Washington, D.C.
Outline of Presentation
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
Role of the NSF/CGS Dean in Residence
Challenges facing graduate education
NSF ‘s support of STEM graduate education
National efforts to transform graduate education
Dialogue on prospective engagement of FDP
I. Role of the NSF/CGS Dean in Residence
• Rotating position funded by NSF grant
• Housed within the Division of Graduate Education
• Works in association with both NSF and the
Council of Graduate Schools (CGS)
• Serves as a resource to advance STEM graduate
education nationally
• Promotes collaborative engagement:
• Across NSF and its Directorates/Offices
• Between NSF and other federal agencies
• Between NSF and the graduate education community
II. Challenges Facing Graduate Education
Graduate Education in the United States
• Recognized leader in graduate education globally
• A cornerstone of the U.S. research and innovation
enterprise
• Critical to competitiveness and productivity of
research universities
What transformations are needed to sustain
U.S. global leadership in a dynamic societal,
economic, scientific and technological context?
Advancing Education and U.S. Competiveness:
Dynamic Context
Nature and health of U.S. economy
Scientific advances and technological innovation
Demographic shifts and societal challenges
Changing
Workforce
and Desired
Skill Sets:
Need for
Educational
Reforms
Global competition and collaboration
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Advancing Education and U.S. Competiveness:
Dynamic Context
“MyStructure
prediction
is thatofthe
biggest domestic issue in the
and health
.S. economy
next four years will be how we respond to changes in
technology, globalization and markets… The only decentwage jobs will be high-skilled ones.”
“The answer to that challenge will require a new level of
political imagination — a combination of educational
reforms
unprecedented
Grandand
challenges
facing society collaboration between
business, schools, universities and government to
change how workers are trained and empowered to
keep learning.”
Global competition and collaboration
Source: Thomas L. Friedman, “Hope and Change: Part 2”, New York Times, Nov. 7, 2012
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National Context: Challenges to Graduate Education
• Research and Innovation: Sustaining U.S. competitiveness
globally through professional workforce development
• Jobs: Enhancing training to support diverse career pathways
beyond academia and to elevate transferable skills
• Demographic Changes: Advancing inclusive excellence to
sustain the professional workforce
• Efficiencies: Optimizing graduate enrollments and
addressing attrition, completion and time-to-degree concerns
• Resources: Spurring innovations in funding models and
mechanisms supporting institutions and graduate students
III. NSF’s Support of STEM Graduate Education
Current NSF Investments in Graduate Students
• Total NSF budget is over $7 billion across 7 directorates.
• NSF currently supports 42,000 graduate students with total
annual funding in excess of $1 billion.
• 6-8% traineeships (IGERT)
• 10-15% fellowships (GRFP)
• ~80% research assistantships (RAs)
• The Division of Graduate Education (DGE) has
responsibility for IGERT and GRFP administration.
• Research and Related Activities budgets of the Directorates
support RAs.
NSF Graduate Fellowships and Traineeships
Integrative Graduate Education and
Research Traineeship (IGERT) supports
education of U.S. Ph.D. scientists and
engineers to deepen interdisciplinary
knowledge and enhance transferable skills.
Graduate Research Fellowships
(GRF) support graduate study leading
to research-based masters or doctoral
degrees. Three years of support are
provided for use within a five-year
period.
NSF Funding Mechanisms for Graduate Students
Goals
Conduct NSF Funded
Research
Develop STEM
Workforce
Research
Assistants
Traineeship
++
++
+
++
+
++
++
Broaden Participation
in STEM Fields
Develop Researchers in
Priority Areas
+
+
+
Foster Innovation in
Graduate Education
Percentages of Students
Funded (~42,000 Total)
Fellowship
~80%
6-8%
10-15%
New Programs at NSF Impacting Graduate Education
 Interdisciplinary Research and Education
• INSPIRE
 Innovation and Entrepreneurship
• I-Corps
 Inclusiveness and Broadening Participation
• AGEP 2.0
 International Engagement and Collaboration
• SAVI, GRFP (GROW)
 Intellectual Capital and Workforce Development
• IGERT (CIF-21 Pilot)
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Questions Driving NSF Priorities in STEM Education
• How can the education of tomorrow’s scientists be
advanced?
• How can STEM students be better prepared for a wide
range of career pathways?
• How can the diversity of the U.S. population be
reflected in the STEM workforce?
What transformations of graduate education are needed?
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IV. National Efforts to Transform
Graduate Education
National Context: What are the Drivers for Transforming
Graduate Education?
• Over 60,000 doctorates are awarded by US academic
institutions per year1
• More than 50% of doctorate holders work in fields outside
of academia2
• Between 2010 and 2020, 2.6 million jobs are expected to
require an advanced degree3
1 Graduate Enrollment and Degrees: 2001-2011, Council of Graduate Schools, 2012.
2 Survey of Doctorate Recipients, NSF/National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics,
2008.
3 Employment Projections: 2010-2020, Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2012.
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S&E doctoral recipients by employment sector,
citizenship, and current residency: 2008
Percent
100
90
Other
80
70
Government
60
Private, nonprofit
50
Private, for-profit
40
30
4-year institution
20
10
0
U.S. citizen in United
States
Foreign citizen in United
States
Foreign citizen abroad
U.S. citizen abroad
Developing Transferable Knowledge and Skills for
the 21st Century*
• Three Competency Clusters:
• Cognitive Domain: cognitive processes, knowledge, creativity
• Intrapersonal Domain: intellectual openness, work ethic,
self-evaluation
• Interpersonal Domain: teamwork, collaboration, leadership
• Recommendation:
• Funding agencies should support further research on
relationships between 21st Century competencies and
successful adult outcomes
*Source: “Education for Life and Work”, J.W. Pellegrino and M.L. Hilton, eds.,
Committee on Defining Deeper Learning and 21st Century Skills, NRC, 2012.
National Graduate Education Strategy:
Guidance from the Council of Graduate Schools*
• Prioritize financing of graduate education
• Implement doctoral traineeships in areas of national need
• Provide supplemental support on research grants to
promote graduate student professional development
• Support Master’s programs to help meet workforce needs
• Increase the proportion of Americans with graduate degrees
• Retain international talent through a 21st century visa policy
*Source: “Developing the Graduate Talent We Need”, CGS Message to the New
Administration and Congressional Leaders, November, 2012.
National Context: Recent Reports and Recommendations
Organization/Report Recommendations
Federal Support
Council of Graduate
Schools (CGS):
"Pathways into Careers"
report (April 2012)
- Foster professional
development and track
career outcomes
- Enhance industry
collaborations
- Establish “Professional
Plus” program for RAs and a
“COMPETES” graduate
traineeship program
National Research
Council (NRC):
"Research Universities"
report (June 2012)
- Strengthen career
preparation and STEM
pathways
- Deepen employeruniversity engagement
- Expand federally financed
S&E graduate fellowships
and traineeships by 5,000
per year for 5 years
National Context: Recent Reports and Recommendations
Organization/Report
National Institutes of
Health (NIH):
"Biomedical Workforce"
report (June 2012)
President’s Council of
Advisors on Science and
Technology (PCAST):
“Transformation and
Opportunity” report
(November 2012)
Recommendations
- Provide supplemental
training and career
development programs
- Involve employers in
design of training
paths
- Change educational
programs to prepare
graduates for careers
- Create incentives for
industry to invest in
research & universityindustry partnerships
Federal Support
- Increase proportion of
graduate students
supported by training
grants and fellowships
- Increase federal funding
for fellowships and
training grants and fund
early career opportunities
National Context: Recent Reports and Recommendations
Organization/Report
American Chemical
Society (ACS):
“Advancing Graduate
Education in the Chemical
Sciences" report (Dec 2012)
Recommendations
Enhance graduate
student preparation
for careers
Maintain sustainable
relationship between
availability of new
graduates and career
opportunities
Examine the system of
financial support of
graduate students that
is no longer optimal to
meet national needs
Federal Support
Decouple more student
support funds from
specific research projects
to better balance training
in research and training
in other career skills
Experiment with graduate
program grants,
analogous to training
grant activities, but with
greater support for
innovation in the
educational program
National Context: Studies and Recommendations (cont’d)
Graduate Education Modernization (GEM) Working Group
 Responsive to reports by CGS, NIH, NRC, PCAST, ACS
 Convened by the Office of Science and Technology Policy
 Strives to advances U.S. competitiveness in STEM fields
 Promotes multi-agency efforts supporting professional
development of STEM doctoral students and preparation
for diverse careers, including those outside academia
Graduate Education Modernization (GEM)
Desired Outcomes
 Academic institutions will prepare graduate students with
diverse skills needed for the full range of professional STEM
career paths, without compromising the research enterprise.
 Federal agencies will provide incentives for increased
educational opportunities for graduate students:
 Program, funding, and policy modifications
 Improved evaluation strategies to measure outcomes
 Harmonization across federal agencies where appropriate
Graduate Education Modernization- NIH Response
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



NIH Implementation Plan (December 6, 2012)
New “trans-NIH” grant program established to seek
innovations in graduate training (25 awards expected)
Individual development plans required for all trainees
supported by NIH
A comprehensive tracking system for trainees will be
developed to assess career outcomes
Institutions will establish expected durations for
completion of doctoral study
NIH will create a unit providing a unified source of data
and information on the biomedical workforce
Graduate Education Modernization- What is the NSF Role?
2012-2013 NSF Year of Dialogue on Graduate Education:
• Internal and external forums on graduate education related to
NSF’s portfolio and prospective role
• Framework informing future NSF investments and priorities
• Convergence of views (NSF leadership and graduate deans) on
key needs for graduate education, e.g.:
•
•
•
•
•
Enhance professional development and training of graduate students
Address faculty and institutional capacities to elevate graduate training
Examine graduate student funding models and mechanisms
Stimulate R&D related to effective practices
Advance data and information on career pathways and outcomes
V. Prospective Engagement of the
Federal Demonstration Partnership:
Faculty Committee Perspectives
Prospective Directions in the NSF PortfolioConnections to FDP Initiatives or Demonstration Projects?
• Workforce: How can NSF catalyze educational reforms that balance
disciplinary depth, research skills, interdisciplinarity, global
competencies, and professional development to meet workforce needs?
• Funding: How can NSF enhance and harmonize goals, policies and
practices surrounding funding mechanisms for graduate students?
• Faculty: How can workload demands and professional development
opportunities for faculty be managed to enhance graduate training?
• Mentoring: How can the recent NSF post-doctoral mentoring plan
requirement inform a graduate student mentoring plan requirement?
• Education R&D: How can knowledge and practices be advanced to
improve graduate education, including development, implementation,
dissemination, assessment, and scale-up of effective practices?
• Outcomes: How can the value and impact of NSF programs be assessed
and related to career outcomes and broadening participation?
Discussion with FDP Faculty Committee