May 2004
National Science Foundation
States vary widely on indicators of education, workforce, R&DS&E Indicators 2004 includes state-by-state breakdown of keyARLINGTON, Va.-Science and Engineering (S&E) Indicators 2004, a biennial report of the National Science Board to the president, presents for the first time a state-by-state breakdown of two dozen science and technology indicators. The information is designed to assist in analyzing state trends and developing state- wide goals.
The state statistics in S&E Indicators 2004, traditionally the nation's most authoritative source for national and international science and engineering trends, focus on secondary and higher education, the S&E workforce, research and development (R&D) spending, R&D outputs (such as doctoral degrees, patents and academic articles) and the high-tech economy.
The state chapter (Chapter 8) offers an easy-to-use resource, with a map for each indicator showing states in quartiles, a brief description of the indicator, key findings and a data table. A bar chart is included online. The state chapter can be accessed on the Web at www.nsf.gov/sbe/srs/seind04/c8/c8.cfm.
As in past years, S&E Indicators 2004 Chapter 4 contains information on R&D expenditures by state. In 2000, the most recent year for which complete data were available, the 20 highest-ranking states continue to account for 87 percent of R&D expenditures, while the 20 lowest-ranking states account for only 4 percent.
The new state indicators permit comparisons that take into account a wider range of state characteristics. These measures demonstrate that R&D expenditures do not necessarily reflect a state's ranking on other indicators, such as eighth-grade educational performance, bachelor's degrees conferred, patents awarded, federal R&D spending or share of high-tech businesses.
State Indicator Highlights
In most states, eighth-graders' mathematics performance on the National Assessment of Educational Progress improved from 1992 to 2000, and for those states with data available for 1996 and 2000, most showed a slight increase in eighthgraders' science performance.
A state's ranking in the workforce, R&D or economic indicators often does not reflect its standing in education indicators (eighth-grade math and science performance or bachelor's degrees conferred).
College graduates are more likely to be found in states with strong federal and industry R&D investments or strong high- tech economies. The states with many bachelor's degree holders in the workforce are often not the same states conferring relatively high shares of those bachelor's degrees.
A wide gap separates the top states for industrial R&D investment from those at the bottom. Similarly skewed distributions appear among rankings for federal R&D spending.
States with a high proportion of high-tech businesses also show a higher percentage of bachelor's degree holders, S&E doctorate holders and S&E occupations in the workforce.
Print or CD-ROM copies of Science and Engineering Indicators 2004 are available upon request. The full publications are on the Web at http://www.nsf.gov/sbe/srs/seind04/
NSF Contacts: Rolf Lehming, 703-292-7810, [email protected]
Science and Engineering Indicators 2004: http://www.nsf.gov/sbe/srs/seind04/ SEI2004 State Indicators: http://www.nsf.gov/sbe/srs/seind04/c8/c8.cfm
The National Science Board (http://www.nsf.gov/nsb/) was established by Congress in 1950. It has 24 members appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate, plus the NSF Director as an ex officio member. The Board has dual responsibilities to: (a) Oversee and guide the activities of, and establish policies for, the NSF; and (b) Serve as an independent national science and engineering policy body that provides advice to the President and the Congress on policy issues related to science and engineering, identified by the President, Congress or the Board itself.
NSF is an independent federal agency that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering, with an annual budget of nearly $5.58 billion. NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to nearly 2,000 universities and institutions. Each year, NSF receives about 40,000 competitive requests for funding, and makes about 11,000 new funding awards. NSF also awards over $200 million in professional and service contracts yearly.
Receive official National Science Foundation news electronically through the e-mail delivery system, NSFnews. To subscribe, send an e-mail message to [email protected]. In the body of the message, type "subscribe nsfnews" and then type your name. (Ex.: "subscribe nsfnews John Smith")
Useful National Science Foundation Web Sites NSB Home Page: http://www.nsf.gov/nsb/ NSF Home Page: http://www.nsf.gov/ News Highlights: http://www.nsf.gov/od/lpa Newsroom: http://www.nsf.gov/od/lpa/news/media/start.htm Science Statistics: http://www.nsf.gov/sbe/srs/stats.htm Awards Searches: http://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/a6/A6Start.htm
| |
|