Science Policy Resources

The following collection of selected materials is intented to provide an introduction to science policy topics and perspectives of particular relevance to the SACNAS community.

American Association for the Advancement of Science

  • Annual AAAS Forum on Science & Technology Policy
    The AAAS Science & Technology Forums are a good place for SACNAS members interested in science policy to learn more. For example, at the 2004 Forum, SACNAS vice president fo science policy & strategic engagement Dr. Robert Barnhill contributed to the discussion.
    • May 2011, Presidential Science Adviser, John Holdren discussed looming challenges for the administration.
    • May 2011, "Gathering Storm" author & president of the National Academy of Engineering, Charles M. Vest, spoke on what the U.S. needs to do to remain competitive.

American Association of University Women (AAUW) Materials

Center for Urban Education (CUE) Materials

  • Benchmarking the Success of Latina and Latino Students in STEM to Achieve National Graduation Goals (PDF)
    This report identifies 25 Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) in five states as potential exemplars of effective practices for increasing the number of Latina and Latino bachelor’s degree holders in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). It shows that at the majority of these exemplary HSI colleges and universities, Latino students are represented nearly proportionally in STEM majors and among STEM graduates. Where Latinos are underrepresented in STEM, the gap does not typically exceed five percentage points.

Excelencia in Education Materials

  • Taking Stock: Higher Education and Latinos
    This brief takes stock of the current higher education environment and integrates the perspectives of elected officials, students, and service providers from interviews and focus groups with data to better understand the role of Latinos in the future access, persistence, and completion of higher education in the U.S. and puts this information together to articulate what we can do to address critical policy issues affecting Latino students in the current higher education context.

National Academies

National Science Foundation

NSF Science & Engineering Indicators:

  • Science and Engineering Indicators 2010
    Science and Engineering Indicators provides a broad base of quantitative information on the U.S. and international science and engineering enterprise. Topics include: elementary and secondary education, higher education in science and engineering (S&E), S&E labor force, research and development (R&D), academic R&D, industry, technology, and the global market, public attitudes and understanding, and state indicators.
  • Science and Engineering Indicators 1993–2008
    Contains links to the science and engineering indicators for the years 1993, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, and 2008.

NSF Education Reports:

  • What Do People Do After Earning an Science and Engineering Bachelor’s Degree?
    The science and engineering (S&E) bachelor’s degree is the gateway degree for most of those seeking more advanced S&E education. It is also the highest level of education attained by the majority of those performing research and development (R&D) in the U.S., and it provides a large body of workers in many different occupations and work activities with S&E knowledge. This InfoBrief uses data from the National Science Foundation’s 2003 SESTAT surveys to examine various educational and workforce characteristics of individuals whose first university degree was in science and engineering.
  • S&E Degrees, By Race/Ethnicity of Recipients
    Contains tables with data on S&E degrees by race/ethnicity from 1987–2006, including a table on degrees awarded to Hispanics, separated by level of degree.
  • Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in S&E
    This series presents trends in the participation of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities in science and engineering fields. Topics include higher-education enrollments, degrees, institutions, and financial support and employment status, occupations, sectors, and salaries. Reports are also accessible at: http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/women/.
  • Characteristics of Recent College Graduates
    This series presents information and data on the characteristics of persons receiving bachelor’s or master’s degrees in science or engineering fields from U.S. academia institutions. Includes information on field, level of degree and sector of employment. Data for about every two years from 1993–2006.
  • S&E Doctorate Awards
    This series presents data and trends on doctorates awarded in science and engineering. Information is also available on characteristics of doctorate recipients, institutions awarding doctorates, and postgraduation plans of doctorate recipients from 1994–2007.
  • S&E Degrees: 1966–2006
    Detailed statistical tables on S&E bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees awarded from 1966–2006. Data is separated at each level (bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral) by sex and thereafter by field of degree (i.e., biological sciences, mathematics, etc.).
  • Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in S&E
    This series provides data on the number and characteristics of graduate science and engineering students enrolled in U.S. institutions, 1994–2007.
  • Federal S&E Obligations to Three Types of Minority-Serving Institutions Decline in FY 2007
    This analysis first addresses federal S&E support findings for all academic institutions, followed by an analysis of the major findings on minority serving institutions. The National Science Foundation’s (NSF’s) latest statistics from the Survey of Federal Science and Engineering Support to Universities, Colleges, and Nonprofit Institutions show that federal agencies obligated $28.5 billion (table 1) in current dollars to 1,216 academic institutions for science and engineering (S&E) activities in FY 2007.
  • First-Time, Full-Time Graduate Student Enrollment in Science and Engineering Increases in 2006, Especially Among Foreign Students
    After 2 years of decline, U.S. enrollment of foreign graduate students in science and engineering (S&E) fields increased in 2006. The increase was largely due to first-time, full-time enrollment of foreign students, which grew 16% over the 2005 level. First-time, full-time enrollment of S&E graduate students with U.S. citizenship or permanent resident status rose by slightly more than 1%. Total enrollment of first-time, full-time S&E graduate students rose 6% over the 2005 level.

NSF Labor Forces Reports:

Pew Hispanic Center Materials

  • Education Research
    At every level of schooling educational outcomes differ between native born and immigrant Latinos and between Latinos and other racial and ethnic groups. Measuring those differences and the factors that produce them are critical to understanding the Latino future. The Center has focused attention on outcomes at the postsecondary level.
  • Latinos and Education: Explaining the Attainment Gap (PDF)
    Pew Hispanic Center survey research on Latino attitudes toward higher education.
  • Labor Research and Articles
    The Center tracks employment trends for Latinos on a regular basis, examining differences by nativity and generation and offering comparisons to other racial and ethnic groups. Assessing employment by region, occupation and industry offers measures for both the status of Latino workers and the U.S. economy’s demand for them.
  • Minorities and the Recession-Era College Enrollment Boom

Salzman Report

The Washington Post

White House