Scientific manpower : hearing before the Subcommittee on Science of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, U.S. House of Representatives, One Hundred Second Congress, first session, July 31, 1991.
- United States. Congress. House. Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. Subcommittee on Science
- Date:
- 1991
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Scientific manpower : hearing before the Subcommittee on Science of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, U.S. House of Representatives, One Hundred Second Congress, first session, July 31, 1991. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![measurement of supply and the estimation of demand for scientists and engineers in the U.S. work force. We’ve also asked them to assess the level of confidence that can be placed in current projec- tions of future shortages and to suggest ways to improve the accu- racy of those estimates. A second focus of this morning’s hearing, which we have asked cur second panel to address, is to review the National Science Foundation’s actions to revise its data collection and analysis ac- tivities for national science and engineering manpower resources. At the request of the NSF, the National Research Council per- formed a thorough assessment of the National Science Founda- tion’s data collection activities and issued a 1987 report entitled, Surveying the Nation’s Scientists and Engineers: A Data System for the 1990s. The report makes recommendations for the better utili- zation by the National Science Foundation of data to be acquired from the 1990 Decennial Census. The report cited several serious weaknesses in the NSF scientific and personnel data system, criti- cized the inadequate resources devoted to quality control and im- provement of personnel data surveys, and pointed out that NSF data have not always been readily accessible to the outside re- search community. A set of detailed recommendations was included in the report to address these identified problems. We’ve asked our second panel of witnesses to discuss the response by the National Science Foundation to that set of recommendations. I want to extend the welcome of the subcommittee to our distin- guished witnesses today and to thank both panels of witnesses for their attendance at this hearing. I’m sure that we'll be very en- lightened by the testimony that they provide. That concludes the Chair’s opening statement, and it is my pleas- ure now to recognize the ranking Republican member of this sub- committee, the gentleman from California, Mr. Packard. Mr. Packarp. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I, too, would like to join you in welcoming all the witnesses who will testify today on an area of great importance to the science community, the future of the United States scientific and technical work force. Several studies have indicated that the United States will face significant shortages in the numbers of scientists and engineers as we move into the 2lst century. Nevertheless, there are great dis- crepancies among the projections contained in these studies, which calls into question, as you mentioned, the methodologies which are being used to arrive at these numbers. It may be that we do not, at this time, know or understand all the factors that are involved in measuring supply and demand. I do look forward to the testimony of the witnesses. It will be helpful, I think, in addressing the concerns that I have mentioned. I also look forward to the response of the National Science Founda- tion to the recommendations contained in the recent report from the National Research Council, and also from some of the universi- ty witnesses. So I'am looking forward to this hearing and appreci- ate, Mr. Chairman, you scheduling it on this important subject. [The prepared statement of Mr. Packard follows. ]](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b32218199_0006.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
