U.S. losing Right Stuff in science, engineering

William Atkins
Sunday, 17 January 2010 18:56

Science - Space

According to a 2010 National Science Board report, the state of science and engineering in the U.S. is still good; however, the country’s lead in the number of researchers is being challenged by China. Other science and engineering indicators in the U.S. are also being challenged by Asian countries.


The January 15, 2010 press release of the National Science Foundation, called National Science Board Releases Science and Engineering Indicators 2010, states that “Worrisome trends show eroding U.S. competitive advantage in the world science and engineering environment.”

The report “Science and Engineering Indicators 2010” provides information on the quality, quantity, strength, and capacity of science and engineering in the United States as compared to the rest of the world.

Kei Koizumi, assistant director for federal research and development within the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy, states, "The data begin to tell a worrisome story.

He adds that the report shows “… U.S. dominance has eroded significantly.” [NSF]

Mr. Koizumi calls the report a “State of the Union on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.” (Those subjects, as a group, are often abbreviated STEM.)

For additional information on STEM, please go to the STEM Education Coalition.

Some of the statistics from the Report include:

AMOUNT OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

•    Over the past decade, the amount of research and development (R&D) in Asian countries has grown considerably, while the same R&D in the United States has remained steady.

•    Annual growth of R&D expenditures in some Asian countries is “two, three, even four times that of the United States.”

•    R&D expenditures in the United States has averaged 5 to 6%.

Page two continues with additional statistics from the National Science Board report.