Using Human Resource Data from Science Resources Statistics, National Science Foundation, To Study the Science and Engineering Workforce

Workshop: 
October 12, 2007
NSF, Arlington, VA

Purpose of Workshop 

The United States collects extraordinarily high-quality data on the science and engineering workforce.  A key component is the SESTAT data http://sestat.nsf.gov/ collected by the National Science Foundation, Science Resources Statistics (SRS), which integrates three databases:  The National Survey of College Graduates (NSCG), The National Survey of Recent College Graduates (NSRCG), and the Survey of Doctorate Recipients (SDR).  The sampling frame for the latter, the Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED), is also overseen by SRS. 

The October 12th workshop will bring together users and potential users of SRS restricted data.*  The goals of the workshop are threefold:

1. Exchange information among users concerning creative uses of the data and research outcomes.
2. Broaden the base of users by familiarizing potential users with the data that is available, ways in which the data is currently being used and the possibility for other kinds of use.
3. Provide feedback to SRS regarding the data and possible ways to enhance both the data and its use.

The workshop is funded by a grant from SRS, NSF. Support has also been provided from the Science and Engineering Workforce Project, NBER, which is funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

Call for Proposals

Current Users who wish to be considered for participation should submit a two- page abstract and/or draft of a paper to ecokrwx@langate.gsu.eduby June 8, 2007. The abstract must include a discussion of the data used in the research. Full papers for those selected will be due by September 14th.

Potential Users who wish to be considered for participation should submit a two-page narrative to ecokrwx@langate.gsu.edu by June 8, 2007, indicating the research question they would address if they were to gain access to the data. Revised narratives are due by September 14.

Selection will be made by a three-member advisory committee.  Applicants will be notified of the committee’s decision by July 30, 2007.

Deadlines:  June 8th for consideration; September 14th for completion of selected papers by users and revision of selected narratives by potential users. 

Financial Arrangements: Users selected for participation will receive a stipend of $1200; potential users will receive a stipend of $1000. Participants are responsible for making their own travel arrangements and paying for their travel, accommodations and meals, with the exception of breakfast and lunch at the conference. A block of rooms will be held at a local hotel for the evening of October 11th. Individuals are required to attend the workshop in order to receive the stipend. To keep the schedule on time, we will use a system of penalties: $25 per business day for missing the September 14th deadline.

Number of participants: A maximum of 12 users and 10 potential users will be selected for attendance.

Format of Workshop: Current users will each have 15 minutes to summarize their work; potential users will each make a short presentation concerning the research question they would address if they were to gain access to the data. 

Hours:  The workshop will commence at 8:00 a.m. on October 12th and end at 4:30 p.m.

Questions?  E-mail Paula Stephan (pstephan@gsu.edu).

*Procedures for applying for a restricted use license are available at http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/license/start.cfm. The policy for matching data to restricted-use data sets can be found at http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/database.cfm