Research on the Science and Technology Enterprise: Indicators, Statistics, and Methods (NCSES S&T)

Overview

The National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES) of the National Science Foundation (NSF) is responsible for the collection, acquisition, analysis, reporting and dissemination of objective, statistical data related to the science and technology (S&T) enterprise in the United States and other nations. This information should be relevant and useful to practitioners, researchers, policymakers and the public. NCSES uses this information to prepare a number of statistical data reports as well as analytical reports including Women, Minorities and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering and the National Science Board's biennial report, Science and Engineering (S&E) Indicators. 

The America COMPETES Reauthorization Act codifies the role of NCSES in supporting research using the data that it collects and its role in research methodologies related to its work. The legislation specifies the responsibilities of NCSES in supporting the education and training of researchers who use largescale data sets, such as the ones NCSES now collects. The following activities form the core of NCSES work: 

• The collection, acquisition, analysis, reporting, and dissemination of statistical data related to the United States and other nations; 
• Support of research that uses NCSES data;
• Methodological research in areas related to its work; and 
• Education and training of researchers in the use of large-scale nationally representative data sets.

NCSES welcomes proposals for research, conferences, and studies to advance the understanding of the S&T enterprise and encourage development of methods that will improve the quality of our data. Research could include: improved approaches to indicator construction and presentation, new S&T indicator development, strengthening of data collection methodologies and privacy protection to improve surveys that collect S&T data, investigations of alternate data sources to study S&T topics, analyses to inform STEM education and workforce policy, and innovations in the communication of S&T statistics. NCSES encourages proposals that analyze NCSES data or NCSES data in conjunction with those from other sources but does not limit the work to the analysis of the data it collects.

AREAS OF INTEREST Potential topics for consideration include but are not limited to: 

• Improving analytical techniques to produce better indicators of issues related to: (1) the education and retention of scientists and engineers including minorities, women, or persons with disabilities, (2) the demand, supply, career pathways, and/or characteristics of science and engineering personnel, including those without bachelor’s degrees (3) outcomes and impacts of research and development (R&D) expenditures in various sectors, countries, and fields including emerging science and technology fields, (4) estimates of current and near-term future S&T resources; and (5) measures of U.S. competitiveness in S&T.
• Developing new and/or improved methods of measuring the inputs, outputs, interactions, and social or economic impacts of S&T activities. These methods could involve the use of administrative records, social media, or novel data extraction methods. 
• Developing new data, analyses, and/or indicators of the globalization of science, engineering, and technology, as well as analyses leading to a better understanding of the changing global economy. This could include: international comparisons of S&T capabilities and activities, indicators of international education and mobility of scientists and engineers, and foreign investment in S&T activities. 
• Improving data collection methodologies for S&T surveys and censuses, including those conducted by NCSES. Such studies could research improvements in the target population, sample frame, and sample design, focusing on coverage and sampling error. Also included are developments of new data collection techniques and operational efficiencies such as adaptive survey design and passive data collection. Studies focused on the respondent experience and reduction in respondent burden such as modular survey design are also relevant. 
• Improving analysis and data processing methodologies for NCSES data by researching topics such as imputation techniques, privacy protections, or data consistency with related surveys or administrative data. This research could also involve investigations of linkage of alternate data sources to supplement NCSES data and reporting. 
• Pursuing innovations in the dissemination of S&T statistics to encourage communication of the information in a timely and user-friendly fashion. This could include interactive visualizations, studies of user needs, and new reporting formats for indicators.

 DATA AVAILABILITY NCSES encourages proposers to use NCSES data for their research.

Cost Sharing: Inclusion of voluntary committed cost sharing is prohibited.

Estimated Number of Awards: 5 to 10 Based on the quality of proposals and the availability of funds, NSF expects to make 5 to 10 awards each year.
Anticipated Funding Amount: $1,500,000 subject to the availability of funds