U.S. Competitiveness in Science and Technology

Abstract

The purpose of this report is to present and consider information related to whether the United States is losing its edge in science and technology (S&T). Claims have been made about insufficient expenditures on research and development (R&D) (particularly on basic research), problems with U.S. education in science and engineering (S&E), a shortage of S&E workers in the United States, increasing reliance on foreigners in the workforce, and decreasing attractiveness of S&E careers to U.S. citizens. A loss of leadership in S&T could diminish U.S. economic growth, standard of living, and national security. Our assessment of the measures we have examined indicates that the U.S. S&T enterprise is performing well. We find that the United States leads the world in S&T and has kept pace or grown faster than the rest of the world in many measures of S&T. Although developing nations such as China, India, and South Korea showed rapid growth in S&T, these nations still account for a small share of world innovation and scientific output. Furthermore, we find that the consequences of the globalization of S&T and the rise of S&T capability in other nations are more likely to be economically beneficial to the United States than harmful. We also find that the United States has continued to invest in its S&T infrastructure and that the S&E workforce has managed to keep up with the demand for highly skilled S&E workers through immigration. However, there are potential weaknesses in the persistent underperformance of older K-12 students in math and science, in the limited attractiveness of S&E careers to U.S. students, and in the heavy focus of federal research funding on the life sciences, and we do not yet fully understand the consequences of an increasing reliance on foreign-born workers in S&E.

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