Role of the National Science foundation in Economic Competitiveness: Statement and Committee Report.

摘要

The S&E talent and knowledge produced by academic research form crucial building blocks to innovation that improve the quality of life for our Nation’s citizens, create jobs and in some cases even new industries, and are vital to maintaining U.S. global leadership in S&E.1 The focus of this companion report to Science and Engineering Indicators 2012 (Indicators) is public research universities, which are subject to greater financial and legislative pressure than private counterparts. Nevertheless, the health of the research university system and the overall higher education system relies on the strength of all of its component parts. Public research universities are research intensive,2 doctorate-granting institutions that receive a share of funding from state and local appropriations3 and serve as a critical component of the overall higher education landscape. Though relatively small in number, these universities enroll a disproportionately large number of students at the undergraduate and graduate levels and maintain relatively low tuition when compared with equivalent private universities. They perform over half of academic research and development (R&D) and yield many potential gains for state and local economies, including the creation of hundreds of start-up companies annually. Public research universities also provide a number of services to their states, such as improving access to cutting-edge medical care and contributing to the protection of natural resources at the state and local level.