The National Academies will perform a benchmarking exercise to determine the standing of the U.S. research enterprise relative to its international peers in chemistry, chemical engineering and mechanical engineering.
Methods Following the process established in Experiments in International Benchmarking of U.S. Research Fields (The National Academies Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy, 2000), U.S. chemistry, chemical engineering, and mechanical engineering research will be benchmarked by appropriate panels which will consider both quantitative and qualitative measures of the status of each discipline. Each benchmarking exercise will address the following: __What is the position of US research in the field relative to that in other regions or countries? __What are the key factors influencing relative US performance in the field (i.e., human resources, equipment, infrastructure, etc.)? __On the basis of current trends in the United States and worldwide, extrapolate to the US relative position in the near and longer-term future.
Benchmarking panels of approximately 10 individuals will be appointed for each of the three disciplines. Benchmarking measures to be used by each panel may include: __The "virtual congress." Panel asks leading experts internationally to identify the "best of the best" who they would invite if asked to put together the leading conference in their subfield. __Citation analysis. __Journal-publication analysis (submissions by US authors versus non-US authors). __Quantitative data analysis, i.e. trends in number of degrees, employment, etc. __Prize analysis. __International congress speakers.
A brief report detailing the conclusions and their basis will be produced by each panel.
Intellectual Merit of the Proposed Activity Before addressing questions of how these disciplines must shift to meet future needs, it is imperative to understand where the disciplines currently are with respect to their health and international standing. No exercise comparing the quality and health of the US research enterprise in the specific fields of chemistry, chemical engineering, or mechanical engineering has been conducted in recent years, if ever.
Broader Impacts of the Proposed Activity The proposed activity will enhance the infrastructure for research and education by providing policy makers, funders, and leaders of the respective communities with quality information and judgments to guide future investments and programs.
