This award from the Special Projects Program of the Chemistry Division to the Board on Chemical Sciences and Technology (BCST) of the National Research Council funds an examination of the status and goals of graduate education in chemistry in the context of current societal challenges and employment opportunities for Ph.D. chemists. The BCST will convene stakeholders from academe, industry, and government to discuss these issues, and issue a summary report. This effort will provide a baseline of knowledge and opinions that can be used by NSF and other organizations as they try to optimize their support for graduate education in chemistry.
Intellectual Merit: The graduate experience is focused on developing a student's ability to formulate research questions and address them with a sound plan of research. It follows an expert/apprentice model to develop the next generation of independent chemistry researchers. As such, judgment as to the adequacy of any individual course of education at the graduate level is largely subjective, and entrusted to the thesis committee, whose members make judgments based on their experience and on their perception of the expectations of the community with respect to the abilities that a new Ph.D. should possess. This activity will examine these expectations in the light of current fiscal conditions and societal needs. It will consider whether the goals and expectations of current Ph.D. programs in chemistry are well-aligned with the current needs.
Broader Impacts: The activity will enhance the infrastructure for education by a critical evaluation of current goals of graduate education against goals and needs of employers and broader society. It will contribute to the alignment of graduate education with societal needs in commerce, sustainability, and other critical areas.
To explore and respond to the intensifying pressures that face graduate education in chemistry, the National Research Council’s Board on Chemical Sciences and Technology held a workshop in Washington, DC, on January 23-24 2012, titled "Graduate Education in Chemistry in the Context of a Changing Environment." The workshop focused on the goals of graduate education in chemistry, and whether current programs align with goals appropriate for the current era. The workshop brought together representatives from across the chemical enterprise, representing leaders and future leaders of academia, industry, and government. The goal of the workshop was not to come to conclusions, but to have an open and frank discussion about critical issues affecting chemistry graduate education. The workshop included discussions of: --Attracting and retaining the most able students to graduate education. --Financial stressors on the current support model and their implications for the future graduate education model. --Competencies needed in the changing job market for Ph.D. chemists. This includes nontraditional opportunities such as entrepreneurship, and employment in start-ups or other small businesses. It also includes changes in traditional opportunities such as the increasing off-shoring of basic chemistry research by major firms, and the evolving drug-discovery model and its impact on employment in the pharmaceutical sector. --Competencies needed to address societal problems such as energy and sustainability. Challenges in Chemistry Graduate Education: A Workshop Summary is organized into six chapters and summarizes the workshop on "Graduate Education in Chemistry in the Context of a Changing Environment." The summary is available at www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13407.
