This INSPIRE award is partially funded by Transforming Undergraduate Education in STEM Program in the Division of Undergraduate Education in the Directorate for Education and Human Resources and by the Division of Engineering Education and Centers in the Directorate for Engineering. The project is using a rigorous process of data gathering and analysis, overseen by a committee of national experts, to explore a set of questions about the career choices of those who are trained as engineers or are employed as engineers (without earning a degree in engineering) in the United States. The National Academy of Engineering, part of the National Academies, has a long track record of providing independent and trustworthy advice on matters of national interest. As globalization and economic readjustments continue to affect the ability of the United States to remain technologically competitive, the roles of engineering education and of engineers will become even more critical than they are today. A fresh look at this vital segment of the nation's innovation capability is useful for a variety of policy-making purposes.
