This contract is for the conduct and data processing of the Survey of Graduate Science and Engineering Students and Postdoctorates conducted annually to yield data on the field distribution, sources and types of support, sex, citizenship, and racial/ethnic background of students enrolled in graduate programs in science and engineering fields, and on the number, sources of funding, sex, and citizenship of postdoctorates employed by institutions of higher education. The contractor will generate detailed statistical tables displaying survey results and provide technical support as needed. As part of its requirement under the National Science Foundation Act, as amended, to provide a central clearinghouse for the collection, interpretation, and analysis of data on the current and projected availability of scientific and technical resources and personnel in the United States, NSF collects and disseminates statistical data on detailed characteristics of graduate science and engineering enrollment in academic institutions. Data derived from this survey series are used by internal NSF management and the National Science Board, as well as by analysts at the Federal, State, and institutional levels to predict changes in the supply of scientists and engineers and, in combination with demand projections based on other sources, to generate early warning of possible imbalances of supply and demand.
