Too Many Scientists?

By most indications, the U.S. university system is producing more PhDs than the market for research positions demands given current levels of funding for research, both by government and by the private sector. A major reason for this overproduction is that demand is based on the need to staff labs of faculty researchers with graduate students and postdocs, not upon demand for future researchers. While in certain fields, such as engineering and the physical sciences, a substantial component of this is cyclical, in the field of biomedical sciences it is arguably chronic and has been so at least for thirty-five years. Stephan's seminar will present an overview of how the U.S. university research system has evolved into such a situation and explore possible ways to address the issue. Stephan will also discuss the role of foreign born in U.S. science and the contribution of the foreign born to U.S. science.