This InfoBrief presents findings from the Survey of Doctorate Recipients (SDR), which is conducted by the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics within the U.S. National Science Foundation and cosponsored by the National Institutes of Health. The latest wave of the SDR was conducted in 2023 and included new questions related to retirement and volunteering, providing an opportunity to understand U.S.-trained doctorate holders in science, engineering, and health fields, including their ongoing contribution to the workforce postretirement and the capacity to return to work for those who have fully retired.

Tables from the 2023 Survey of Doctorate Recipients (SDR) present data on the demographic characteristics, labor force status, occupations, employment sector, and median annual salaries of individuals with a U.S. research doctoral degree in a science, engineering, or health (SEH) field. The 2023 cycle of the SDR also asked respondents ages 55 to 75 questions about retirement and volunteering and about physical health and capacity to work either full or part time for those who were not working. The SDR is sponsored by the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics within the U.S. National Science Foundation and by the National Institutes of Health.

Between 2022 and 2023, the enrollment of graduate students in science, engineering, and health (SEH) fields continued its multiyear increase. The combined total of full-time and part-time students in master’s and doctoral degree SEH programs increased by 2.4%, from 798,534 in 2022 to 818,095 in 2023. The numbers of overall postdoctoral appointees rose 4.9% between 2022 and 2023, from 62,750 to 65,850. These and other findings in this report are from the 2023 Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering, conducted by the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics within the U.S. National Science Foundation and by the National Institutes of Health.

This report presents data from the 2023 Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering, sponsored by the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics within the U.S. National Science Foundation and by the National Institutes of Health. The tables show trends within science, engineering, and selected health fields on graduate student enrollment, postdoc appointments, and doctorate-holding nonfaculty researchers, as well as counts by selected characteristics, such as sex, ethnicity, race, citizenship, field of study, and source of financial support.

These tables highlight data from the new National Training, Education, and Workforce Survey (NTEWS) Pilot, which focuses on the skilled technical workforce—individuals in occupations that require a high level of technical knowledge and skill but not a bachelor’s degree to enter. The NTEWS Pilot is a nationally representative survey of the U.S. population ages 16 through 75 and expands knowledge of the U.S. workforce, including data on work-related credentials. The National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics within the U.S. National Science Foundation and the National Center for Education Statistics within the U.S. Department of Education sponsor the NTEWS Pilot

These tables release data from the 2023 National Survey of College Graduates (NSCG). The NSCG, conducted by the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics within the U.S. National Science Foundation, is a repeated cross-sectional biennial survey that collects information on the nation’s college-educated workforce. This survey is a unique source for examining the relationship between degree field and occupation, as well as examining other characteristics of college-educated individuals, including work activities, salary, and demographic information.

Latest visualizations from the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics using data from the 2022 Annual Business Survey: Data Year 2021 and the 2021 Business Enterprise Research and Development Survey on artificial intelligence (AI) and impact of AI on employees.

This publication releases data on the amount and condition of science and engineering research space at research-performing U.S. colleges and universities. The tables include information on research space, new construction, deferred construction, and repair and renovation projects, all by field, state, and type of academic institution. These data are from the FY 2023 Survey of Science and Engineering Research Facilities, conducted by the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics within the U.S. National Science Foundation.

U.S. research-performing universities and colleges reported 240.2 million net assignable square feet (NASF) of science and engineering (S&E) research space in FY 2023, an increase of 4 million NASF from FY 2021. Research space is a key component in the infrastructure that enabled $102 billion in higher education S&E research in FY 2023. The reported increase in FY 2023 research space was the third lowest since FY 1990. The federal share of S&E research space funding has been 3% or less since FYs 2016–17. These data are from the Survey of Science and Engineering Research Facilities, conducted by the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES) within the U.S. National Science Foundation.

This report contains data on the budget authority provided to U.S. federal agencies to fund the research and development (R&D) and R&D plant components of their programs in FYs 2023–25. FY 2023 numbers are final budget authority, FY 2024 numbers are preliminary and based on the annualized continuing resolution, FY 2025 numbers are from the president’s proposed budget. The tables in this report provide this budget authority detail, by agency and major programs, for each of the government budget functions in which R&D is present. Several concluding tables also show budget authority data for R&D in earlier years. Data were compiled by the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics within the U.S. National Science Foundation.