Boosting Minorities in Science

Abstract

Many countries are increasing investments in Science and Technology to improve their economies and the well-being of their citizens. For the United States, this priority was emphasized in the influential National Academies 2005 report Rising Above the Gathering Storm , which called for new funding to bolster education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). But this past September, the Academies reported in Expanding Underrepresented Minority Participation that the United States faces a major obstacle in fulfilling this goal. * Because the minority groups underrepresented in science and engineering are the most rapidly growing in the U.S. population, the country must develop strategies to harness this resource to grow a robust science and engineering workforce and remain globally competitive.