Front Matter

January 15, 2018

MEMORANDUM FROM THE CHAIR OF THE NATIONAL SCIENCE BOARD

TO: The President and Congress of the United States

SUBJECT: Science and Engineering Indicators 2018

As Chair of the National Science Board (Board), it is my honor to transmit, on behalf of the Board, Science and Engineering Indicators (Indicators) 2018. The Board submits this biennial report “on indicators of the state of science and engineering in the United States” as required by 42 U.S.C. § 1863 (j) (I). The Indicators series provides a broad base of unbiased, quantitative information about the U.S. science and engineering (S&E) enterprise for use by policymakers, researchers, and the public.

The digital report includes information on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education at all levels; the scientific and engineering workforce; U.S. and international research and development performance; U.S. competitiveness in high-technology industries; and public attitudes and understanding of S&E. The report synthesizes several key indicators of the strength of U.S. science and technology in an “Overview of the State of the U.S. S&E Enterprise in a Global Context.” Indicators 2018 also includes an interactive, online tool that enables state comparisons on a variety of S&E indicators.

For the 2018 edition, the Board has introduced a new chapter on “Invention, Knowledge Transfer, and Innovation.” This chapter provides data and analysis on several key questions: how does innovation happen; how do we measure it; who are the major players; and how does innovation diffuse through society and economies to contribute to economic growth?

The Board hopes that the Administration and Congress find the information and analysis in the report useful and timely for the planning of national priorities, policies, and programs in science and technology.

Maria T. Zuber

Chair

National Science Board