Leaving the United States and working abroad: Building a framework for American scientific leadership

这项研究考察了在美国接受教育并在国外工作的科学家和工程师的职业经历和成果。美国仍然是科学、工程和高等教育领域的全球领先者。然而，相对而言，美国的地位已经下降，持续的科学领导地位不再得到保证。随着科学能力在世界其他地方的扩张，对高技能科学和工程工作者的竞争也在加剧。今天，美国高等教育处于全球科学家和工程师双向流动的中心。在美国接受教育的科学家和工程师的外流对创新和经济竞争力具有潜在的影响，但到目前为止，还没有对在美国接受教育的海外科学家进行系统的审查。这项研究通过以下方式填补了这一知识空白：(1)确定哪些科学家和工程师最有可能离开这个国家；(2)了解他们离开的原因；(3)以及他们在国外的经历。研究结果为旨在留住该国高技能科学家和工程师并最大限度地发挥他们对科学进步和创新的贡献的政策提供了具体影响。这项研究采用两个阶段的研究设计。第一阶段使用由国家科学和工程统计中心在国家科学基金会内进行的调查合并的数据。定量分析确定了在美国接受教育的科学家和工程师中，与海外居住和就业以及在美国生活和工作相关的因素。第二阶段包括收集和分析在美国接受教育的科学家和工程师的面试数据，这些科学家和工程师目前在国外的大学工作。定性样本包括在加拿大、中国、韩国和英国的大学工作的生物学家、计算机和数学科学家以及心理学家。采访数据揭示了研究人员选择离开美国的原因、他们在国外的职业经历，以及他们对美国科学和工程的全球地位的印象。这两个阶段的发现都有助于开发一个与政策相关的框架，以了解在美国接受教育的科学家和工程师的外向流动。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This study examines the career experiences and outcomes of U.S.-educated scientists and engineers who are working abroad. The U.S. remains the global leader in science and engineering and higher education. In relative terms, however, the U.S. position has declined, and continued scientific leadership is no longer guaranteed. As scientific capacity expands elsewhere in the world, competition for highly skilled science and engineering workers increases. Today, U.S. higher education is at the center of a two-way global flow of scientists and engineers. The outflow of U.S.-educated scientists and engineers holds potential implications for innovation and economic competitiveness, but, to date, there is no systematic examination of U.S.-educated scientists abroad. This study fills the knowledge gap by: (1) identifying which scientists and engineers are most likely to leave the country, (2) understanding why they leave, (3) and their experiences abroad. Findings of the study provide specific implications for policy aimed at retaining highly skilled scientists and engineers in the country and maximizing their contributions to scientific advancement and innovation. This study features a two-stage research design. Stage 1 uses data merged from surveys conducted by the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics within NSF. Quantitative analysis identifies factors associated with residence and employment abroad versus living and working in the U.S. among U.S.-educated scientists and engineers. Stage 2 involves collecting and analyzing interview data from U.S-educated scientists and engineers currently working at universities outside of the country. The qualitative sample includes biologists, computer and mathematical scientists, and psychologists, working in Canadian, Chinese, South Korean, and British universities. Interview data uncover why researchers chose to leave the U.S., their career experiences abroad, and their impressions about the global status of American science and engineering. Findings from both phases contribute to developing a policy-relevant framework for understanding out-mobility among U.S.-educated scientists and engineers.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.