Abstract for:Simulating the effects of unstable government funding on the resilience of the scientific research workforce

Workforce related issues in the STEM fields are of great importance and have been researched extensively. Academic research is essential to a country’s ability to remain competitive in the global economy. The future economic strength of the United States is reliant on having a productive and well-prepared scientific workforce.  Although behavioral and social science research (BSSR) is known to play a vital role in addressing health, security, and other complex challenges facing the country, most existing STEM workforce research does not consider BSS. Therefore, this study explores academic BSSR workforce demand dynamics, including various factors that influence its stability and size, by developing a simulation model framework.

Academic science workforce system behaviors attributable to fluctuations in government funding on eventual demand outcomes are considered. The primary aim of this research is to better understand how the relationship between government funding of academic science at R 1 universities effects job creation and destruction to influence overall workforce outcomes in the context of regional dynamics.

The SD model characteristics are informed by various publicly available data sources including NSF Survey of Federal Funds for Research and Development and Higher Education Research and Development Survey and U.S. Census are also used.