Committee on Equal Opportunities in Science & Engineering
2002 Biennial Report to Congress
Executive Summary
The Committee on Equal Opportunities in Science and Engineering (CEOSE) is charged
with advising the National Science Foundation (NSF) in its efforts to develop a competent
and diverse 21st century workforce that will ensure the continued leadership of America
in a global economy in which scientific and technological innovations play a major role.
While progress has been made in the inclusion of more members of traditionally
underrepresented groups (African-Americans, Hispanics, and American Indians/Alaskan
Natives) in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), there are still
critical areas that must be addressed. The following concerns set the tone for the
Committee’s deliberations during 2001-2002:
• Increased participation of women in science and engineering (S&E) education and
employment. While the proportion of women earning bachelor’s degrees in S&E
doubled from 1966 to 2000, the proportion remains significantly lower than that
of women earning bachelor’s degrees in non-scientific areas. Women also remain
underrepresented in the total S&E workforce.
• The failure to cultivate the vast pool of untapped talent among women and ethnic
minorities. Minorities earned only one-tenth as many S&E doctoral degrees as their
white counterparts, a shortfall that remains a concern. Additionally, even though
women comprise half of the college-educated workforce, they continue to fill only
10% of the country’s engineering jobs.
• Increased participation of underrepresented minorities in graduate S&E education.
African-Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans are as likely as whites to major
in S&E at the bachelor’s degree level, but they remain less likely to graduate from
high school, enroll in college, and graduate with a bachelor’s degree. While the
number and proportion of doctorate degrees in S&E awarded to members of these
groups have increased, the overall proportion remains low.
• Increa