The Business Cost of the Shrinking STEM Research Pipeline

As immigration barriers mount and global competition for researchers intensifies, U.S. businesses face a critical talent shortage that threatens technological competitiveness. Here's what companies need to do now.

- By Chris Carr and Dave Christy

THE UNITED STATES’ DOMINANCE in STEM research and innovation is at a critical crossroads as the country’s STEM research industry faces unprecedented erosion that will be difficult to reverse. At the heart of this challenge lies a growing crisis in human capital: the weakening pipeline of international doctoral talent that has historically powered both university research graduate programs and U.S. technological innovation. While U.S. businesses have long relied on immigrants with doctorate degrees to drive breakthroughs in fields such as artificial intelligence and pharmaceuticals, this vital talent flow is now drying up in the face of growing challenges. Global competition for top researchers is intensifying just as U.S. immigration barriers are mounting, creating a perfect storm that threatens the country’s competitive edge and the ability of U.S. businesses to remain at the cutting edge of technology. Although the drivers of this decline are primarily in the realm of public policy, swift action from the business community can help protect and strengthen this talent pipeline.

In this article, we outline five concrete steps U.S. businesses can take to protect their access to critical science, technology, engineering, and math talent. But first, it helps to understand the causes of the current decline.

Factors Affecting the STEM Talent Shortage

There are two key issues affecting U.S. universities’ access to graduate students from abroad and, in turn, industry's access to innovative ideas and R&D talent.