The National Need

An adequate, well-prepared workforce of life scientists is essential if the U.S. is to maintain its leadership in science and technology, yet our nation continues to experience a critical shortage of research life EXPRESS student scientists. Demographic changes in the U.S. complicate the task of increasing the number of life scientists. Underrepresented minority (African American, Hispanic American, and Native American) and low income students constitute the fastest growing segment of our population and their opportunities and ultimate achievements will play a major role in the social and economic success of our nation. Yet these are the very groups that are traditionally and dramatically underrepresented in biology. The National Technology Council's 2003 report Ensuring a Strong U.S. Scientific, Technical, and Engineering Workforce in the 21st Century concludes that it is clearly a compelling national interest to increase the diversity of life scientists: a strong science workforce can only be insured if increased participation by underrepresented minorities is insured. Increasing the numbers of underserved and underrepresented minority scientists in biology will also lead to more diversity in role models, leaders and teachers, and this will help to insure that future generations of biologists are even more diverse.