In an era of heightened global competition in science and technology and geopolitical tensions, United States leadership in science has been diminishing. The 2025 Nature Index found that in elite science journals, China accounted for 56% of the publications in 2024, whereas the US contributed only 10%. This is in stark contrast to 5 years earlier when the US still topped the ranking—but China’s surge was becoming apparent. The rapid change indicates that a remodeling of the US science ecosystem is warranted, including the creation of new paths to earning PhDs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, if the United States is to cultivate a much needed, highly skilled scientific workforce.
In 2024, the United States produced just under 46,000 science and engineering PhD graduates, an increase of only 12.8% since 2014. Although the trend is slightly upward, it is no match for the rising Chinese juggernaut. The United States needs new ways to train graduate students for the fields vital to innovation and competitiveness such as artificial intelligence, quantum science, biotechnology, advanced materials, and chemistry. Yet, in the face of uncertainty about the availability of federal research funding, some universities have scaled back or completely paused admissions to science graduate programs. At a time when breakthroughs across numerous fields are reshaping ways of life and tackling big challenges, universities must be able to focus on invigorating graduate research and training. Every effort must be made to ensure that effective programs are well funded and well suited to the changing needs of the innovation and technological work that drives growth and prosperity.
