Marvin Cassman, Ph.D., Director, National Institute of General Medical Sciences, NIH
A National Academy of Sciences (NAS) report noted that the number of new Ph.D.s awarded annually in the basic biomedical sciences is well above that needed. Prior reports have made the same argument. One was a NAS report that came out four years ago. Another was a report from the Society for Cell Biology, and the third was the Massey-Goldman Report from the Rand Corporation. The Massey-Goldman report stated that doctoral production depends more on academic production needs than on the market for Ph.D.s.
The NAS report asserts that biomedical research has two distinct job markets, one for independent investigators for whom demand is low and one for low-paid research workers for whom demand is high. The report states that NIH and other federal sponsors of research training should consider options to assist graduate departments in restricting overall expansion of Ph.D. programs.
The NAS report's critical point is that NIH should consolidate its oversight of research training and training-related activities by controlling the number of graduate students on research grants, just as we now control the number on training grants.
However, Dr. Cassman argued that there are no means of controlling the numbers of graduate students unless NIH changes the way research grants are designed in a very significant way.
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