benchmarking mechE brief final
October 2007
Benchmarking the Competitiveness of the United
States in Mechanical Engineering Basic Research
U.S. leadership in mechanical engineering basic research is strong overall and will
continue to be strong. Contributions of U.S. mechanical engineers to journal articles will increase, but so will the contributions from other growing economies such as China and India.
At the same time, the supply of U.S. mechanical engineers is in jeopardy, because of declines
in the number of U.S. citizens obtaining advanced degrees and uncertain prospects for continuing to attract foreign students. U.S. funding of mechanical engineering basic research
and infrastructure will remain level, with strong leadership in emerging areas.
M
echanical engineering is critical to the design, manufacture, and operation of small
and large mechanical systems throughout the U.S. economy. It is often called upon
to provide scientiic and technological solutions for national problems, playing a key role in the
transportation, power generation, advanced manufacturing, and aviation industries, to mention a
few.
Much like many other science and engineering disciplines, the ield of mechanical engineering is facing issues of identity and purpose as it continues to expand beyond its traditional core
into biology, materials science, and nanotechnology. Concerns about educating students, future
employment opportunities, and the fundamental health of the discipline and industry are regular
topics of discussion in the mechanical engineering community. Before addressing questions of
how mechanical engineering must shift to meet future needs, it is imperative to understand its
current health and international standing.
This report highlights the main indings of a benchmarking exercise to rate the standing
of U.S. mechanical engineering basic research relative to other regions or countries, key factors
that inluence U.S. performance in mechanical engineering research, and near- and longer-term
projections of research leadership.
70%
US
60%
C h in a
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
19
88
19
89
19
90
19
91
19
92
19
93
19
94
19
95
19
96
19
97
19
98
19
99
20
00
20
01
20
02
20
03
20
04
20
05
20
06
Share of Mechanical Engineering Journal
Articles
Figure 1. Comparison of
U.S. and China’s percentage share of contributions
to overall mechanical
engineering journal articles,
1988-2006.
Year
The United States is among the leaders in
mechanical engineering basic research.
1200
T o ta l
1000
U .S . C itiz e n s
Number of Mechanical Engineering
Doctorate Recipients
T e m p o ra ry R e s id e n ts
Evidence for current research leaderP e rm a n e n t R e s id e n ts
ship in mechanical engineering basic research
800
U n k n o w n C itiz e n s h ip
comes from analysis of journal articles, most
600
cited articles, and virtual congresses by the
panel. Overall, the United States is among
400
the leaders in mechanical engineering basic
research. However, excellent mechanical
200
engineers throughout the world provide stiff
0
competition for the United States, especially
1975 1978 1981 1984 1987 1990 1993 1996 1999 2002 2005
in Asia and Europe. As shown in Figure 1,
Year
the United States contributed 40 percent of
mechanical engineering articles in the world. Figure 2. Earned doctoral degrees in mechanical engineering from
That number declined dramatically in 2006
U.S. institutions as a function of residency status for 1975-2005.
with the U.S. responsible for contributing only
20 percent of the articles.
Millions of Constant 2000 U.S. Dollars for
Mechanical Engineering Research
400
350
B a s ic
300
A p p lie d
250
200
150
100
50
19
86
19
87
19
88
19
89
19
90
19
91
19
92
19
93
19
94
19
95
19
96
19
97
19
98
19
99
20
00
20
01
20
02
20
03
20
04
0
F is c a l Y e a r
A combination of factors is responsible for
U.S. basic research leadership in mechanical
engineering.
U.S. research leadership in mechanical
engineering basic research is the result of a
combination of key factors, including a national
instinct to respond to external challenges and
to compete for leadership. Over the years, the
United States has been a leader in innovation as
a result of cutting-edge facilities and centers, and
a steady low of mechanical engineers (Figure 2)
and research funding (Figure 3). However, there
have been signiicant declines in basic research
funding since 1995.
Figure 3. Federal obligations for applied versus basic research in
mechanical engineering in constant 2000 U.S. Dollars, iscal year
1986-2004.
Challenges lie ahead for the future position of
mechanical engineering basic research.
The United States now holds a position
among the leaders in most areas of mechanical engineering basic research, but because of the advance of mechanical
engineering in other nations, competition is increasing and the U.S. lead will shrink. The United States is particularly
strong in areas at the interface with other disciplines. In these areas, which include bioengineering, design, and mechanics
of materials, the United States will maintain the leadership position in spite of growing competition. In some core areas
where the U.S. position is currently not as strong, such as acoustics and dynamics, dynamics and controls, computational
mechanics, and tribology, the U.S. position among the leaders may continue to fade.
This brief was prepared by the National Research Council based on a report by the Panel on Benchmarking the
Research Competitiveness of the United States in Mechanical Engineering. The report was sponsored
by the National Science Foundation. For more information, contact the Board on Chemical Sciences and
Technology at (202) 334-2156 or visit http://dels.nas.edu/bcst. Copies of Benchmarking the Competitiveness of the United States in Mechanical Engineering Basic Research are available from the National Academies Press, 500 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20001; (800) 624-6242; www.nap.edu.
Permission granted to reproduce this document with no additions or deletions.
Copyright 2007 The National Academy of Sciences
Benchmarking the Competitiveness of the United
States in Mechanical Engineering Basic Research
U.S. leadership in mechanical engineering basic research is strong overall and will
continue to be strong. Contributions of U.S. mechanical engineers to journal articles will increase, but so will the contributions from other growing economies such as China and India.
At the same time, the supply of U.S. mechanical engineers is in jeopardy, because of declines
in the number of U.S. citizens obtaining advanced degrees and uncertain prospects for continuing to attract foreign students. U.S. funding of mechanical engineering basic research
and infrastructure will remain level, with strong leadership in emerging areas.
M
echanical engineering is critical to the design, manufacture, and operation of small
and large mechanical systems throughout the U.S. economy. It is often called upon
to provide scientiic and technological solutions for national problems, playing a key role in the
transportation, power generation, advanced manufacturing, and aviation industries, to mention a
few.
Much like many other science and engineering disciplines, the ield of mechanical engineering is facing issues of identity and purpose as it continues to expand beyond its traditional core
into biology, materials science, and nanotechnology. Concerns about educating students, future
employment opportunities, and the fundamental health of the discipline and industry are regular
topics of discussion in the mechanical engineering community. Before addressing questions of
how mechanical engineering must shift to meet future needs, it is imperative to understand its
current health and international standing.
This report highlights the main indings of a benchmarking exercise to rate the standing
of U.S. mechanical engineering basic research relative to other regions or countries, key factors
that inluence U.S. performance in mechanical engineering research, and near- and longer-term
projections of research leadership.
70%
US
60%
C h in a
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
19
88
19
89
19
90
19
91
19
92
19
93
19
94
19
95
19
96
19
97
19
98
19
99
20
00
20
01
20
02
20
03
20
04
20
05
20
06
Share of Mechanical Engineering Journal
Articles
Figure 1. Comparison of
U.S. and China’s percentage share of contributions
to overall mechanical
engineering journal articles,
1988-2006.
Year
The United States is among the leaders in
mechanical engineering basic research.
1200
T o ta l
1000
U .S . C itiz e n s
Number of Mechanical Engineering
Doctorate Recipients
T e m p o ra ry R e s id e n ts
Evidence for current research leaderP e rm a n e n t R e s id e n ts
ship in mechanical engineering basic research
800
U n k n o w n C itiz e n s h ip
comes from analysis of journal articles, most
600
cited articles, and virtual congresses by the
panel. Overall, the United States is among
400
the leaders in mechanical engineering basic
research. However, excellent mechanical
200
engineers throughout the world provide stiff
0
competition for the United States, especially
1975 1978 1981 1984 1987 1990 1993 1996 1999 2002 2005
in Asia and Europe. As shown in Figure 1,
Year
the United States contributed 40 percent of
mechanical engineering articles in the world. Figure 2. Earned doctoral degrees in mechanical engineering from
That number declined dramatically in 2006
U.S. institutions as a function of residency status for 1975-2005.
with the U.S. responsible for contributing only
20 percent of the articles.
Millions of Constant 2000 U.S. Dollars for
Mechanical Engineering Research
400
350
B a s ic
300
A p p lie d
250
200
150
100
50
19
86
19
87
19
88
19
89
19
90
19
91
19
92
19
93
19
94
19
95
19
96
19
97
19
98
19
99
20
00
20
01
20
02
20
03
20
04
0
F is c a l Y e a r
A combination of factors is responsible for
U.S. basic research leadership in mechanical
engineering.
U.S. research leadership in mechanical
engineering basic research is the result of a
combination of key factors, including a national
instinct to respond to external challenges and
to compete for leadership. Over the years, the
United States has been a leader in innovation as
a result of cutting-edge facilities and centers, and
a steady low of mechanical engineers (Figure 2)
and research funding (Figure 3). However, there
have been signiicant declines in basic research
funding since 1995.
Figure 3. Federal obligations for applied versus basic research in
mechanical engineering in constant 2000 U.S. Dollars, iscal year
1986-2004.
Challenges lie ahead for the future position of
mechanical engineering basic research.
The United States now holds a position
among the leaders in most areas of mechanical engineering basic research, but because of the advance of mechanical
engineering in other nations, competition is increasing and the U.S. lead will shrink. The United States is particularly
strong in areas at the interface with other disciplines. In these areas, which include bioengineering, design, and mechanics
of materials, the United States will maintain the leadership position in spite of growing competition. In some core areas
where the U.S. position is currently not as strong, such as acoustics and dynamics, dynamics and controls, computational
mechanics, and tribology, the U.S. position among the leaders may continue to fade.
This brief was prepared by the National Research Council based on a report by the Panel on Benchmarking the
Research Competitiveness of the United States in Mechanical Engineering. The report was sponsored
by the National Science Foundation. For more information, contact the Board on Chemical Sciences and
Technology at (202) 334-2156 or visit http://dels.nas.edu/bcst. Copies of Benchmarking the Competitiveness of the United States in Mechanical Engineering Basic Research are available from the National Academies Press, 500 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20001; (800) 624-6242; www.nap.edu.
Permission granted to reproduce this document with no additions or deletions.
Copyright 2007 The National Academy of Sciences