Though policy-neutral, the data and reports produced by NCSES are used by policymakers when making policy decisions regarding STEM education and research funding in the U.S.

[8] The Administrative and Program Operations Groups is responsible for managerial, budget, and business process support, as well as assistance to the Office of the Director.

The Research and Develop Statistics Program is responsible for collecting and disseminating data on U.S. R&D including expenditures, infrastructure, innovation, and international comparability.

The 2020 SEI included thematic sub-reports on the following 9 areas: The WMPDSE is also a biennial report, mandated by the Science and Engineering Equal Opportunities Act (Public Law 96-516[14]), that provides information on the participation of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities in STEM education and the science and engineering workforce.

As evidenced by existing surveys, the science and engineering enterprise workforce has traditionally only included individuals with bachelor's, Master's, and/or doctorates in STEM fields.

The United States Census Bureau, however, estimates there are approximately 17 million individuals over the age of 25 who work in highly technical fields who do not possess a bachelor's degree.

Restricted-use data files that may contain information that could lead to direct or indirect identification of respondents can also be requested, but requires an application describing the intended use and approval from NCSES.

[20] Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED)[21] – The SED is likely the most well-known survey, at least to scientists in the U.S., because it is a census that collects data on the educational history, demographic characteristics, and postgraduation plans for all individuals receiving a research doctorate from an accredited U.S. institution in a given academic year.

The GSS collects data on demographic characteristics and financial support for all graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and doctorate-holding nonfaculty researchers at academic institutions in the U.S., Guam, and Puerto Rico granting research-based master's and doctoral degrees in science, engineering, and selected health fields as of the fall of the survey year.

Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDC) Research and Development Survey (FFRDC-RDS)[25] – The FFRDC-RDS, an annual census started in 2001, collects data on R&D activities at all forty-two FFRDCs as defined by the NSF Master Government List of FFRDCs.

The HERD collects data on R&D activities at all U.S. institutions of higher educations, specifically universities and colleges, that reported at least $150,000 in R&D expenditures in the prior fiscal year.

Survey of Federal Science and Engineering Support to Universities, Colleges, and Nonprofit Institutions (FSESS)[30] – The FSESS is an annual census that has collected data on all R&D activities at all nonprofit or academic institutions, specifically universities and colleges, funded by the federal government of the U.S since 1963.

Early Career Doctorates Survey (ECDS)[33] – Started in 2015 in partnership with NIH, the ECDS collects data on demographic characteristics and professional activities including achievements, research, and work-life balance for a sample of individuals who earned their first doctorate degree in the previous 10 years.

STEM Education: The Congressional Research Service is a nonpartisan public policy research institute within the Library of Congress that prepares reports for members of Congress and Congressional committees such as the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education: An Overview report[41] that includes science and engineering degree information from the SED survey.