Individuals who were employed on research grants at IRIS member universities went on to meet the demand for skilled talent in critical fields, including education, health care, and information technology, according to a new report from the Institute for Research on Innovation & Science (IRIS).
The Employee Profile Report follows the workforce outcomes of former faculty, postdocs, staff, and students paid on research grants at IRIS member universities between 2002-2024. It provides insight into the career pathways of the research workforce, showing where former employees go after leaving the university, what industries they enter, which companies hire them, and their earnings.
The data highlight the influence of university research on regional and national economies. According to the report, research-funded employees have gone on to build careers in 50 states and the District of Columbia; the top destinations for research-funded employees include Michigan (28,565), California (25,525), and New York (23,320).
According to IRIS Executive Director Jason Owen-Smith, the Employee Profile report highlights the value of understanding how research activities power the broader economy.
“Universities don’t just produce discoveries, they develop pipelines of skilled people,” said Dr. Owen-Smith. “When research-trained employees leave campus, they carry their skills into companies, communities, and industries across the country — powering private sector innovation, filling critical roles in STEM fields, and starting new businesses. IRIS reports reveal how universities act as vital engines of economic growth by moving people and ideas into the world.”
The report was produced with administrative data supplied to IRIS, a national consortium of research universities organized around an IRB-approved data repository and housed at the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan. IRIS reports do not include identifiable data on individual employees.
About IRIS
The Institute for Research on Innovation & Science (IRIS) was founded in 2015 with initial support from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Ongoing funding comes from member contributions and externally sponsored projects. IRIS was created to expand the Universities Measuring the EffecTs of Research on Innovation, Competitiveness, and Science (UMETRICS) initiative, developed in collaboration with the Committee on Institutional Cooperation. IRIS is anchored on an IRB-approved repository housed at the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research, the world’s largest academic social science survey and research organization. For more information, visit iris.isr.umich.edu or contact [email protected].