A committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine will conduct a study on foreign talent programs and domestic incentive programs that seek to recruit and retain top scientific researchers. The committee will assess the scientific, economic, and national security benefits of and need for these programs to the United States and its allies and partners, and the benefits of and need for these programs in other countries, in particular the People’s Republic of China and Russia. It also will consider models for such programs that advance science and innovation through international mobility while minimizing national security risks.
Specifically, the committee will examine the following areas:

• Rationales for international mobility and its role in the scientific research ecosystem;
• The range of programs (structures and incentives) and their scientific, economic, and national security impacts, including: existing U.S. incentive programs; international talent programs of U.S. allies and partners; and international talent programs of strategic competitor nations including the People’s Republic of China and Russia; and
• Implementable, model practices for U.S. programs that address human capital needs, advance scientific collaborations, and minimize national security concerns.

The committee will recommend ways to improve the effectiveness of U.S. efforts to attract and retain global scientific talent - including established researchers, scientists, technical experts, and students - to support national research capabilities, particularly in national security or defense-related fields through the use of incentive programs and relative to the U.S.'s strategic competitors.