Work and meaning among scientists and engineers in the U.S. government: New horizons for employee retention in research and developmen

Retirement and declining student interest are contributing to a reduction in the United States science and engineering workforce. This reduction is particularly evident in the recruitment and retention of research and development (R&D) personnel in Federal service. An examination of the career paths of scientists and engineers in civil service reveals new possibilities in recruitment and retention. The methodology of this study is participatory research in which each participant is a partner in discourse oriented toward new understanding. Thirty-nine participants (senior-level: n = 18; mid-level: n = 11; entry-level: n = 10) were selected from among Federal R&D scientists and engineers in senior management, mid-management, and entry-level positions within California. Interpretation and analysis of the data were performed using critical theory, critical hermeneutics, and the new biology. Through discourse, self-reflection, critique of work, and examination of assumed meanings, participants and the researcher arrived at a fuller understanding of the meaning of work in the Federal R&D environment. While the R&D work performed by Federal scientists is self-generating, these professionals are housed under a mechanistic, stifling structure. To be able to function despite this structure, these Federal employees need for society in general to recognize their contributions. They need acknowledgement that they, to a greater extent than those outside civil service, are fulfilling the responsibilities of citizenship when they work at below-market salary levels. They need to be granted both the authority and the funding necessary to conduct research which does not necessarily result in a marketable commodity in a short time span. When appropriate, they need a solution to the problem of disparate cost-of-living levels across the United States. A mentor program would greatly ease the transition of research and job responsibilities when Federal employees retire. To ensure a viable Federal scientific workforce for the future, the goals of science-centered higher education need to be reassessed as well.