{"query_echo":{"q":"","filters":{"analysis_type":["demographic study"]},"warnings":[{"code":"facet_value_not_in_vocabulary","message":"Value 'demographic study' for facet 'analysis_type' is not in the controlled vocabulary."}]},"total":{"value":1,"relation":"eq"},"page":1,"page_size":20,"self":"https://climateinsightsdirectory.org/api/v1/search?analysis_type=demographic+study","stability":"beta","ai_marking":{"digital_source_type":{"uri":"http://cv.iptc.org/newscodes/digitalsourcetype/trainedAlgorithmicMedia","name":"Created using Generative AI"},"notice":"Summary and key insights are generated using artificial intelligence."},"results":[{"id":"ucs-001074","url":"https://climateinsightsdirectory.org/document/ucs-001074","title":"Strengthening and Diversifying the Federal STEM Workforce","publisher":{"name":"Union of Concerned Scientists","organization":"union-of-concerned-scientists"},"document_type":"report","language":"en","date_published":"2023-11","source_url":"https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2023-11/Strengthening-and-Diversifying-the-Federal-Stem-Workforce%20%281%29.pdf","generator":"Climate Insights Directory","generated_fields":["summary","key_insights","climate_tags","analysis_type"],"summary":{"text":"The report analyzes the federal STEM workforce, noting that while staffing levels at agencies like the EPA and FWS returned to 2017 levels by 2022, significant capacity gaps and burnout persist. It highlights systemic underrepresentation of BIPOC, LGBTQQIA, and disabled individuals, rooted in historical injustices and maintained by barriers such as pay gaps, hostile work environments, and inefficient hiring processes. The authors recommend expanding partnerships with Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs), reforming compensation to be competitive with the private sector, and institutionalizing DEIA through data-driven accountability and inclusive organizational cultures.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ucs-001074#summary","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},"key_insights":[{"text":"Federal scientific capacity has seen a slow recovery; while STEM personnel numbers at six major agencies increased from 2017 to 2022, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) required five years to return to 2017 staffing levels.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ucs-001074#insight-1","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Despite returning to previous staffing levels, federal scientists report insufficient capacity to meet missions, with 88 percent of those noticing staff departures or hiring freezes agreeing that a lack of capacity hinders science-based missions.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ucs-001074#insight-2","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Racial and ethnic disparities persist across agencies; in 2022, FWS and NOAA showed an overrepresentation of White-identifying individuals at 85 percent, while the CDC and FDA had stronger BIPOC representation at 43 percent and 52 percent, respectively.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ucs-001074#insight-3","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Federal agencies rely heavily on non-Minority-Serving Institutions (non-MSIs) for recruitment; a sample of 500 federal scientists across five agencies revealed that only 11 percent obtained their highest degree from an MSI.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ucs-001074#insight-4","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Federal STEM workers face a compensation gap compared to the private sector, with private sector STEM workers earning approximately $2,600 more annually on average, and a 24 percent lower average salary for federal workers with professional or doctoral degrees.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ucs-001074#insight-5","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Scientists from historically marginalized groups face systemic barriers, including a lower likelihood of having their research ideas adopted by the mainstream and higher rates of workplace discrimination; 62 percent of Black, 44 percent of Latine, and 42 percent of Asian Americans reported racial or ethnic discrimination at STEM workplaces.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ucs-001074#insight-6","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"The report identifies significant barriers for LGBTQQIA and disabled scientists, noting that LGBTQQIA scientists are 30 percent more likely to experience professional devaluation and harassment, while disabled scientists face ableist design structures in laboratories.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ucs-001074#insight-7","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Political interference and the politicization of DEIA efforts have negatively impacted workforce morale, exemplified by a 2020 executive order that stopped DEIA trainings and the relocation of USDA research divisions which caused the proportion of Black staff at NIFA to drop from 47 percent to 19 percent.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ucs-001074#insight-8","date_modified":"2026-10-23"}],"climate_tags":["climate finance"],"geography_discussed":[],"frame_perspective":[],"analysis_type":["workforce analysis","policy review","demographic study"]}]}