National Science Board Advances Indicators 2026 Report: Translation to Impact

Wednesday, March 12, 2025
On February 27, the National Science Board (NSB) Committee on Science and Engineering Policy (SEP) convened to discuss and vote on the Detailed Narrative Outline for the Indicators 2026 report, "Translation to Impact." NSB is mandated to prepare the biennial Science and Engineering Indicators (Indicators) report, which is submitted to the President and Congress every even-numbered year. Prepared by the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES), Indicators provides insights into the state of the U.S. science and engineering (S&E) enterprise over time and in a global context.

During the meeting, NCSES report authors presented the outline for Indicators 2026: Translation to Impact – U.S. and Global Science, Technology, and Innovation Output. This report will analyze domestic and global trends in invention, technology transfer, business start-ups, trade, and production within R&D-intensive industries. It will include supplementary data files and a new Indicators Data Tool, set to launch alongside the summary report in March 2026.

The report will be structured into five key sections:

• Introduction
• Technology Transfer
• Innovation
• Business Dynamics and Investment
• Production and International Trade

Additionally, Indicators 2026 will incorporate key output and spending indicators from two 2024 Science & Engineering Indicators (SEI) thematic reports:

• Invention, Knowledge Transfer, and Innovation (INV)
• Production and Trade of Knowledge- and Technology-Intensive Industries (KTI)

Following a robust discussion, the NSB Committee on SEP voted to approve the outline. The next step is for the authors to finalize the draft report, which will undergo committee and board review as part of the external review stage. Indicators 2026: "Translation to Impact" is expected to be released in January 2026.

A recording of the presentation is available on YouTube.