Individuals who were employed on research grants at RU4M institutions went on to meet the demand for skilled talent in critical fields, including education, health care and technology, according to a new report from the Institute for Research on Innovation & Science (IRIS).
The Employee Profile Report follows the workforce outcomes of students, faculty, postdocs, and staff paid on research grants between 2002 and 2023 at Michigan State University, University of Michigan and Wayne State University. It provides insight into the career pathways of the research workforce, showing where former employees go after leaving the university, whether they stay in-state or move elsewhere, 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, 63,778 research-funded employees have gone on to build careers in all 50 states and the District of Columbia; approximately 42% are employed in Michigan.
“Universities don’t just produce discoveries, they develop pipelines of skilled people,” said IRIS Executive Director Jason 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.
Note: This report includes data from the University of Michigan, Michigan State University and Wayne State University. IRIS does not have data for Michigan Tech yet, but once they do, it will be included in the RU4M aggregation going forward.
About the Institute for Research on Innovation & Science (IRIS)
IRIS is a national consortium of research universities creating trusted independent data about the impact of research. Founded in 2015, IRIS is anchored by an IRB-approved data repository hosted at the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research. IRIS collects administrative data from its members to produce reports and data products that improve our ability to understand, explain, and improve the public value of research. The 2024 IRIS UMETRICS Dataset is available for researchers and contains data from more than 100 campuses nationwide. Learn more about IRIS at iris.isr.umich.edu.