How many people will earn research doctorates in microbiology and immunology fields in the U.S. between the 2026 and 2030 academic years?
Started
Aug 14, 2025 09:00PM UTC
Closing Aug 01, 2026 04:00AM UTC
Closing Aug 01, 2026 04:00AM UTC
This question is part of the “biotech” question series exploring biotechnology capabilities related to pandemic preparedness. See the accompanying blog post for additional context.
The number of research doctorates awarded in microbiology and immunology disciplines in the U.S. has shown an increase in recent years. This trend reflects the growing importance of these fields in addressing global health challenges, including emerging infectious diseases and the development of novel therapeutics.
The National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES) conducts the annual Survey of Earned Doctorates, which provides valuable data on trends in doctoral education at U.S. institutions across various disciplines, including microbiology and immunology. The most recent survey conducted for the 2023 academic year reported the following data on research doctorates in microbiology and immunology:
- 2021: 972
- 2022: 1,088
- 2023: 1,092
Resolution Criteria:
This is an unscored question that closes for forecasting on 1 August 2026. Although this is an unscored question, we outline the theoretical resolution criteria here.
This question will be resolved using the National Science Foundation Survey of Earned Doctorates. The correct answer range will be determined by summing the reported number of research doctorates earned in microbiology and immunology for each academic year: 2026, 2027, 2028, 2029, and 2030.