For those of us concerned with issues of underrepresented groups in the sciences, the National Science Foundation's Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED) has been a hugely important source of data. However, because of a concern about small cell sizes and confidentiality, the NSF's Science, Resources Statistics started suppressing data, primarily data related to the numbers of under represented minority women and men PhD recipients although data about women from other ethnic groups are suppressed in some fields as well.

Without these data, the SED loses most, if not all, of it's value for those of us concerned with equity issues. In response to researcher concern, NSF decided to release revised tables for the 2006 SED. The website says "SRS has released revised tables from the 2006 Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED) for the Summary Report, and Race/Ethnicity/Gender (REG) and Baccalaureate-Origin tables released by the survey contractor in previous years." They do forward the tables to anyone who requests them. So please request the tables and agree to be surveyed as to the best ways to present the data.

For those who need the STEM PhD recipient data immediately, links to the public domain tables and guides are below, but please request them from NSF anyway. NSF needs to know that we need these data.