Foreign Ph.D.s trained at U.S. universities are less likely than their American counterparts to work in start-up companies, according to a new study published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The study is based on a survey of 2,324 foreign and American doctoral degree holders who studied STEM fields at U.S. research universities. Among Ph.D.s whose first job is in industrial research and development, just 6.8 percent of foreign Ph.D.s work in a start-up, compared to 15.8 percent of U.S. Ph.D.s. Foreign Ph.D.s are as likely as American Ph.D.s to apply for and receive offers for start-up jobs but are 56 percent less likely to work at a start-up upon receiving an offer.
