As demands for a more advanced workforce increase, the relationship between higher education and economic success is more recognized by leaders in both academia and economic development. As Larry Walther, Director of Arkansas Department of Economic Development, stated in a recent presentation to the Blue Ribbon Committee on Higher Education, "Education is the key to economic development." Arkansas is 17 years behind the rest of the country in movement away from its dependence on manufacturing. There are dozens of reasons for this lag, but always at the top of the list are education and workforce skills. For most of us, workforce development is typically a product of associate-and baccalaureate level education; however, there is an abundance of information that indicates doctoral education and the research and development (R&D) that frequently accompany it are equally vital to a strong state economy. The purpose of this report is to provide a useful context for Coordinating Board members as they consider new doctoral program proposals and develop further strategies for the delivery of doctoral education in the state. Since the moratorium on doctoral programs expired in January 2003, the Coordinating Board has considered and approved the Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) at UAMS. Based on letters of notification and discussions with graduate faculty and staff across the state, the ADHE staff expects to receive six to eight doctoral proposals over the next few months. Appended are: (1) Progress Policy Institute New Economy Index; (2) Arkansas Research Activity Milestones; (3) Timeline for Doctoral Education; (4) Doctoral Programs Offered by Arkansas Institutions; (5) Science and Engineering Graduate Students by State and Institution; (6) Carnegie and SREB Institutional Categories; (7) Carnegie/SREB Institutional Categories for Arkansas Institutions; (8) Degrees Awarded by Arkansas Public Institutions; (9) Report on Doctoral Education, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville; and (10) UAF Graduate School Response to Doctoral Education Review.