The value and training needs of the future research workforce is under the spotlight. In this article, I take up Ulrich and Dash's (2013) somewhat provocative invitation to engage in discussion and debate about current and future research. In my three-tiered response, I first discuss Ulrich and Dash's article, followed by my own observations about the APEC/Deloitte (2010) research report: "Skills and Competencies Needed in the Research Field: Objectives 2020," and finally, I explore, in some detail, challenges of building a (...) twentyfirst-century research workforce. (shrink)