The Pathways to STEM Careers workshop held at NSF in October, 2003 provided an opportunity for the relevant communities to explore the extent to which the existing knowledge base on STEM workforce issues can inform the creation of such pathways. The primary purpose of the workshop was to critically examine the goals of the Workforce for the 21st Century priority area. The workshop provided an opportunity for the relevant communities to explore the existing knowledge base on the STEM workforce. It is recognized that many institutions and alliances of institutions have implemented activities that serve as elements of pathways to STEM careers. To highlight this issue, a special emphasis was placed on examining integrative institutional collaborations. At the same time, it identified topics for research on the STEM workforce that have the potential to inform the design of such collaborations and pathways or answer questions about their effectiveness. In particular, the workshop focused on the future, using extant knowledge of past and present efforts to achieve the priority area's goals to provide new directions.