General Notes
This report, volume 54 of the Federal Funds series of detailed statistical tables, presents data derived from the Survey of Federal Funds for Research and Development for fiscal years 2004–06. Data for 2004 represent completed transactions. Data for 2005 and 2006 are estimated. During the second quarter of FY 2005, surveys were sent to all federal agencies that were identified as conducting research and development programs. Thirty agencies reported R&D funding levels. The amounts reported for 2005 reflect congressional appropriation actions as of that period, as well as apportionment and reprogramming decisions as of that time. Data for 2006 represent administration budget proposals that had not been acted on at the time of the survey. Authorization, appropriation, deferral, and apportionment actions that were completed after these data were collected will be reflected in later surveys of this series. For trend comparison, use only the historical data for fiscal years 1985–2006 contained in tables 96 through 131 in this volume of the Federal Funds series. These tables incorporate changes in prior-year data made by the agencies to reflect program reclassifications. Do not use data published earlier.
R&D totals in the tables are given in both outlays and obligations. The R&D obligations data are further categorized according to character of work (basic research, applied research, and development), performer, field of science or engineering (for research but not for development), and federal R&D funding by state. Obligations for research performance at universities and colleges by fields of science or engineering are also shown, as are R&D plant data.
The amounts reported for each year are expressed in obligations or outlays incurred or expected to be incurred in that year, regardless of when the funds may have been authorized, appropriated, or received by an agency, and regardless of whether the funds are identified in an agency's budget specifically for research, development, or R&D plant.
Accuracy of the data depends in part on the federal respondents. Because many agency R&D programs are not identified as budget line items, agency officials must identify R&D and R&D plant activities within broader programs. Over the years, personnel of the participating agencies have developed increasing skill and consistency in meeting the survey requirements, and their interactions with National Science Foundation staff have considerably increased the reliability of the data.
