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Funding and Support Descriptions

WHERE IT COMES FROM

FY 2016 Appropriations by Account ($7,463 million)

  • 80% - Research and Related Activities (R&RA), $5,990 million
  • 12% - Education and Human Resources (EHR), $879 million
  • 5% - Agency Operations and Award Management (AOAM), $357 million
  • 3% - Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction (MREFC), $218 million
  • <1% - Office of Inspector General (OIG), $15 million
  • <1% - National Science Board (NSB), $4 million

Note: Totals may not add due to rounding. AOAM includes $27 million in transfers for NSF headquarters relocation expenses from R&RA ($24 million), EHR ($1 million), and MREFC ($2 million). MREFC includes $20 million transferred from R&RA to fund NEON construction. These transfers were authorized by P.L. 114-113, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016.

WHERE IT GOES - INSTITUTIONS FUNDED BY NSF

FY 2016 Obligations for Research and Education Programs ($7,124 million)

  • 76% - Colleges, Universities and Academic Consortia, $5,420 million
  • 15% - Private Industry (includes small businesses), $1,068 million
  • 3% - Federally Funded Research and Development Centers, $223 million
  • 6% - Other (includes federal, state and local governments; nonprofit organizations; and international organizations), $412 million

Note: Totals may not add due to rounding. NSF Research and Education Programs include Research & Related Activities, Education & Human Resources, and Major Research Equipment & Facilities Construction appropriations.

HOW IT GETS THERE - NSF AWARD MECHANISMS

FY 2016 Obligations for Research and Education Programs ($7,124 million)

  • 74% - Grants, $5,425 million
  • 22% - Cooperative Agreements, $1,541 million
  • 5% - Contracts, $337 million

Note: Totals may not add due to rounding. NSF Research and Education Programs include Research & Related Activities, Education & Human Resources, and Major Research Equipment & Facilities Construction appropriations.

HOW IT IS SPENT

Number of NSF Competitive Proposals, New Awards, and Funding Rates

FY 2012 FY 2013 FY 2014 FY 2015 FY 2016
Competitive Proposals 48,623 49,014 48,074 49,635 49,306
New Awards 11,534 10,844 10,981 12,106 11,893
Funding Rate (%) 24% 22% 23% 24% 24%

NSF Support of Academic Basic Research in Selected Fields (as a percentage of total federal support)

  • 83% - Computer Science
  • 69% - Biology
  • 68% - Social and Psychological Sciences
  • 64% - Mathematics
  • 63% - Environmental Sciences
  • 46% - Engineering
  • 45% - Physical Sciences
  • 27% - All Science and Engineering Fields

Note: Biology includes Biological Sciences and Environmental Biology. Biology and Psychological Sciences exclude National Institutes of Health funding from the total amount of federal support.