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Funding and Support Descriptions

WHERE IT COMES FROM

FY 2019 Appropriations by Account ($8,075 million)

  • 81% - Research and Related Activities (R&RA), $6,505 million
  • 11% - Education and Human Resources (EHR), $922 million
  • 4% - Agency Operations and Award Management (AOAM), $333 million
  • 4% - Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction (MREFC), $296 million
  • < 1% - Office of Inspector General (OIG), $15 million
  • < 1% - National Science Board (NSB), $4 million

Note: Totals may not add due to rounding. $15.49 million was transferred from R&RA to EHR and AOAM, $12.0 million and $3.49 million, respectively.

WHERE IT GOES - INSTITUTIONS FUNDED BY NSF

FY 2019 Obligations for Research and Education Programs ($7,798 million)

  • 78% - Colleges, Universities and Academic Consortia, $6,079 million
  • 13% - Private Industry (includes small businesses and non-profit organizations), $998 million
  • 4% - Federally Funded Research and Development Centers, $308 million
  • 5% - Other (includes federal, state and local governments; and international organizations), $412 million

Note: Totals may not add due to rounding. NSF Research and Education Programs include R&RA, EHR, and MREFC appropriations.

HOW IT GETS THERE - NSF AWARD MECHANISMS

FY 2019 Obligations for Research and Education Programs ($7,798 million)

  • 73% - Grants, $5,655 million
  • 22% - Cooperative Agreements, $1,686 million
  • 6% - Contracts, $457 million

Note: Totals may not add due to rounding. NSF Research and Education Programs include R&RA, EHR, and MREFC appropriations.

HOW IT IS SPENT

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

 

 

FY 2015

FY 2016

FY 2017

FY 2018

FY 2019

Competitive Proposals

 

49,635

49,306

49,425

48,336

41,033

New Awards

 

12,016

11,893

11,456

11,717

11,252

Funding Rate (%)

 

24%

24%

23%

24%

27%

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

  • 87% - Computer Science
  • 67% - Biology
  • 67% - Social and Psychological Sciences
  • 67% - Mathematics
  • 64% - Environmental Sciences
  • 46% - Engineering
  • 45% - Physical Sciences
  • 25% - All Science and Engineering Fields

Note: Biology includes Biological Sciences and Environmental Biology. Biology and Psychological Sciences exclude National Institutes of Health.
Source: NSF/National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Federal Funds for Research & Development, FY 2017.