by Michael Yamaner[1]
Current-dollar federal obligations[2] for research and development and R&D plant decreased 1% from FY 2014 to FY 2015, from $132.5 billion to $131.4 billion. Within this total, funding for research increased 1% to $63.6 billion while development funding fell 4% to $64.9 billion. R&D plant funding increased substantially (by 27%) to $2.8 billion (table 1). Federal agencies estimated an 8% total increase in FY 2016 obligations for R&D and R&D plant, to $142.6 billion, and projected a 2% increase in FY 2017 to $145.4 billion. After adjusting for inflation, total federal R&D and R&D plant obligations decreased 2% to $119.6 billion from FY 2014 to FY 2015. Constant-dollar obligations were estimated to increase 7% to $127.7 billion in FY 2016 and were projected to remain essentially flat at $128.0 billion in FY 2017 (table 1).
a To better differentiate between the part of the federal R&D budget that supports science and key enabling technologies (including technologies for military and nondefense applications) and the part that primarily supports testing and evaluation (mostly of defense-related systems), this survey collects development dollars from the Department of Defense in two categories: advanced technology development and major systems development. NOTES: Gross domestic product implicit price deflators were used to convert current to constant dollars. Detail may not sum to total due to rounding. SOURCE: National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Federal Funds for Research and Development. |
||||||||||||
Type of R&D | Current $millions | Constant 2009 $millions | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 preliminary |
2017 projected |
2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 preliminary |
2017 projected |
|||
All R&D and R&D plant | 127,291 | 132,496 | 131,398 | 142,555 | 145,408 | 119,399 | 122,195 | 119,561 | 127,692 | 127,955 | ||
R&D | 125,386 | 130,279 | 128,573 | 140,070 | 142,608 | 117,612 | 120,150 | 116,991 | 125,466 | 125,491 | ||
Research | 59,198 | 62,909 | 63,645 | 67,761 | 69,744 | 55,528 | 58,018 | 57,912 | 60,696 | 61,373 | ||
Basic | 29,779 | 31,588 | 31,527 | 33,227 | 34,323 | 27,933 | 29,132 | 28,687 | 29,763 | 30,203 | ||
Applied | 29,419 | 31,321 | 32,118 | 34,533 | 35,421 | 27,595 | 28,886 | 29,225 | 30,932 | 31,169 | ||
Development | 66,188 | 67,370 | 64,928 | 72,309 | 72,865 | 62,084 | 62,132 | 59,079 | 64,770 | 64,119 | ||
Science and technology | 13,471 | 14,313 | 15,279 | 16,339 | 16,311 | 12,636 | 13,200 | 13,903 | 14,635 | 14,353 | ||
Major systemsa | 52,717 | 53,057 | 49,649 | 55,971 | 56,554 | 49,448 | 48,932 | 45,177 | 50,135 | 49,766 | ||
R&D plant | 1,905 | 2,218 | 2,825 | 2,485 | 2,799 | 1,787 | 2,046 | 2,571 | 2,226 | 2,463 | ||
Data are from the Survey of Federal Funds for Research and Development, sponsored by the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES) within the National Science Foundation (NSF). Figures for FY 2015 are actual amounts, for FY 2016 are preliminary, and for FY 2017 are projected.
In FY 2015, research accounted for 48% of all federal obligations for R&D and R&D plant. Total federal funding for research increased by $0.7 billion in FY 2015 to $63.6 billion (table 1), led by a $0.6 billion increase from the Department of Energy (DOE) (table 2). Research funding was estimated to increase by $4.1 billion to $67.8 billion (6%) in FY 2016 and was projected to increase by $2.0 billion (3%) to $69.7 billion in FY 2017.
Basic research obligations accounted for 24% of total R&D and R&D plant funding in FY 2015 and decreased by less than 1% ($61 million) from FY 2014 (table 1). The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) accounted for almost all of the decrease with its basic research obligations falling by $928 million (6%) in FY 2015. HHS's decrease was mostly offset by increases at DOE ($385 million), NSF ($249 million), and the National Aeronautics and Aerospace Administration (NASA) ($187 million) (table 2). Funding for basic research was estimated to increase 5% to $33.2 billion in FY 2016 and was projected to increase 3% to $34.3 billion in FY 2017 (table 1).
DOD = Department of Defense; DOE = Department of Energy; HHS = Department of Health and Human Services; NASA = National Aeronautics and Space Administration; NSF = National Science Foundation; USDA = Department of Agriculture. NOTES: Gross domestic product implicit price deflators for 2015 were used to convert current to constant dollars. Detail may not sum to total due to rounding. Other agencies includes: Department of Commerce, Department of Education, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of the Interior, Department of Justice, Department of Labor, Department of State, Department of Transportation, Department of the Treasury, Department of Veterans Affairs, Agency for International Development, Appalachian Regional Commission, Consumer Product Safety Commission, Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Communications Commission, Federal Trade Commission, Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Smithsonian Institution, and Social Security Administration. SOURCE: National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Federal Funds for Research and Development. |
||||||||||||
Agency | Current $millions | Constant 2009 $millions | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 preliminary |
2017 projected |
2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 preliminary |
2017 projected |
|||
All agencies | 59,198 | 62,909 | 63,645 | 67,761 | 69,744 | 55,528 | 58,018 | 57,912 | 60,696 | 61,373 | ||
Basic | 29,779 | 31,588 | 31,527 | 33,227 | 34,323 | 27,933 | 29,132 | 28,687 | 29,763 | 30,203 | ||
Applied | 29,419 | 31,321 | 32,118 | 34,533 | 35,421 | 27,595 | 28,886 | 29,225 | 30,932 | 31,169 | ||
HHS | 29,315 | 30,587 | 30,197 | 31,816 | 32,507 | 27,497 | 28,209 | 27,477 | 28,499 | 28,605 | ||
Basic | 15,288 | 16,005 | 15,077 | 15,991 | 16,340 | 14,340 | 14,761 | 13,719 | 14,324 | 14,379 | ||
Applied | 14,026 | 14,582 | 15,120 | 15,825 | 16,167 | 13,156 | 13,448 | 13,758 | 14,175 | 14,227 | ||
DOE | 7,333 | 8,092 | 8,642 | 9,493 | 10,097 | 6,878 | 7,463 | 7,864 | 8,503 | 8,885 | ||
Basic | 3,851 | 4,075 | 4,460 | 4,604 | 4,828 | 3,612 | 3,758 | 4,058 | 4,124 | 4,249 | ||
Applied | 3,482 | 4,017 | 4,181 | 4,889 | 5,268 | 3,266 | 3,705 | 3,804 | 4,379 | 4,636 | ||
DOD | 5,955 | 6,704 | 6,691 | 7,332 | 6,939 | 5,586 | 6,183 | 6,088 | 6,568 | 6,106 | ||
Basic | 1,863 | 2,074 | 2,133 | 2,327 | 2,208 | 1,747 | 1,913 | 1,941 | 2,084 | 1,943 | ||
Applied | 4,093 | 4,631 | 4,558 | 5,005 | 4,731 | 3,839 | 4,271 | 4,147 | 4,483 | 4,163 | ||
NSF | 4,956 | 5,403 | 5,670 | 5,693 | 6,071 | 4,649 | 4,983 | 5,159 | 5,099 | 5,342 | ||
Basic | 4,362 | 4,725 | 4,974 | 4,941 | 5,258 | 4,092 | 4,358 | 4,526 | 4,426 | 4,627 | ||
Applied | 594 | 678 | 696 | 751 | 813 | 557 | 625 | 633 | 673 | 715 | ||
NASA | 5,422 | 5,336 | 5,539 | 6,179 | 6,715 | 5,086 | 4,921 | 5,040 | 5,535 | 5,909 | ||
Basic | 2,824 | 3,023 | 3,210 | 3,644 | 3,898 | 2,649 | 2,788 | 2,921 | 3,264 | 3,430 | ||
Applied | 2,598 | 2,313 | 2,330 | 2,534 | 2,816 | 2,437 | 2,133 | 2,120 | 2,270 | 2,478 | ||
USDA | 1,868 | 2,060 | 2,128 | 2,265 | 2,327 | 1,752 | 1,900 | 1,936 | 2,029 | 2,048 | ||
Basic | 844 | 908 | 924 | 974 | 998 | 792 | 837 | 841 | 872 | 878 | ||
Applied | 1,024 | 1,152 | 1,204 | 1,290 | 1,328 | 961 | 1,062 | 1,096 | 1,155 | 1,169 | ||
Other | 4,349 | 4,727 | 4,778 | 4,983 | 5,089 | 4,079 | 4,359 | 4,348 | 4,463 | 4,478 | ||
Basic | 747 | 778 | 748 | 746 | 792 | 701 | 718 | 681 | 668 | 697 | ||
Applied | 3,602 | 3,948 | 4,030 | 4,238 | 4,298 | 3,379 | 3,641 | 3,667 | 3,796 | 3,782 | ||
Applied research obligations accounted for 24% of the total federal R&D and R&D plant funding in FY 2015. Applied research obligations increased 3% ($797 million) to $32.1 billion in FY 2015 (table 1). HHS, DOE, and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) combined accounted for 95% of the FY 2015 increase (table 2). Applied research was estimated to increase by 8% to $34.5 billion in FY 2016 and was projected to increase by 3% to $35.4 billion in FY 2017 (table 1)
HHS's funding for research decreased by 1% ($390 million) to $30.2 billion in FY 2015 but still was the largest agency share (47%) of the research total. HHS estimated a 5% increase in research obligations in FY 2016 and projected a 2% increase in FY 2017. It reported a 48% to 52% split between basic research and applied research, respectively, in FY 2013 and FY 2014. Beginning in FY 2015 and projected to continue through FY 2017 the basic research and applied research split is reported at 50% of total for each (table 2). In FY 2015, HHS accounted for 83% of the $30.5 billion of federal funding for the life sciences (table 3).
* = amount greater than 0 but less than 500,000. DOD = Department of Defense; DOE = Department of Energy; HHS = Department of Health and Human Services; NASA = National Aeronautics and Space Administration; NSF = National Science Foundation; nec = not elsewhere classified; USDA = Department of Agriculture. a Other sciences nec is used for multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary projects that cannot be classified within one of the broad fields of science. NOTES: Detail may not sum to total due to rounding. Other includes the following agencies: Department of Commerce, Department of Education, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of the Interior, Department of Justice, Department of Labor, Department of State, Department of Transportation, Department of the Treasury, Department of Veterans Affairs, Agency for International Development, Appalachian Regional Commission, Consumer Product Safety Commission, Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Communications Commission, Federal Trade Commission, Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Smithsonian Institution, and Social Security Administration. SOURCE: National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Federal Funds for Research and Development, FYs 2015–17. |
||||||||
Field | All agencies | HHS | DOD | DOE | NSF | NASA | USDA | Other |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
All fields | 63,645 | 30,197 | 6,691 | 8,642 | 5,670 | 5,539 | 2,128 | 4,778 |
Life sciences | 30,473 | 25,164 | 785 | 394 | 702 | 318 | 1,756 | 1,353 |
Engineering | 11,956 | 1,489 | 2,714 | 3,715 | 998 | 2,068 | 53 | 919 |
Physical sciences | 6,510 | 109 | 788 | 2,741 | 911 | 1,490 | 83 | 387 |
Environmental sciences | 4,414 | 454 | 177 | 326 | 1,199 | 1,270 | 18 | 971 |
Computer sciences and mathematics | 3,863 | 191 | 1,276 | 1,017 | 1,047 | 96 | 8 | 229 |
Other sciences neca | 3,299 | 792 | 864 | 449 | 591 | 275 | 0 | 329 |
Psychology | 1,995 | 1,769 | 70 | 0 | 34 | 21 | 0 | 100 |
Social sciences | 1,136 | 228 | 19 | * | 187 | 1 | 211 | 489 |
DOE's obligations for research rose 7% to $8.6 billion in FY 2015, were estimated to increase 10% in FY 2016, and were projected to increase 6% in FY 2017. Of DOE's FY 2015 research obligations, 52% were for basic research and 48% for applied research (table 2). Most of this funding was slated to support research in engineering ($3.7 billion) and in the physical sciences ($2.7 billion), which together account for three-fourths of the department's total research funding in FY 2015 (table 3).
Department of Defense (DOD) research funding decreased slightly ($12 million) in 2015, to $6.7 billion. Its research obligations were estimated to increase 10% in FY 2016 but were projected to decrease by 5% in FY 2017. DOD's share of total FY 2015 federal funding for research was 11% ($6.7 billion) (table 2). DOD reported that 41% ($2.7 billion) of its FY 2015 research funding supported engineering and 19% ($1.3 billion) supported computer sciences and mathematics (table 3).
NSF obligations for research grew by 5% to $5.7 billion in FY 2015, were estimated to increase slightly by $23 million in FY 2016, and were projected to increase 7% in FY 2017 (table 2). Almost all (88%) of NSF's research obligations in FY 2015 supported basic research. NSF's research support is spread more evenly than that of other agencies across multiple fields. Of total FY 2015 NSF research funding, 21% was for environmental sciences ($1.2 billion), 18% for mathematics and computer science ($1.0 billion), 18% for engineering ($1.0 billion), 16% for physical sciences ($0.9 billion), and 12% for life sciences ($0.7 billion) (table 3).
Federal funds obligated for research by NASA increased 4% to $5.5 billion in FY 2015, were estimated to increase 12% in FY 2016, and were projected to increase 9% in FY 2017 (table 2). NASA provided 87% of its total FY 2015 research funding in support of three fields: engineering ($2.1 billion), physical sciences ($1.5 billion), and environmental sciences ($1.3 billion) (table 3).
The ten states that received the most federal R&D funding in FY 2015 through businesses, universities, federal labs, and all other institutions combined accounted for 57% ($71.7 billion) of total FY 2015 federal R&D obligations. Maryland, home of HHS's National Institutes of Health (NIH), was the top state recipient at $16.8 billion and received 48% of its funding from HHS. California was the second highest recipient at $15.3 billion and received most of its funding (93%) from DOD, DOE, HHS and NASA. Virginia ranked third, receiving $7.5 billion in federal R&D obligations, with 77% coming from DOD in FY 2015 (table 4).
DHS = Department of Homeland Security; DOC = Department of Commerce; DOD = Department of Defense; DOE = Department of Energy; DOI = Department of the Interior; DOT = Department of Transportation; EPA = Environmental Protection Agency; HHS = Department of Health and Human Services; NASA = National Aeronautics and Space Administration; NSF = National Science Foundation; USDA = Department of Agriculture. a Includes America Samoa, Baker Island, Guam, Howland Island, Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Islands, Navassa Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Palmyra Atoll, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Wake Island. NOTES: Detail may not sum to total due to rounding. Eleven agencies are required to report data for this section of the survey: the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, the Interior, and Transportation; the Environmental Protection Agency; the National Aeronautics and Space Administration; and the National Science Foundation. Obligations of these 11 agencies represented 98% of total federal R&D obligations in FY 2015. The totals reported here differ from the those in Table 1 because only 11 agencies are required to report these data. Geographic distribution of DOD development funding to industry reflects location of prime contractors and not the numerous subcontractors who perform much of the R&D. SOURCE: National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Federal Funds for Research and Development, FYs 2015–17. |
|||||||||||||
Rank | State or location | Total | DHS | DOC | DOD | DOE | DOI | DOT | EPA | HHS | NASA | NSF | USDA |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
All locations | 125,846 | 731 | 1,330 | 60,891 | 11,389 | 800 | 855 | 515 | 30,006 | 11,344 | 5,648 | 2,337 | |
1 | Maryland | 16,751 | 72 | 708 | 5,727 | 52 | 85 | 26 | 16 | 7,983 | 1,608 | 291 | 182 |
2 | California | 15,281 | 66 | 26 | 5,983 | 2,148 | 67 | 39 | 11 | 3,402 | 2,643 | 762 | 134 |
3 | Virginia | 7,487 | 90 | 14 | 5,778 | 153 | 96 | 171 | 59 | 364 | 554 | 186 | 22 |
4 | Massachusetts | 6,055 | 78 | 33 | 2,764 | 141 | 12 | 58 | 16 | 2,372 | 178 | 377 | 26 |
5 | Texas | 5,574 | 19 | 8 | 2,371 | 104 | 22 | 34 | 7 | 961 | 1,691 | 273 | 85 |
6 | New York | 4,567 | 31 | 23 | 935 | 1,000 | 12 | 21 | 5 | 1,996 | 103 | 395 | 47 |
7 | Alabama | 4,538 | 5 | 1 | 2,924 | 29 | 2 | 13 | 0 | 295 | 1,220 | 23 | 26 |
8 | District of Columbia | 4,222 | 48 | 33 | 2,385 | 604 | 22 | 132 | 76 | 231 | 143 | 192 | 356 |
9 | Pennsylvania | 3,710 | 3 | 3 | 1,245 | 563 | 4 | 25 | 1 | 1,525 | 34 | 241 | 66 |
10 | New Mexico | 3,543 | 47 | 4 | 1,120 | 2,156 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 95 | 37 | 60 | 13 |
All other states or locationsa,b | 54,118 | 272 | 478 | 29,658 | 4,440 | 472 | 333 | 322 | 10,783 | 3,132 | 2,847 | 1,380 | |
The 27 federal agencies that report R&D obligations to the Survey of Federal Funds for Research and Development submitted actual obligations for FY 2015, preliminary data for FY 2016, and projected data for FY 2017. Data were requested from agencies beginning in February 2016. Agencies later revise the preliminary data based on actual changes in the funding levels of R&D programs, and agencies may provide changes in prior-year data to reflect program reclassifications or other data corrections.
Basic research is defined as systematic study directed toward fuller knowledge or understanding of the fundamental aspects of phenomena and of observable facts without specific applications toward processes or products in mind.
Applied research is defined as systematic study to gain knowledge or understanding necessary to determine the means by which a recognized and specific need may be met.
Development is defined as systematic application of knowledge or understanding that is directed toward the production of useful materials, devices, and systems or methods, including design, development, and improvement of prototypes and new processes to meet specific requirements.
Obligations represent the amounts for orders placed, contracts awarded, services received, and similar transactions during a given period, regardless of when the funds were appropriated and of when future payment of money is required.
The full set of detailed tables from this survey will be available in the report Federal Funds for Research and Development: Fiscal Years 2015–17 at https://www.nsf.gov/statistics/fedfunds/. Individual detailed tables may be available in advance of the full report. For more information, please contact the author.
[1] Michael Yamaner, Research and Development Statistics Program, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, National Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 965, Arlington, VA 22230 (myamaner@nsf.gov; 703-292-7815).
[2] Obligations represent the amounts for orders placed, contracts awarded, services received, and similar transactions during a given period, regardless of when the funds were appropriated and when future payment of money is required.