Business Enterprise Research and Development Survey (BERD)

The Business Enterprise Research and Development Survey (BERD) and its predecessors are the primary sources of information on research and development performed or funded by businesses within the United States since 1953. BERD is developed and cosponsored by the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics within the National Science Foundation and by the Census Bureau, which collects and tabulates data for the survey in accordance with an agreement between the two agencies. Results are used to assess trends in the performance and funding of business R&D. The annual survey examines a nationally representative sample of companies in manufacturing and nonmanufacturing industries. Its predecessors were the Survey of Industrial Research and Development (SIRD) (1953-2007), the Business R&D and Innovation Survey (BRDIS) (2008-16), and the Business Research and Development Survey (BRDS) (2017-18). Note that SIRD and BRDIS collected statistics for businesses with 5 or more employees. BRDS produced (and BERD produces) statistics for businesses with 10 or more employees. Beginning in survey year 2018, companies that performed or funded less than $50,000 of R&D were excluded from tabulation. In prior years, companies that performed or funded any amount of R&D were tabulated. This change has affected the comparability of these estimates to those published in prior years, although it is estimated that companies that performed or funded less than $50,000 of R&D accounted for a very small percentage of total domestic R&D. SIRD, BRDIS, and BRDS all collected data on the full range of R&D activities, but only BRDIS collected data on business innovation activities. Data on business innovation activities have been collected by the Annual Business Survey (ABS) since 2017. Statistics on the R&D activities of businesses with 1-9 employees are also collected by the ABS.

Overview: BERD
This overview provides a brief introduction to the Business Enterprise Research and Development Survey, general details on the type of information collected, and how to access the data.

Data Tables
Profiles
Science and Engineering State Profiles
State Profiles is an interactive website providing access to state-level data on science and engineering (S&E) personnel and finances and state rankings. State Profiles displays up to 7 state profiles of the user’s choice. Data are available from surveys sponsored by the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics within the National Science Foundation on employed science, engineering, or health (SEH) doctorate holders; S&E doctorates awarded, including by major S&E fields; SEH graduate students and postdoctorates; federal research and development obligations by agency and performer; state government agency R&D expenditures; total and business R&D performance; and higher education R&D performance, including by major S&E fields. Data available from other sources include population, civilian labor force, per capita personal income, federal expenditures, patents, small business innovation research awards, and gross domestic product. All data are available for download. Data cover 2003 to present.

Because of the time it takes to produce and post the Science and Engineering State Profiles data set, some source data may have been updated since these profiles were created. See the source data for the most up-to-date information.
(A): Archived Publication

InfoBriefs
Other
Special Reports
(A): Archived Publication

Definitions of Research and Development
This special publication provides definitions of research and development (R&D) from several official U.S. and international organizations. The document is designed as a reference for researchers and other users of data on R&D expenditures. In addition to definitions from National Science Foundation (NSF) surveys on R&D expenditures, the document includes definitions from regulatory, Federal procurement, and accounting sources. International sources include manuals from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the System of National Accounts.
International Investment and R&D Data Link
This series presents data from a project that links business and industrial R&D survey data from NCSES to international investment survey data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The combined data sets provide information on the R&D activities of U.S. multinational companies (MNCs) and foreign MNCs with U.S. activities.

Learn more about US Business and Industrial R&D.
National Patterns of R&D Resources
This series presents trend data on the overall research and development effort in the United States. Information includes R&D expenditures by sector of performance, source of funds, character of R&D work, R&D-to-GDP ratios, and international comparisons.
Science and Engineering Indicators
This biennial report to Congress provides a broad base of quantitative information about U.S. science, engineering, and technology.
Science and Engineering State Profiles
State Profiles is an interactive website providing access to state-level data on science and engineering (S&E) personnel and finances and state rankings. State Profiles displays up to 7 state profiles of the user’s choice. Data are available from surveys sponsored by the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics within the National Science Foundation on employed science, engineering, or health (SEH) doctorate holders; S&E doctorates awarded, including by major S&E fields; SEH graduate students and postdoctorates; federal research and development obligations by agency and performer; state government agency R&D expenditures; total and business R&D performance; and higher education R&D performance, including by major S&E fields. Data available from other sources include population, civilian labor force, per capita personal income, federal expenditures, patents, small business innovation research awards, and gross domestic product. All data are available for download. Data cover 2003 to present.

Because of the time it takes to produce and post the Science and Engineering State Profiles data set, some source data may have been updated since these profiles were created. See the source data for the most up-to-date information.
View Schedule of Release Dates

Raymond M. Wolfe
Survey Manager
National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics
(703) 292-7789

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Last Updated: January 2023