FFRDC Research and Development Survey
As part of NCSES's ongoing website redesign project, the FFRDC Research and Development Survey page has been reimagined. Beginning in May 2023, only survey data published from the 2021 cycle or earlier will be available on this page. Data from all subsequent cycles will be published on our new FFRDC Research and Development Survey page.
The FFRDC Research and Development Survey is the primary source of information on separately accounted for R&D expenditures at federally funded research and development centers (FFRDCs) in the United States. Conducted annually for university-administered FFRDCs since FY 1953 and all FFRDCs since FY 2001, the survey collects information on R&D expenditures by source of funds and types of research and expenses. The survey is an annual census of the full population of eligible FFRDCs. See https://www.nsf.gov/statistics/ffrdclist/ for the Master Government List of FFRDCs maintained by the National Science Foundation.
Survey Description
Questionnaires
- FFRDC Research and Development Expenditures: Fiscal Year 2021
Data Tables | NSF 22-332 | July 29, 2022 - FFRDC Research and Development Expenditures: Fiscal Year 2020
Data Tables | NSF 22-304 | October 12, 2021 - FFRDC Research and Development Expenditures: Fiscal Year 2019
Data Tables | NSF 21-307 | November 19, 2020 - FFRDC Research and Development Survey: Fiscal Year 2012(A)
Detailed Statistical Tables | NSF 14-302 | January 29, 2014 - FFRDC Research and Development Expenditures: Fiscal Year 2011(A)
Detailed Statistical Tables | NSF 13-315 | March 25, 2013 - FFRDC Research and Development Expenditures: Fiscal Year 2010(A)
Detailed Statistical Tables | NSF 12-319 | June 5, 2012 - FFRDC Research and Development Expenditures: Fiscal Year 2009(A)
Detailed Statistical Tables | NSF 11-314 | May 12, 2011 - FFRDC Research and Development Expenditures: Fiscal Year 2008(A)
Detailed Statistical Tables | NSF 10-310 | March 10, 2010 - See more in R&D Expenditures at Federally Funded R&D Centers →
(A): Archived Publication
- Federally Funded R&D Centers Report 13% Increase in R&D Spending in FY 2023
InfoBriefs | NSF 24-330 | July 15, 2024 - Federally Funded R&D Centers Spent $26.5 Billion on R&D in FY 2022
InfoBriefs | NSF 23-348 | September 6, 2023 - Federally Funded R&D Centers Report 6% Increase in R&D Spending in FY 2021
InfoBriefs | NSF 22-334 | July 28, 2022 (Revised: July 29, 2022) - Federally Funded R&D Centers Report 3% Increase in R&D Spending in FY 2020
InfoBriefs | NSF 22-302 | October 12, 2021 - R&D Spending at Federally Funded R&D Centers Increased by Largest Amount Since 2010
InfoBriefs | NSF 21-306 | November 19, 2020 - R&D Spending at Federally Funded R&D Centers Surpassed $21 Billion in FY 2018(A)
InfoBriefs | NSF 20-306 | January 14, 2020 - R&D Spending at Federally Funded R&D Centers Increases for Fourth Consecutive Year in FY 2017(A)
InfoBriefs | NSF 19-311 | March 7, 2019 - Federally Funded R&D Centers Continue Increase to $19.2 Billion in R&D Spending in FY 2016(A)
InfoBriefs | NSF 18-301 | February 21, 2018 - Federally Funded R&D Centers Rebound to $18.5 Billion in R&D Spending in FY 2015
InfoBriefs | NSF 17-314 | March 7, 2017 - Federally Funded R&D Centers Report Little Growth in R&D Spending in FY 2014(A)
InfoBriefs | NSF 16-307 | February 29, 2016 - Majority of Federally Funded R&D Centers Report Declines in R&D Spending in FY 2013(A)
InfoBriefs | NSF 15-319 | April 16, 2015 - Federally Funded R&D Centers Report Declines in R&D Spending in FY 2012(A)
InfoBriefs | NSF 14-308 | January 27, 2014 - Federally Funded R&D Centers Spend $17.8 Billion on R&D in FY 2011(A)
InfoBriefs | NSF 13-316 | March 25, 2013 - ARRA Funding Raises R&D Expenditures within Federally Funded R&D Centers 11% to $16.8 Billion in FY 2010(A)
InfoBriefs | NSF 12-315 | March 30, 2012 - R&D Expenditures at Federally Funded R&D Centers Reach $15.2 Billion in FY 2009(A)
InfoBriefs | NSF 11-310 | March 2, 2011 - NSF Releases Statistics on R&D Expenditures in FY 2008 by Federally Funded R&D Centers(A)
InfoBriefs | NSF 10-325 | August 11, 2010 - See more in R&D Expenditures at Federally Funded R&D Centers →
- See more in R&D Expenditures at Federally Funded R&D Centers →
- Publications Output: U.S. Trends and International Comparisons
Special Reports | NSB 2021-4 | October 28, 2021 - Science and Technology: Public Perceptions, Awareness, and Information Sources
Special Reports | NSB 2022-7 | May 4, 2022 - The STEM Labor Force of Today: Scientists, Engineers, and Skilled Technical Workers
Special Reports | NSB 2021-2 | August 31, 2021 - Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering: 2017
Special Reports | NSF 17-310 | January 30, 2017 - Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering: 2015(A)
Special Reports | NSF 15-311 | January 30, 2015 - Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering: Data Update
Special Reports | NSF 13-304 | October 31, 2014 - Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering: Data Update
Special Reports | NSF 13-304AB | November 14, 2013 - See more in R&D Expenditures at Federally Funded R&D Centers →
(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.
- Master Government List of Federally Funded R&D Centers
- This series presents the master government list of federally funded research and development centers. The most recent Master Government List of FFRDCs can be found at http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/ffrdclist/.
- Postdoctorates at Federally Funded R&D Centers
- This series provides data on the demographic characteristics, research fields, and sources of support of postdoctoral researchers (postdocs) employed at federally funded R&D centers (FFRDCs).
- Science and Engineering Indicators
- This biennial report to Congress provides a broad base of quantitative information about U.S. science, engineering, and technology.
Michael T. Gibbons
Survey Manager
National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics
(703) 292-4590
Last Updated: July 2024
