Statistics on Federal Funding of Research

Using information obtained from the National Science Foundation Web pages titled Science Statistics , several charts have been constructed to illustrate federal basic research funding trends over various periods of time. Charts indicate trends for scientific disciplines and for individual agencies.

Those charts indicating annual growth rates are calculated in constant dollars (1992) and use the formula Q = (1+r)^n*P, where Q equals the value of an investment P after n years at interest rate r. For calculations here P equals a federal obligation in a particular year, e.g., 1970, and Q equals a federal obligation in a succeeding year, e.g., 1980. In this case, n equals 10 and r is determined using the above equation.

Data compiled by Samuel M. Rankin, III, Director, AMS Washington Office,
email: smr@ams.org
August, 2000

Chart 1
Federal Obligations for Basic Research for Selected Fields; Percentage of the Total.

Chart 2
Federal Obligations for Basic Research; Percent of Total by Agency.

Chart 3
Federal Obligations for Basic Research as a Percentage of GDP.

Chart 4
NSF Obligations for Basic Research; Percentage of Total for Selected Disciplines (biology, astronomy, chemistry, physics, mathematics, and computer science).

Chart 5
NSF Obligations for Basic Research; Percentage of Total for Selected Disciplines (engineering).

Chart 6
Percentage of Total NSF Obligations for Basic Research for Selected Fields.

Chart 7
Percentage of Total DOE Obligations for Basic Research for Selected Fields.

Chart 8
Percentage of Total DOD Obligations for Basic Research for Selected Fields.

Chart 9
Annual Growth Rates for Federal Obligations for Basic Research for Selected Science and Engineering Fields, 1985-1997.

Chart 10
Annual Growth Rates for Federal Obligations for Basic Research, 1976-1997, for selected fields of science and selected agencies (1992 dollars).

Chart 11
Annual Growth Rate for Federal Obligations for Total Basic Research and for NSF Basic Research, 1970-1999.

Chart 12
Annual Growth Rate for Federal Obligations for Total Basic Research and for DOD Basic Research, 1970-1999.

Chart 13
Annual Growth Rate for Federal Obligations for Total Basic Research and for DOE Basic Research, 1977-1999.

Chart 14
Annual Growth Rate for Federal Obligations for Total Basic Research and for HHS Basic Research, 1982-1999.