Science Resources Studies Division

DATA BRIEF

Directorate for

Social, Behavioral

and Economic

Sciences

National Science Foundation

Federally financed

academic R&D

growth held firm in

FY 1994.

Vol. 1996, No. 1, February 2, 1996

Electronic

Dissemination

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by M. Marge

Machen

Academic R&D Expenditures Outpace

Inflation in FY 1994

A

cademic expenditures for total sepa-

 rately budgeted research and development (R&D) activities in the sciences and engineering (S&E) reached $21 billion dollars

in FY 1994—an increase of nearly 6 percent

from 1993 levels. When adjusted for inflation, academic R&D spending grew almost 4

percent, matching the average annual rate of

real growth during the last 5 years.

Federally financed spending for separately

budgeted R&D expenditures increased by

almost 6 percent (4 percent in constant

dollars) in 1994 to a total of $12.7 billion.

The Federal Government provided 60 percent

of the research dollars expended at universities and colleges in FY 1994, the same

proportion reached in 1993, indicating a

leveling after a period of slow decline since

1983, when the Federal share was 63 percent

of total.

R&D spending from non-Federal sources

reached $8.4 billion in FY 1994, an increase

of more than 5 percent (3 percent in constant

dollars). Non-Federal sources, while accounting for only two-fifths of all academic

R&D spending, have for years experienced

the fastest rates of growth of all spending

sources. Gains in institutional funds and in

the catchall "all other sources" category

(including private foundations and voluntary

sources) each rose 7 percent, whereas

funding from industry rose 5 percent. Of all

the non-Federal sources, only State and local

governments reported little growth in university R&D support (less than 0.5 percent) in

FY 1994 (table 1).

Academic institutions have historically

devoted approximately two-thirds of their

R&D efforts to the performance of basic

research, a trend that was uninterrupted in

1994. Academic basic research funds rose 6

percent in 1994 (4 percent in constant

dollars), to $14.1 billion. The Federal share —

Table 1. R&D expenditures at universities 

and colleges, by source of funds

[Millions of dollars]

Fiscal Fiscal Fiscal

 Source and field Year Year Year

1994 1993 1984

 Total..................................... $21,081 $19,940 $8,620

 (In 1987 dollars)1/................... 16,811 16,211 9,483

 Source of funds:

 Federal Government................. 12,661 11,956 5,431

 State and 

 local governments.............. 1,562 1,559 690

 Industry................................ 1,430 1,361 475

 Institutional funds................... 3,838 3,578 1,411

 All other sources.................... 1,590 1,486 613

 Character of work:

 Basic research....................... 14,095 13,302 5,733

 Applied research and

 development.......................... 6,986 6,638 2,887

1/ Based on the gross domestic product implicit price deflator.

NOTE: Because of rounding, figures may not add to the

 total shown.

SOURCE: National Science Foundation/SRS, Survey of 

 Scientific and Engineering Expenditures at 

 Universities and Colleges, Fiscal Year 1994

$8.9 billion—accounted for 63 percent of the

basic research total. Combined applied

research and development activities totaled

$7.0 billion, up 5 percent between 1993 and

1994.

R&D expenditures increased faster than the 3-

percent rate of inflation in five of the eight

major science and engineering fields for which

data are available. Rates of growth range

from a high of 9 percent in computer sciences

to a low of 2 percent in physical sciences

(chart 1). Federal funding in all fields but

mathematical sciences kept pace with inflation

in 1994. Academic spending in engineering

rose 5 percent, to $3.3 billion in 1994, with

civil engineering increasing the most, by

nearly 7 percent.
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Percent change, FY 1993-94

R&D spending for the leading 20 university performers in FY 1994 totaled $6.7 billion, and constituted a 32-percent and 36-percent share of total and

federally funded spending, respectively (table 2).

The largest 100 academic R&D performers expended $16.9 billion, and accounted for 80 percent

of the R&D total and 83 percent of federally financed expenditures. These 1994 shares are similar

to those reported during the past decade.

This Data Brief was prepared by M. Marge

Machen, National Science Foundation, Division of

Science Resources Studies, 4201 Wilson Boulevard,

Suite 965, Arlington, VA 22230. For a free copy,

write to the above address, call 703-306-1773, or

send e-mail to srspubs@nsf.gov.

SOURCE: National Science Foundation/SRS, Survey of Scientific

and Engineering Expenditures at Universities and

Colleges Fiscal Year 1994

Computer sciences

Life sciences

Environmental

 sciences

Social sciences

Total

Engineering

Psychology

Mathematical

 sciences

Physical sciences

Federal sources

Total sources

Chart 1. R&D Expenditures at universities and

colleges, by field

enditures Table 2. Twenty institutions reporting the highest academic 

 R&D expenditures in the sciences and engineering: FY 1993-94

[Millions of dollars]

Total Federal

 Institution Fiscal year Fiscal year Fiscal year Fiscal year

1994 1993 1994 1993

 Total all institutions 1/.................................. 21,081 19,940 12,661 11,956

 Total, Leading 20 institutions...... 6,679 6,417 4,540 4,311

 1. Johns Hopkins U 2/................ 784 746 712 674

 2. University of Michigan............ 431 426 265 250

 3. U WI Madison...................... 393 372 225 214

 4. MA Institute of Tech................ 364 366 271 267

 5. Texas A&M University................. 356 323 137 123

 6. University of Washington........... 344 335 281 269

 7. U CA San Diego...................... 332 307 266 243

 8. Stanford University.................... 319 307 269 254

 9. University of Minnesota............. 318 332 181 175

10. Cornell University................... 313 311 194 195

11. U CA San Francisco.................... 312 315 213 210

12. Pennsylvania State U.............. 303 283 169 160

13. U CA Berkeley.................... 290 284 153 156

14. U CA Los Angeles......................... 280 278 190 189

15. Harvard University...................... 278 e 257 190 182

16. University of Arizona 270 236 146 113

17. U TX Austin................................. 261 249 150 139

18. U of Pennsylvania...................... 251 234 186 174

19. University of IL Urbana.................... 245 253 139 141

20. Columbia University................... 236 205 203 183

Total, all other institutions............ 14,402 13,523 8,121 7,645

1/ Data do not include R&D performed by university-administered federally

 funded research and development centers.

2/ Data for the Johns Hopkins University include the Applied Physics Laboratory, which

 reported $459 million in total and $447 million in federally funded R&D expenditures for

 1994 and $447 million in total and $431 million in federally financed expenditures for 1993.

NOTE: Because of rounding, figures may not add to the total shown.

KEY: e-estimate

SOURCE: National Science Foundation/SRS, Survey of Scientific and Engineering

 Expenditures at Universities and Colleges, Fiscal Year 1994