Science Resources Studies Division

DATA BRIEF Directorate for

Social, Behavioral

and Economic

Sciences

National Science Foundation

 by M. Marge

Machen

Vol. 1995, No. 1, January 12, 1995

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Federal Share of Academic R&D

Climbed to 60 Percent in FY 1993

Federally financed

academic R&D

growth rate in FY

1993 outpaced

nonfederal growth 5

to 1 after adjusting

for inflation.

T

otal academic expenditures for separately

budgeted research and development

(R&D) in science and engineering (S&E)

fields climbed to $19.9 billion in FY 1993.

This amount represents a 6-percent increase

from the $18.8 billion spent in FY 1992.

Adjusted for inflation, the FY 1993 R&D

increase was 3 percent.

Federally financed spending for separately

budgeted R&D at universities and colleges

reached $11.9 billion in FY 1993, up nearly 8

percent over 1992 levels; nonfederal support

reached $7.9 billion, up 3 percent above that

in the previous year. Adjusted for inflation,

Federal dollars rose 5 percent and nonfederal

expenditures, less than 1 percent. The

60-percent share of academia’s R&D total

provided by the Federal Government in 1993

indicates an upturn after a period of slow

decline over the last decade from a

63-percent share in 1983 to a low of 58

percent in 1991.

The fastest growth rates in academic R&D

support since the early 1980s, however, have

occurred among nonfederal sponsors. For

example, industrial support averaged

increases of 10 percent per year since 1983,

even after adjusting for inflation, and now

accounts for a 7-percent share of academia's

1993 R&D total. Universities’ own funds,

the largest nonfederal source, have averaged

7 percent per year real growth. Cost sharing

and underrecovery of indirect costs account

for over one-half of the university contribution toward research activities. The

remainder of institutional funds represents

separately budgeted projects financed from

discretionary or unrestricted university

accounts. In constant dollars, State and local

governments and all other sources, including

foundations and voluntary health agencies,

each averaged 6-percent growth per year

during the 1983-93 period (table 1) .

 [Millions of dollars]

Fiscal Fiscal Fiscal

 Source and field year year year

1993 1992 1983

Total............................................. 19,911 18,794 7,881

(In 1987 dollars)1/.......................... 16,122 15,623 9,059

Source of funds: 

Federal Government.............................. 11,957 11,090 4,989

State and local governments....... 1,559 1,491 626

Industry........................................ 1,374 1,291 389

Institutional funds........................... 3,552 3,527 1,302

 All other sources........................ 1,469 1,395 576

Character of work:

 Basic research............................. 13,270 12,504 5,303

 Applied research and

 development............................. 6,641 6,290 2,578

1/ Based on gross domestic product implicit price deflator.

SOURCE: National Science Foundation/SRS

Academic spending for basic research activities in 1993 totaled $13.3 billion, representing

growth of 6 percent (3 percent in 1987 dollars)

over 1992 levels. The Federal share, $8.4

billion, accounted for 63 percent of the basic

research total. Expenditures in 1993 for

applied research and development combined

were approximately $6.6 billion, up 6 percent

(3 percent in real terms) over the previous

year. The relative proportion of total academic

R&D expenditures for basic research has

remained relatively stable over the last 18

years—accounting for 65 to 69 percent of the

annual academic R&D totals.

Academic R&D spending in all major science

fields outpaced the 3-percent inflation rate

Table 1. R&D expenditures at universities and

colleges, by source of funds: FY 1983, 1992

and 1993
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from 1992 to 1993. R&D growth ranged from a

low of 4 percent in the physical sciences to a high

of 19 percent in the “all other sciences” category,

which primarily represents multidisciplinary

research. Engineering R&D increased 3

percent, to $3.2 billion, in 1993 with mechanical

engineering reflecting the largest gain, 6 percent,

over 1992. Among all major S&E fields over the

past decade, R&D spending has increased at the

most rapid rate in computer sciences (12 percent

in constant dollars).

R&D activities are highly concentrated within the

academic sector. Separately budgeted academic

R&D spending for the leading 20 research

institutions in 1993 totaled $6.4 billion, representing 32 percent of total and 35 percent of

federally funded R&D spending, respectively

(table 2). The 100 largest academic performers

expended $16.0 billion, accounting for 80

percent of the R&D total and 83 percent of

federally financed expenditures, similar to shares

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.

Table 2. Twenty institutions reporting the largest R&D

expenditures in the sciences and engineering: FY 1992-93

[Millions of dollars]

Total Federal

Institution Fiscal Fiscal Fiscal Fiscal

year year year year

1993 1992 1993 1992

Total 1/............................................... 19,911 18,794 11,957 11,090

Total, leading 20 institutions............................. 6,441 6,218 4,234 3,992

 1. Johns Hopkins U 2/...................................... 746 736 674 667

 2. University of Michigan..................... 426 393 250 223

 3. U WI Madison................................... 372 353 234 200

 4. MA Institute of Tech............................ 366 324 267 238

 5. University of Washington.............................. 335 314 269 258

 6. University of Minnesota................................. 332 317 175 166

 7. Texas A&M University................................. 323 305 123 113

 8. U CA San Francisco............................. 315 296 210 202

 9. Cornell University........................................ 311 299 195 180

10. U CA San Diego...................................... 307 282 243 220

11. Stanford University.................................. 307 368 254 266

12. U CA Berkeley....................................... 284 285 156 149

13. Pennsylvania State U................................. 283 278 160 152

14. U CA Los Angeles............................. 278 271 189 181

15. Harvard University.................................... 257 253 182 175

16. University of IL Urbana................................ 253 252 141 129

17. U TX Austin............................................. 249 229 140 125

18. University of Arizona..................................... 236 222 113 106

19. U of Pennsylvania.......................................... 234 222 174 160

20. U MD College Park...................................... 229 219 85 82

Total, all other institutions............................... 13,470 12,576 7,723 7,098

NOTE: Data may not add to totals due to rounding.

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

 funded research and development centers.

2/ For FY 1993, includes Applied Physics Laboratory with $447 million in total and 

 $431 million in federally financed R&D expenditures.

SOURCE: National Science Foundation/SRS