With an annual budget of about US$ 7.0 billion ( fiscal year 2012 ) , the NSF funds approximately 20 % of all federally supported basic research conducted by the United States ' colleges and universities .
With an annual budget of about US$ 6.87 billion ( fiscal year 2010 ) , the NSF funds approximately 20 percent of all federally supported basic research conducted by the United States ' colleges and universities .