 |
Federal investments in the physical sciences, non-NIH life sciences, environmental
sciences, mathematics, and other disciplines have remained stagnant for years,
sometimes decades. The latest data for FY 2007 from the National Science Foundation
show that federal funding for most science and engineering disciplines continues
to be flat. In 2007, NIH biomedical research fell for the fourth year in a row
in real terms.
- February 22, 2008 
 
Current data on federal support for research by science and engineering discipline
are collected by the National Science
Foundation's Division of Science Resources Statistics. Please refer to their
publication Federal
Funds for Research and Development.
(Note: These data refer to basic and applied research only; development and R&D
facilities are not classified by discipline). The chart below shows that
while federal support for many disciplines has remained relatively constant over
the past three decades, federal support for life sciences research increased
dramatically until 2003 but is now falling. Nearly all of these additional
funds have gone to NIH support for the biomedical sciences, leaving agricultural
sciences, non-human biology and other non-medical life sciences support with flat
or declining funding. The second chart shows the division of the most recent research
budget by discipline. The third chart shows that federal agencies vary widely
in the size and composition of their research portfolios; each agency funds a
variety of disciplines, but the mix of disciplines varies. -Chart.
Trends in Federal Research by Discipline, 1970-2007 (2/08) - Data
Table
-Chart. Research in the FY 2007 Budget,
by Discipline (2/08)
-Chart. Federal Research
to Selected Agencies by Discipline, FY 2007 (2/08)
| | The chart
below shows that while federal support for many disciplines has remained relatively
constant over the past three decades, federal support for life sciences
research increased dramatically until 2003 but is now falling. Nearly
all of these additional funds have gone to NIH support for the biomedical sciences,
leaving agricultural sciences, non-human biology and other non-medical life sciences
support with flat or declining funding. The second chart shows that federal support
of engineering and the physical sciences has failed to keep pace with economic
growth. The third chart shows the division of the most recent research budget
by discipline. The fouth chart shows that federal agencies vary widely in the
size and composition of their research portfolios; each agency funds a variety
of disciplines, but the mix of disciplines varies. -Chart.
Trends in Federal Research by Discipline, 1970-2007 (2/08) - Data
Table
-Chart. Trends in Federal Research by Discipline
as % of GDP, 1970-2007 (revised 2/08)
-Chart.
Research in the FY 2007 Budget, by Discipline (2/08)
-Chart.
Federal Research to Selected Agencies by Discipline, FY 2007 (2/08) |
| | The charts below illustrate
trends in federally supported research by specific disciplines and subdisciplines.
-Chart. Federal Support of Engineering Research
in the FY 2007 Budget (2/08)
-Chart. Federal Support
of Engineering Research, 1970-2007 (2/08)
-Chart.
Federal Support of Mathematics Research in the FY 2005 Budget (2/08)
-Chart.
Federal Support of Computer Sciences Research in the FY 2005 Budget (2/08)
-Chart. Federal Support of Mathematics / Computer
Sciences Research, 1970-2007 (2/08)
-Chart. Federal
Support of Physical Sciences Research in the FY 2007 Budget (2/08)
-Chart.
Federal Support of Physical Sciences Research, 1970-2007 (2/08)
-Chart.
Federal Support of Life Sciences Research in the FY 2007 Budget (2/08)
-Chart. Federal Support of Life Sciences Research, 1970-2007
(2/08)
-Chart. Federal Support of Environmental
Sciences Research in the FY 2007 Budget (2/08)
-Chart.
Federal Support of Environmental Sciences Research, 1970-2007 (2/08)
-Chart.
Federal Support of Social Sciences Research in the FY 2007 Budget (2/08)
-Chart. Federal Support of Social Sciences Research, 1970-2007
(2/08)
-Chart. Federal Support of Psychology Research
in the FY 2007 Budget (2/08) |
| | The charts below illustrate
selected agencies' funding of research by S&E discipline. -Chart.
USDA Funding of Research by Discipline, FY 2007 (1/08)
-Chart.
Commerce Funding of Research by Discipline, FY 2007 (1/08)
-Chart.
DHS Funding of Research by Discipline, FY 2007 (1/08)
-Chart.
DOD Funding of Research by Discipline, FY 2007 (1/08)
-Chart.
DOE Funding of Research by Discipline, FY 2007 (1/08)
-Chart.
DOT Funding of Research by Discipline, FY 2007 (1/08)
-Chart.
EPA Funding of Research by Discipline, FY 2007 (1/08)
-Chart.
Interior Funding of Research by Discipline, FY 2007 (1/08)
-Chart.
NASA Funding of Research by Discipline, FY 2007 (1/08)
-Chart.
NSF Funding of Research by Discipline, FY 2007 (1/08)
-Chart.
HHS Funding of Research by Discipline, FY 2007 (1/08)
-Chart.
VA Funding of Research by Discipline, FY 2007 (1/08)
- Chart.
USDA Share of Federal Research by Selected Disciplines, FY 2004 (1/07)
- Chart. DOD Share of Federal Research by Selected Disciplines,
FY 2004 (1/07)
- Chart. DOE Share of Federal
Research by Selected Disciplines, FY 2005 (2/08)
- Chart.
NASA Share of Federal Research by Selected Disciplines, FY 2005 (2/08)
- Chart. NSF Share of Federal Research by Selected Disciplines,
FY 2004 (1/07)
- Chart, NIH Share of Federal Research
by Selected Disciplines, FY 2005 (2/08)
- TABLE.
NIH Support of Research, FY 2005 (2/08) | Back to
Main Guide to R&D Funding Data Page
| |
NSF
collects data on federally supported academic research by discipline. The chart
below shows that while overall federal support of academic research has expanded
dramatically over the past three decades, not all disciplines have shared in this
growth. 
