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After tremendous growth during the NIH doubling campaign between 1998 and
2003, federal support of R&D at colleges and universities flattened out in
FY 2005 and then failed to keep pace with inflation in 2006 and 2007, resulting
in real declines for federal support of university R&D for two years in a
row in 2006 and 2007. The latest NSF data show that federal R&D at universities
and colleges totaled $30.4 billion in FY 2007, up from $30.1 billion the previous
year but a 1.6 percent cut after adjusting for inflation. Total university R&D
grew to $49.4 billion in FY 2007, a slight increase after adjusting for inflation
because of continuing growth in non-federal support. The federal share of support
for all university R&D shrank slightly to 62 percent in FY 2007, down from
recent highs of 64 percent in 2004 and 2005.
- August 22, 2008 
 
Detailed historical data and data on federal R&D by institution, discipline,
etc., and data on other funding sources for university R&D are collected by
the National Science Foundation's Division
of Science Resources Statistics. Please refer to their publications Federal
Funds for Research and Development, Federal
Science and Engineering Support to Universities, Colleges, and Nonprofit Institutions
and Academic
Science and Engineering: R&D Expenditures. The chart below provides
a historical view of federal agency support of R&D at colleges and universities.
Federal R&D at colleges and universities has increased over the past four decades,
especially NIH support. -Chart. Federal
R&D to Colleges and Universities by Agency, 1963-2005 (10/07) - Data
Table In addition to federal support, funding for R&D
performed at colleges and universities comes from a variety of other funding sources.
The table shows that the federal government funds 62 percent of R&D at
colleges and universities. The chart shows that this ratio has been fairly
consistent over time. Industry funding of academic R&D increased to $2.7 billion
in FY 2007, up 11 percent over the previous year. Still, industry funding supports
only 5 percent of all R&D performed at academic institutions.
-Table I-10. R&D Expenditures at Colleges and Universities,
FY 2007 (8/08)
-Chart. Sources of Academic R&D
Funding by Sector, 1953-2007 (8/08) - Data Table The
chart below shows that total R&D performed by colleges and universities has increased
dramatically over time. -Chart. R&D
at Colleges and Universities by Source of Funds, 1953-2006 (8/08) - Data
Table Back to Main Guide to R&D Funding
Data Page 
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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. 
