Table 2. Summary of federal obligations and outlays for research, development, and R&D plant, by type of R&D, performer, and field of science and engineering: FYs 2014–17
(Dollars in millions)
Type of R&D, performer, and field
2014
2015
Preliminary
2016
% change 2015–16
2017
% change 2016–17
Outlays for R&D and R&D plant
130,626.9
130,286.9
138,357.6
6.2
144,197.3
4.2
R&D
128,382.9
127,881.9
136,001.0
6.3
141,358.8
3.9
R&D plant
2,243.9
2,405.1
2,356.6
-2.0
2,838.5
20.5
Obligations for R&D and R&D plant
132,496.3
131,398.2
142,555.0
8.5
145,407.7
2.0
R&D
130,278.7
128,573.2
140,069.8
8.9
142,608.3
1.8
Performer
Intramurala
34,736.1
34,925.1
37,918.3
8.6
38,241.9
0.9
Industry
50,236.5
47,455.2
53,727.9
13.2
54,142.1
0.8
Industry-administered FFRDCs
4,207.5
3,935.8
4,477.3
13.8
4,505.3
0.6
Universities and colleges
27,429.3
27,414.7
28,883.2
5.4
29,922.2
3.6
University-administered FFRDCs
3,800.8
3,911.7
4,237.7
8.3
4,608.1
8.7
Other nonprofit institutions
6,134.9
6,136.2
6,345.6
3.4
6,490.0
2.3
Nonprofit-administered FFRDCs
2,557.1
3,271.4
2,910.5
-11.0
3,285.8
12.9
State and local governments
446.4
487.0
567.8
16.6
474.0
-16.5
Foreign
730.1
1,036.0
1,001.7
-3.3
938.8
-6.3
Research
62,908.8
63,645.3
67,760.7
6.5
69,743.8
2.9
Performer
Intramurala
14,305.6
15,006.5
15,486.7
3.2
16,211.9
4.7
Industry
8,057.5
8,110.4
9,325.7
15.0
9,119.5
-2.2
Industry-administered FFRDCs
3,217.5
3,098.0
3,662.0
18.2
3,529.6
-3.6
Universities and colleges
26,110.1
25,962.1
27,255.8
5.0
28,236.9
3.6
University-administered FFRDCs
3,090.9
3,226.8
3,489.3
8.1
3,778.5
8.3
Other nonprofit institutions
5,648.4
5,710.6
5,833.8
2.2
5,961.2
2.2
Nonprofit-administered FFRDCs
1,725.7
1,616.9
1,794.8
11.0
2,028.5
13.0
State and local governments
394.7
420.3
425.0
1.1
385.0
-9.4
Foreign
358.5
493.7
487.6
-1.2
492.7
1.1
Field of science and engineering
Computer sciences and mathematics
3,883.2
3,862.7
4,208.3
8.9
4,426.6
5.2
Engineering
11,887.5
11,955.6
13,113.7
9.7
13,691.4
4.4
Environmental sciences
4,365.8
4,413.7
4,677.8
6.0
4,911.0
5.0
Life sciences
30,668.2
30,473.0
32,041.6
5.1
32,766.6
2.3
Physical sciences
6,483.1
6,510.3
6,757.3
3.8
6,934.1
2.6
Psychology
1,968.0
1,994.9
2,119.5
6.2
2,161.9
2.0
Social sciences
1,435.1
1,136.3
1,287.3
13.3
1,239.8
-3.7
Other sciences nec
2,217.9
3,298.8
3,555.1
7.8
3,612.4
1.6
Basic research
31,587.9
31,527.1
33,227.3
5.4
34,323.0
3.3
Performer
Intramurala
5,669.4
5,813.7
6,263.7
7.7
6,412.2
2.4
Industry
2,516.0
2,536.5
2,761.8
8.9
2,848.2
3.1
Industry-administered FFRDCs
459.1
507.0
458.4
-9.6
455.4
-0.6
Universities and colleges
15,654.7
15,295.5
15,926.6
4.1
16,431.3
3.2
University-administered FFRDCs
2,744.3
2,920.5
3,156.4
8.1
3,370.0
6.8
Other nonprofit institutions
3,124.8
2,985.7
3,083.2
3.3
3,157.9
2.4
Nonprofit-administered FFRDCs
1,156.6
1,200.2
1,295.5
7.9
1,368.7
5.7
State and local governments
78.0
61.2
71.8
17.4
66.1
-8.0
Foreign
185.0
206.7
210.0
1.6
213.3
1.6
Field of science and engineering
Computer sciences and mathematics
1,917.7
1,984.5
2,105.7
6.1
2,170.0
3.1
Engineering
3,544.6
3,694.0
3,834.7
3.8
3,965.7
3.4
Environmental sciences
2,753.0
2,738.4
2,886.2
5.4
3,044.4
5.5
Life sciences
16,019.0
15,209.7
16,045.7
5.5
16,481.9
2.7
Physical sciences
4,637.5
4,620.8
4,830.0
4.5
5,018.3
3.9
Psychology
1,037.6
999.9
1,062.2
6.2
1,080.3
1.7
Social sciences
386.1
344.7
361.8
4.9
374.9
3.6
Other sciences nec
1,292.5
1,935.1
2,101.0
8.6
2,187.4
4.1
Applied research
31,320.9
32,118.2
34,533.4
7.5
35,420.8
2.6
Performer
Intramurala
8,636.2
9,192.8
9,223.0
0.3
9,799.7
6.3
Industry
5,541.5
5,573.8
6,563.9
17.8
6,271.3
-4.5
Industry-administered FFRDCs
2,758.4
2,591.0
3,203.6
23.6
3,074.2
-4.0
Universities and colleges
10,455.4
10,666.6
11,329.2
6.2
11,805.7
4.2
University-administered FFRDCs
346.6
306.3
333.0
8.7
408.5
22.7
Other nonprofit institutions
2,523.6
2,724.9
2,750.6
0.9
2,803.3
1.9
Nonprofit-administered FFRDCs
569.1
416.7
499.3
19.8
659.8
32.2
State and local governments
316.7
359.1
353.2
-1.6
319.0
-9.7
Foreign
173.5
287.0
277.5
-3.3
279.4
0.7
Field of science and engineering
Computer sciences and mathematics
1,965.5
1,878.2
2,102.6
11.9
2,256.6
7.3
Engineering
8,343.0
8,261.7
9,279.0
12.3
9,725.7
4.8
Environmental sciences
1,612.9
1,675.4
1,791.6
6.9
1,866.5
4.2
Life sciences
14,649.2
15,263.2
15,995.9
4.8
16,284.7
1.8
Physical sciences
1,845.6
1,889.5
1,927.3
2.0
1,915.9
-0.6
Psychology
930.5
995.0
1,057.3
6.3
1,081.6
2.3
Social sciences
1,049.0
791.6
925.5
16.9
864.9
-6.5
Other sciences nec
925.4
1,363.7
1,454.2
6.6
1,425.0
-2.0
Development
67,369.9
64,927.8
72,309.1
11.4
72,864.5
0.8
Performer
Intramurala
20,430.5
19,918.5
22,431.5
12.6
22,030.0
-1.8
Industry
42,179.1
39,344.9
44,402.2
12.9
45,022.6
1.4
Industry-administered FFRDCs
990.0
837.8
815.2
-2.7
975.8
19.7
Universities and colleges
1,319.2
1,452.6
1,627.4
12.0
1,685.3
3.6
University-administered FFRDCs
709.9
684.9
748.4
9.3
829.6
10.9
Other nonprofit institutions
486.5
425.6
511.8
20.3
528.8
3.3
Nonprofit-administered FFRDCs
831.5
1,654.5
1,115.7
-32.6
1,257.3
12.7
State and local governments
51.6
66.7
142.7
113.8
89.0
-37.6
Foreign
371.6
542.3
514.2
-5.2
446.1
-13.2
R&D plant
2,217.6
2,825.1
2,485.2
-12.0
2,799.4
12.6
Performer
Intramurala
642.5
1,417.2
860.5
-39.3
1,088.6
26.5
Industry
323.3
275.6
270.2
-2.0
328.2
21.5
Industry-administered FFRDCs
91.2
101.7
88.8
-12.7
90.7
2.2
Universities and colleges
325.8
292.2
354.1
21.2
368.4
4.0
University-administered FFRDCs
308.5
376.3
545.9
45.1
544.7
-0.2
Other nonprofit institutions
212.8
151.3
200.1
32.3
216.6
8.3
Nonprofit-administered FFRDCs
309.8
210.6
165.4
-21.5
162.0
-2.1
State and local governments
0.3
*
*
0.0
*
0.0
Foreign
3.4
0.1
0.1
32.6
0.1
8.2