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Table 76. Federal obligations for basic research performed at universities and colleges for selected agencies, by detailed field of science and engineering: FYs 2015–17

(Dollars in thousands)

Field 2015 Preliminary
2016 2017
All fields 15,246,776.4 15,878,601.5 16,381,242.1
Computer sciences and mathematics 1,147,490.6 1,175,588.4 1,234,105.7
Computer sciences 775,079.6 NA NA
Mathematics 335,673.4 NA NA
Other computer sciences and mathematics 36,737.5 NA NA
Engineering 1,480,109.8 1,520,179.7 1,578,054.3
Aeronautical engineering 110,142.3 NA NA
Astronautical engineering 20,316.0 NA NA
Chemical engineering 47,058.3 NA NA
Civil engineering 43,998.4 NA NA
Electrical engineering 138,472.4 NA NA
Mechanical engineering 88,374.5 NA NA
Metallurgy and materials engineering 339,498.2 NA NA
Other engineering 692,249.7 NA NA
Environmental sciences 987,339.7 1,010,325.3 1,059,360.3
Atmospheric sciences 253,389.3 NA NA
Geological sciences 165,060.3 NA NA
Oceanography 309,649.3 NA NA
Other environmental sciences 259,240.7 NA NA
Life sciences 8,419,985.0 8,888,512.4 9,108,540.7
Agricultural sciences 130,901.2 NA NA
Biological sciences (excluding environmental biology) 4,499,145.3 NA NA
Environmental biology 210,632.3 NA NA
Medical sciences 2,766,836.7 NA NA
Other life sciences 812,469.4 NA NA
Physical sciences 1,642,136.8 1,621,591.9 1,688,942.7
Astronomy 218,242.9 NA NA
Chemistry 411,629.5 NA NA
Physics 799,923.1 NA NA
Other physical sciences 212,341.4 NA NA
Psychology 627,686.1 668,424.5 680,760.1
Biological aspects 13,357.4 NA NA
Social aspects 12,126.3 NA NA
Other psychological sciences 602,202.5 NA NA
Social sciences 238,696.3 249,480.8 257,618.0
Anthropology 20,943.5 NA NA
Economics 32,210.4 NA NA
Political science 11,621.0 NA NA
Sociology 13,289.2 NA NA
Other social sciences 160,632.4 NA NA
Other sciences nec 703,332.0 744,498.6 773,860.4
NA = not available; data were not collected at that level for that fiscal year.
nec = not elsewhere classified.
NOTES: Because of rounding, detail may not add to total. Seven agencies are required to report data for this section of the survey: the Departments of Agriculture, Defense, Energy, Health and Human Services, and Homeland Security; the National Aeronautics and Space Administration; and the National Science Foundation. Basic research obligations of these seven agencies represented over 99% of total federal basic research obligations to universities and colleges in FYs 2015–17.
SOURCE: National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Federal Funds for Research and Development, FYs 2015–17.