Table 87. Federal obligations for applied 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 10,089,823.0 10,754,075.1 11,114,919.4
Computer sciences and mathematics 270,049.2 299,539.5 308,143.8
Computer sciences 219,491.3 NA NA
Mathematics 41,613.7 NA NA
Other computer sciences and mathematics 8,944.2 NA NA
Engineering 976,583.7 1,063,170.7 1,194,879.8
Aeronautical engineering 85,304.1 NA NA
Astronautical engineering 32,732.4 NA NA
Chemical engineering 28,091.7 NA NA
Civil engineering 17,467.4 NA NA
Electrical engineering 91,373.5 NA NA
Mechanical engineering 40,509.8 NA NA
Metallurgy and materials engineering 59,766.0 NA NA
Other engineering 621,338.9 NA NA
Environmental sciences 182,892.1 193,942.8 189,350.3
Atmospheric sciences 22,712.4 NA NA
Geological sciences 2,104.7 NA NA
Oceanography 16,444.7 NA NA
Other environmental sciences 141,630.2 NA NA
Life sciences 7,494,253.8 7,899,366.1 8,078,719.1
Agricultural sciences 203,287.6 NA NA
Biological sciences (excluding environmental biology) 3,666,221.8 NA NA
Environmental biology 99,851.6 NA NA
Medical sciences 2,731,113.1 NA NA
Other life sciences 793,779.7 NA NA
Physical sciences 123,225.3 198,952.6 201,993.0
Astronomy 9,848.3 NA NA
Chemistry 62,877.0 NA NA
Physics 33,168.5 NA NA
Other physical sciences 17,331.5 NA NA
Psychology 537,664.6 564,475.5 578,089.3
Biological aspects 1,415.7 NA NA
Social aspects 893.3 NA NA
Other psychological sciences 535,355.6 NA NA
Social sciences 179,399.5 188,258.3 196,751.9
Anthropology 44.2 NA NA
Economics 38,173.9 NA NA
Political science 0.0 NA NA
Sociology 12,720.9 NA NA
Other social sciences 128,460.4 NA NA
Other sciences nec 325,754.8 346,369.6 366,992.1