Back to Data Tables
Excel icon Download to excel

Table 66. Federal obligations for basic research performed at universities and colleges for selected agencies, by detailed field of science and engineering: FYs 2016–17

(Dollars in thousands)

Field 2016 Preliminary
2017
All fields 15,509,963.4 15,642,676.4
Computer sciences and mathematics 1,144,782.5 1,165,842.8
Computer sciences 761,047.0 NA
Mathematics 346,355.5 NA
Other computer sciences and mathematics 37,380.1 NA
Engineering 1,445,224.3 1,445,014.6
Aeronautical engineering 120,760.6 NA
Astronautical engineering 18,787.6 NA
Chemical engineering 50,776.4 NA
Civil engineering 24,896.1 NA
Electrical engineering 140,250.3 NA
Mechanical engineering 89,708.8 NA
Metallurgy and materials engineering 345,153.7 NA
Other engineering 654,890.7 NA
Environmental sciences 1,030,510.6 1,013,852.7
Atmospheric sciences 263,177.5 NA
Geological sciences 167,896.3 NA
Oceanography 313,709.3 NA
Other environmental sciences 285,727.5 NA
Life sciences 8,626,515.8 8,796,055.5
Agricultural sciences 138,417.4 NA
Biological sciences (excluding environmental biology) 4,667,219.8 NA
Environmental biology 194,274.2 NA
Medical sciences 2,776,005.0 NA
Other life sciences 850,599.4 NA
Physical sciences 1,680,755.0 1,613,879.3
Astronomy 238,460.1 NA
Chemistry 404,621.2 NA
Physics 832,032.3 NA
Other physical sciences 205,641.4 NA
Psychology 639,546.0 649,636.6
Biological aspects 15,101.4 NA
Social aspects 9,566.3 NA
Other psychological sciences 614,878.2 NA
Social sciences 254,852.8 263,973.2
Anthropology 21,920.9 NA
Economics 33,925.4 NA
Political science 13,455.5 NA
Sociology 12,821.7 NA
Other social sciences 172,729.3 NA
Other sciences nec 687,776.5 694,421.8
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 2016–17.
SOURCE: National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Federal Funds for Research and Development, FYs 2016–17.