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Table 56. Federal obligations for research performed at universities and colleges for selected agencies, by detailed field of science and engineering: FYs 2017–18

(Dollars in thousands)

Field 2017 Preliminary
2018
All fields 27,002,728.3 26,995,646.2
Computer sciences and mathematics 1,414,704.8 1,366,248.4
Computer sciences 1,025,127.2 NA
Mathematics 347,984.9 NA
Other computer sciences and mathematics 41,592.8 NA
Engineering 2,459,281.2 2,531,107.2
Aeronautical engineering 181,806.4 NA
Astronautical engineering 49,828.8 NA
Chemical engineering 77,270.5 NA
Civil engineering 16,559.2 NA
Electrical engineering 229,716.9 NA
Mechanical engineering 153,701.2 NA
Metallurgy and materials engineering 428,510.0 NA
Other engineering 1,321,888.3 NA
Environmental sciences 1,244,893.9 1,232,599.0
Atmospheric sciences 264,468.0 NA
Geological sciences 168,831.1 NA
Oceanography 350,964.4 NA
Other environmental sciences 460,630.4 NA
Life sciences 17,302,255.5 17,278,685.1
Agricultural sciences 387,702.6 NA
Biological sciences (excluding environmental biology) 9,196,142.4 NA
Environmental biology 266,330.0 NA
Medical sciences 5,691,448.8 NA
Other life sciences 1,760,631.7 NA
Physical sciences 1,733,936.7 1,871,950.0
Astronomy 242,701.1 NA
Chemistry 478,703.8 NA
Physics 824,662.2 NA
Other physical sciences 187,869.6 NA
Psychology 1,223,881.9 1,219,598.4
Biological aspects 8,669.8 NA
Social aspects 10,349.6 NA
Other psychological sciences 1,204,862.5 NA
Social sciences 374,426.7 378,049.3
Anthropology 23,937.0 NA
Economics 81,448.6 NA
Political science 11,463.9 NA
Sociology 27,723.3 NA
Other social sciences 229,854.0 NA
Other sciences nec 1,249,347.6 1,117,408.8
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. Research obligations of these seven agencies represented over 97% of total federal research obligations to universities and colleges in FYs 2017–18.
SOURCE: National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Federal Funds for Research and Development, FYs 2017–18.