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Table 66. Federal obligations for basic 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 15,798,183.6 15,731,253.0
Computer sciences and mathematics 1,100,660.1 1,052,839.0
Computer sciences 767,092.1 NA
Mathematics 314,118.5 NA
Other computer sciences and mathematics 19,449.4 NA
Engineering 1,422,410.5 1,427,373.0
Aeronautical engineering 98,956.5 NA
Astronautical engineering 17,710.6 NA
Chemical engineering 53,267.4 NA
Civil engineering 13,607.0 NA
Electrical engineering 125,851.0 NA
Mechanical engineering 91,419.5 NA
Metallurgy and materials engineering 345,058.1 NA
Other engineering 676,540.3 NA
Environmental sciences 1,015,397.8 993,383.1
Atmospheric sciences 244,911.8 NA
Geological sciences 165,304.2 NA
Oceanography 298,034.8 NA
Other environmental sciences 307,147.1 NA
Life sciences 8,966,110.4 9,006,939.0
Agricultural sciences 153,510.4 NA
Biological sciences (excluding environmental biology) 4,924,081.3 NA
Environmental biology 183,340.7 NA
Medical sciences 2,834,901.4 NA
Other life sciences 870,276.6 NA
Physical sciences 1,622,070.9 1,680,921.7
Astronomy 232,315.3 NA
Chemistry 416,482.3 NA
Physics 796,596.1 NA
Other physical sciences 176,677.2 NA
Psychology 642,433.0 649,982.5
Biological aspects 8,624.4 NA
Social aspects 9,445.7 NA
Other psychological sciences 624,362.9 NA
Social sciences 253,329.3 247,643.6
Anthropology 22,120.3 NA
Economics 40,580.3 NA
Political science 11,463.9 NA
Sociology 14,079.1 NA
Other social sciences 165,085.7 NA
Other sciences nec 775,771.6 672,171.3
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 2017–18.
SOURCE: National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Federal Funds for Research and Development, FYs 2017–18.