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Table 76. Federal obligations for applied 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 11,204,544.7 11,264,393.2
Computer sciences and mathematics 314,044.7 313,409.4
Computer sciences 258,035.0 NA
Mathematics 33,866.4 NA
Other computer sciences and mathematics 22,143.3 NA
Engineering 1,036,870.7 1,103,734.3
Aeronautical engineering 82,849.9 NA
Astronautical engineering 32,118.2 NA
Chemical engineering 24,003.1 NA
Civil engineering 2,952.2 NA
Electrical engineering 103,865.8 NA
Mechanical engineering 62,281.7 NA
Metallurgy and materials engineering 83,451.8 NA
Other engineering 645,348.0 NA
Environmental sciences 229,496.1 239,216.0
Atmospheric sciences 19,556.3 NA
Geological sciences 3,526.9 NA
Oceanography 52,929.6 NA
Other environmental sciences 153,483.3 NA
Life sciences 8,336,145.1 8,271,746.1
Agricultural sciences 234,192.1 NA
Biological sciences (excluding environmental biology) 4,272,061.1 NA
Environmental biology 82,989.3 NA
Medical sciences 2,856,547.4 NA
Other life sciences 890,355.1 NA
Physical sciences 111,865.8 191,028.3
Astronomy 10,385.8 NA
Chemistry 62,221.5 NA
Physics 28,066.1 NA
Other physical sciences 11,192.4 NA
Psychology 581,448.9 569,616.0
Biological aspects 45.3 NA
Social aspects 903.9 NA
Other psychological sciences 580,499.6 NA
Social sciences 121,097.5 130,405.7
Anthropology 1,816.7 NA
Economics 40,868.3 NA
Political science 0.0 NA
Sociology 13,644.2 NA
Other social sciences 64,768.3 NA
Other sciences nec 473,575.9 445,237.5
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. Applied research obligations of these seven agencies represented over 95% of total federal applied 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.