Table 125. Federal obligations for basic research, by detailed field of science and engineering: FYs 2009–18
(Dollars in millions)
| Field |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
Preliminary |
| 2018 |
| All fields |
32,879.4 |
31,795.3 |
29,313.6 |
30,958.9 |
29,779.4 |
31,587.9 |
31,527.1 |
32,286.6 |
33,265.4 |
33,711.9 |
| Computer sciences and mathematics |
1,861.4 |
1,663.2 |
1,788.5 |
1,794.9 |
1,690.8 |
1,917.7 |
1,984.5 |
2,109.7 |
1,877.3 |
1,962.1 |
| Computer sciences |
978.1 |
873.6 |
936.4 |
922.4 |
859.9 |
958.9 |
1,024.5 |
996.9 |
998.7 |
NA |
| Mathematics |
804.3 |
716.6 |
741.3 |
806.2 |
757.5 |
824.4 |
874.1 |
1,019.3 |
823.9 |
NA |
| Other computer sciences and mathematics |
79.0 |
73.0 |
110.7 |
66.3 |
73.4 |
134.4 |
85.8 |
93.4 |
54.6 |
NA |
| Engineering |
3,406.2 |
3,491.1 |
3,168.0 |
3,458.9 |
3,407.5 |
3,544.6 |
3,694.0 |
3,651.6 |
3,679.6 |
3,755.6 |
| Aeronautical engineering |
185.3 |
151.3 |
153.2 |
401.9 |
408.9 |
446.9 |
468.7 |
478.6 |
450.0 |
NA |
| Astronautical engineering |
35.3 |
31.6 |
32.9 |
79.4 |
85.0 |
92.8 |
98.8 |
99.3 |
101.0 |
NA |
| Chemical engineering |
167.6 |
142.7 |
182.7 |
94.4 |
84.2 |
103.7 |
60.5 |
66.6 |
73.1 |
NA |
| Civil engineering |
185.5 |
155.2 |
149.2 |
35.3 |
28.2 |
27.8 |
54.3 |
38.0 |
23.7 |
NA |
| Electrical engineering |
297.4 |
295.0 |
281.0 |
298.7 |
259.4 |
247.8 |
228.2 |
227.7 |
225.0 |
NA |
| Mechanical engineering |
84.3 |
80.3 |
82.3 |
156.4 |
146.9 |
128.6 |
125.5 |
122.9 |
123.8 |
NA |
| Metallurgy and materials engineering |
1,112.6 |
1,091.4 |
1,077.2 |
1,186.1 |
1,201.1 |
1,232.8 |
1,289.9 |
1,276.3 |
1,306.5 |
NA |
| Other engineering |
1,338.3 |
1,543.7 |
1,209.5 |
1,206.7 |
1,193.9 |
1,264.2 |
1,368.0 |
1,342.3 |
1,376.4 |
NA |
| Environmental sciences |
2,142.9 |
1,787.4 |
1,796.4 |
2,258.7 |
2,395.8 |
2,753.0 |
2,738.4 |
2,765.0 |
2,686.8 |
2,528.8 |
| Atmospheric sciences |
650.5 |
596.9 |
612.5 |
952.3 |
994.8 |
1,036.6 |
1,051.4 |
1,080.4 |
1,087.8 |
NA |
| Geological sciences |
429.7 |
332.6 |
396.4 |
501.5 |
411.2 |
417.8 |
432.7 |
433.1 |
439.0 |
NA |
| Oceanography |
549.2 |
471.6 |
483.0 |
494.4 |
456.5 |
482.7 |
431.8 |
441.7 |
384.5 |
NA |
| Other environmental sciences |
513.5 |
386.3 |
304.5 |
310.3 |
533.2 |
815.8 |
822.4 |
809.8 |
775.5 |
NA |
| Life sciences |
17,587.2 |
17,748.3 |
15,373.4 |
16,015.8 |
15,317.3 |
16,019.0 |
15,209.7 |
15,577.0 |
16,573.8 |
16,650.3 |
| Agricultural sciences |
531.4 |
571.4 |
547.0 |
480.4 |
462.4 |
513.7 |
554.2 |
566.1 |
584.2 |
NA |
| Biological sciences (excluding environmental biology) |
9,600.1 |
9,417.4 |
8,277.1 |
8,317.4 |
7,918.8 |
8,283.6 |
7,758.4 |
8,026.1 |
8,573.3 |
NA |
| Environmental biology |
466.6 |
435.4 |
434.6 |
406.6 |
384.4 |
394.8 |
398.6 |
380.5 |
371.9 |
NA |
| Medical sciences |
5,747.6 |
5,786.9 |
5,085.5 |
5,528.0 |
5,325.9 |
5,564.2 |
5,270.5 |
5,337.2 |
5,717.3 |
NA |
| Other life sciences |
1,241.5 |
1,537.1 |
1,029.2 |
1,283.4 |
1,225.8 |
1,262.7 |
1,228.0 |
1,267.1 |
1,327.2 |
NA |
| Physical sciences |
4,121.0 |
3,984.1 |
3,815.0 |
4,556.7 |
4,432.2 |
4,637.5 |
4,620.8 |
4,706.9 |
4,717.4 |
5,061.8 |
| Astronomy |
617.7 |
504.2 |
498.8 |
925.0 |
973.9 |
1,036.0 |
1,073.5 |
1,093.0 |
1,139.5 |
NA |
| Chemistry |
835.4 |
827.7 |
774.3 |
776.3 |
714.7 |
722.1 |
672.4 |
688.0 |
694.5 |
NA |
| Physics |
2,370.4 |
2,377.0 |
2,275.2 |
2,568.0 |
2,468.8 |
2,576.0 |
2,569.2 |
2,593.2 |
2,597.2 |
NA |
| Other physical sciences |
297.5 |
275.1 |
266.7 |
287.4 |
274.8 |
303.4 |
305.7 |
332.7 |
286.2 |
NA |
| Psychology |
1,100.5 |
1,129.2 |
978.8 |
1,087.8 |
1,016.0 |
1,037.6 |
999.9 |
989.8 |
1,027.3 |
1,032.1 |
| Biological aspects |
1.9 |
10.1 |
13.4 |
13.1 |
13.8 |
13.7 |
14.2 |
15.7 |
10.0 |
NA |
| Social aspects |
18.5 |
18.4 |
16.9 |
13.3 |
16.4 |
13.2 |
13.6 |
11.7 |
13.5 |
NA |
| Other psychological sciences |
1,080.0 |
1,100.8 |
948.5 |
1,061.5 |
985.8 |
1,010.7 |
972.1 |
962.4 |
1,003.8 |
NA |
| Social sciences |
432.2 |
358.9 |
371.0 |
381.4 |
373.8 |
386.1 |
344.7 |
378.1 |
359.3 |
347.8 |
| Anthropology |
27.7 |
24.3 |
25.8 |
26.8 |
24.1 |
24.1 |
28.2 |
29.4 |
28.9 |
NA |
| Economics |
52.0 |
44.4 |
54.5 |
54.6 |
58.4 |
58.2 |
47.3 |
50.5 |
56.3 |
NA |
| Political science |
13.0 |
9.6 |
9.3 |
10.3 |
8.9 |
12.1 |
12.4 |
13.7 |
12.1 |
NA |
| Sociology |
33.3 |
29.5 |
35.5 |
38.7 |
24.4 |
30.8 |
26.7 |
24.2 |
23.2 |
NA |
| Other social sciences |
306.1 |
251.1 |
245.9 |
251.0 |
258.1 |
260.9 |
230.1 |
260.2 |
238.7 |
NA |
| Other sciences nec |
2,227.9 |
1,633.0 |
2,022.6 |
1,404.6 |
1,145.8 |
1,292.5 |
1,935.1 |
2,108.5 |
2,344.2 |
2,373.4 |
