Table 1. Federal obligations for science and engineering to universities and colleges, by type of activity: FYs 1963–2017
(Dollars in thousands)
| Fiscal year |
All federal obligations |
R&D |
R&D plant |
Facilities for instruction in S&E |
Fellowships, traineeships, and training grants |
General support for S&E |
Other S&E activities |
| 1963 |
1,328,511.0 |
829,524.0 |
105,896.0 |
NA |
NA |
NA |
393,091.0 |
| 1964 |
1,528,604.0 |
975,597.0 |
100,837.0 |
NA |
NA |
NA |
452,170.0 |
| 1965 |
1,816,171.0 |
1,094,963.0 |
126,196.0 |
NA |
NA |
NA |
595,012.0 |
| 1966 |
2,163,504.0 |
1,252,146.0 |
114,767.0 |
NA |
365,560.0 |
NA |
431,031.0 |
| 1967 |
2,323,795.0 |
1,301,242.0 |
111,309.0 |
NA |
447,236.0 |
NA |
464,008.0 |
| 1968 |
2,349,817.0 |
1,398,305.0 |
96,148.0 |
NA |
440,895.0 |
NA |
414,469.0 |
| 1969 |
2,361,399.0 |
1,474,681.0 |
54,516.0 |
NA |
436,270.0 |
NA |
395,932.0 |
| 1970 |
2,187,579.0 |
1,446,618.0 |
44,778.0 |
NA |
429,408.0 |
NA |
266,775.0 |
| 1971 |
2,343,129.0 |
1,551,391.0 |
29,942.0 |
28,729.0 |
421,029.0 |
99,669.0 |
212,369.0 |
| 1972 |
2,599,111.0 |
1,853,085.0 |
36,917.0 |
26,341.0 |
387,888.0 |
83,288.0 |
211,592.0 |
| 1973 |
2,464,362.0 |
1,870,690.0 |
43,338.0 |
13,372.0 |
287,210.0 |
38,964.0 |
210,788.0 |
| 1974 |
2,739,042.0 |
2,087,262.0 |
29,009.0 |
3,506.0 |
326,600.0 |
86,974.0 |
205,691.0 |
| 1975 |
2,808,986.0 |
2,249,291.0 |
44,787.0 |
5,026.0 |
201,273.0 |
46,353.0 |
262,256.0 |
| 1976 |
2,962,851.0 |
2,434,165.0 |
23,899.0 |
3,210.0 |
174,871.0 |
74,483.0 |
252,223.0 |
| 1977 |
3,358,153.0 |
2,808,422.0 |
37,882.0 |
3,282.0 |
184,671.0 |
75,928.0 |
247,968.0 |
| 1978 |
3,968,600.0 |
3,394,538.0 |
34,328.0 |
4,906.0 |
205,925.0 |
74,398.0 |
254,505.0 |
| 1979 |
4,481,184.0 |
3,882,039.0 |
32,068.0 |
6,743.0 |
204,866.0 |
92,483.0 |
262,985.0 |
| 1980 |
4,800,924.0 |
4,170,495.0 |
37,780.0 |
3,776.0 |
210,121.0 |
91,541.0 |
287,211.0 |
| 1981 |
5,078,360.0 |
4,426,435.0 |
27,694.0 |
4,563.0 |
205,448.0 |
92,721.0 |
321,499.0 |
| 1982 |
5,194,137.0 |
4,569,002.0 |
31,200.0 |
829.0 |
176,582.0 |
80,137.0 |
336,387.0 |
| 1983 |
5,705,467.0 |
5,049,166.0 |
37,547.0 |
2,522.0 |
189,616.0 |
94,847.0 |
331,769.0 |
| 1984 |
6,358,789.0 |
5,499,204.0 |
50,170.0 |
1,889.0 |
194,881.0 |
112,588.0 |
500,057.0 |
| 1985 |
7,316,911.0 |
6,305,230.0 |
113,932.0 |
4,947.0 |
253,082.0 |
119,171.0 |
520,549.0 |
| 1986 |
7,491,589.0 |
6,517,346.0 |
105,941.0 |
4,990.0 |
246,196.0 |
111,130.0 |
505,986.0 |
| 1987 |
8,634,621.0 |
7,308,338.0 |
229,875.0 |
13,722.0 |
290,942.0 |
236,933.0 |
554,811.0 |
| 1988 |
9,218,982.0 |
7,801,867.0 |
202,982.0 |
13,345.0 |
309,348.0 |
171,826.0 |
719,614.0 |
| 1989 |
10,200,458.0 |
8,639,101.0 |
246,302.0 |
16,911.0 |
340,458.0 |
197,745.0 |
759,941.0 |
| 1990 |
10,725,126.0 |
9,158,309.0 |
254,324.0 |
19,241.0 |
393,820.0 |
143,917.0 |
755,515.0 |
| 1991 |
12,253,123.0 |
10,297,649.0 |
303,770.0 |
32,792.0 |
469,234.0 |
192,547.0 |
957,131.0 |
| 1992 |
13,414,757.0 |
11,128,320.0 |
585,003.0 |
38,983.0 |
511,053.0 |
159,857.0 |
991,541.0 |
| 1993 |
13,451,570.0 |
11,252,541.0 |
648,778.0 |
33,247.0 |
526,331.0 |
66,824.0 |
923,849.0 |
| 1994 |
14,006,880.0 |
12,028,638.0 |
225,759.0 |
48,734.0 |
633,228.0 |
136,555.0 |
933,966.0 |
| 1995 |
14,596,244.0 |
12,317,054.0 |
341,343.0 |
51,581.0 |
674,351.0 |
263,104.0 |
948,811.0 |
| 1996 |
14,583,699.0 |
12,480,682.0 |
248,349.0 |
49,023.0 |
636,135.0 |
217,846.0 |
951,664.0 |
| 1997 |
15,259,766.0 |
13,184,217.0 |
276,487.0 |
29,889.0 |
676,425.0 |
169,489.0 |
923,259.0 |
| 1998 |
16,270,445.0 |
14,049,907.0 |
160,257.0 |
22,771.0 |
757,162.0 |
237,908.0 |
1,042,440.0 |
| 1999 |
18,127,858.0 |
15,654,455.0 |
159,925.0 |
46,992.0 |
843,556.0 |
313,328.0 |
1,109,602.0 |
| 2000 |
19,949,879.0 |
17,383,899.0 |
219,160.0 |
59,702.0 |
782,723.0 |
313,318.0 |
1,191,077.0 |
| 2001 |
22,580,482.0 |
19,511,948.0 |
367,412.0 |
67,426.0 |
842,373.0 |
330,753.0 |
1,460,570.0 |
| 2002 |
24,567,906.0 |
21,344,178.0 |
249,214.0 |
109,693.0 |
936,827.0 |
431,601.0 |
1,496,393.0 |
| 2003 |
26,724,370.0 |
22,888,638.0 |
706,815.0 |
86,112.0 |
949,928.0 |
428,678.0 |
1,664,199.0 |
| 2004 |
27,408,053.0 |
23,830,425.0 |
435,066.0 |
82,800.0 |
1,046,725.0 |
420,494.0 |
1,592,543.0 |
| 2005 |
28,165,129.0 |
24,697,089.0 |
510,966.0 |
39,987.0 |
1,043,866.0 |
388,014.0 |
1,485,207.0 |
| 2006 |
28,417,754.0 |
25,009,804.0 |
397,525.0 |
16,460.0 |
1,035,273.0 |
321,814.0 |
1,636,878.0 |
| 2007 |
28,409,102.0 |
25,122,246.0 |
337,924.0 |
13,262.0 |
1,100,785.0 |
220,939.0 |
1,613,946.0 |
| 2008 |
28,583,996.0 |
25,608,960.0 |
277,329.0 |
3,694.0 |
917,189.0 |
303,828.0 |
1,472,996.0 |
| 2009a |
35,873,551.6 |
32,081,095.6 |
805,726.3 |
4,557.6 |
968,320.5 |
244,759.6 |
1,769,092.1 |
| 2010a |
35,942,326.4 |
30,998,802.9 |
1,830,927.3 |
5,737.1 |
1,136,617.6 |
361,264.2 |
1,608,977.4 |
| 2011 |
31,759,863.9 |
28,201,573.4 |
330,435.7 |
3,833.9 |
1,015,543.3 |
208,116.2 |
2,000,361.5 |
| 2012 |
31,216,406.9 |
27,699,527.0 |
436,973.3 |
3,866.4 |
914,472.3 |
142,468.5 |
2,019,099.4 |
| 2013 |
29,406,889.3 |
26,156,379.1 |
272,852.0 |
4,124.6 |
893,609.1 |
132,001.3 |
1,947,923.2 |
| 2014 |
31,157,370.6 |
27,651,887.9 |
400,148.4 |
11,102.5 |
1,340,750.5 |
138,160.6 |
1,615,320.8 |
| 2015 |
30,561,218.1 |
27,105,059.0 |
370,921.9 |
4,372.7 |
1,346,531.7 |
137,994.2 |
1,596,338.6 |
| 2016 |
31,646,628.1 |
28,531,424.6 |
370,144.2 |
3,955.3 |
1,374,167.8 |
128,385.3 |
1,238,551.1 |
| 2017 |
32,430,791.9 |
29,796,361.2 |
431,665.3 |
3,130.7 |
1,371,419.0 |
96,437.7 |
731,777.9 |
