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Table 1. Higher education R&D expenditures, by source of funds and R&D field: FYs 1953–2015

(Dollars in millions)

R&D field and fiscal year All R&D expenditures Source of funds
Federal government State and local government Institution funds Business All other sourcesa
Total, S&E and non-S&Eb
2003 41,470 25,307 na na na na
2004 44,839 28,304 na na na na
2005 47,535 29,957 na na na na
2006 49,645 30,909 na na na na
2007 51,590 31,241 na na na na
2008 54,114 32,101 na na na na
2009 57,288 33,443 na na na na
2010 61,254 37,475 3,852 11,940 3,198 4,788
2011 65,274 40,766 3,828 12,611 3,178 4,892
2012 65,729 40,140 3,694 13,633 3,270 4,992
2013 67,013 39,444 3,653 14,984 3,506 5,427
2014 67,200 37,961 3,858 15,788 3,722 5,871
2015 68,668 37,877 3,812 16,712 4,001 6,266
Total, non-S&Eb
2003 1,393 554 na na na na
2004 1,601 677 na na na na
2005 1,761 770 na na na na
2006 1,887 777 na na na na
2007 2,095 810 na na na na
2008 2,242 829 na na na na
2009 2,425 866 na na na na
2010 2,897 967 248 1,267 81 334
2011 3,286 1,120 257 1,481 85 344
2012 3,530 1,202 264 1,602 80 382
2013 3,658 1,182 258 1,720 75 424
2014 3,428 1,136 269 1,483 92 449
2015 3,624 1,072 286 1,672 105 488
Total, S&E
1953c 255 138 37 35 19 26
1954 290 160 42 38 22 28
1955c 312 169 47 41 25 30
1956c 372 213 53 43 29 34
1957c 410 229 60 49 34 38
1958 456 254 68 53 39 42
1959c 526 306 76 58 39 47
1960c 646 405 85 64 40 52
1961c 763 500 95 70 40 58
1962c 904 613 106 79 40 66
1963c 1,081 760 118 89 41 73
1964 1,275 917 132 103 40 83
1965c 1,474 1,073 143 124 41 93
1966 1,715 1,261 156 148 42 108
1967c 1,921 1,409 164 181 48 119
1968 2,149 1,572 172 218 55 132
1969c 2,225 1,600 197 223 60 145
1970 2,335 1,647 219 243 61 165
1971c 2,500 1,724 255 274 70 177
1972 2,630 1,795 270 305 74 187
1973 2,884 1,985 295 318 84 202
1974 3,023 2,032 307 370 96 218
1975 3,409 2,288 332 417 113 259
1976 3,729 2,512 364 446 123 285
1977 4,067 2,726 374 514 139 314
1978d 4,625 3,059 414 623 170 359
1979 5,366 3,598 472 735 193 368
1980 6,063 4,098 491 835 236 403
1981 6,847 4,571 546 1,004 291 435
1982 7,324 4,768 616 1,111 337 491
1983 7,882 4,989 626 1,302 389 576
1984 8,620 5,431 690 1,411 475 613
1985 9,687 6,064 752 1,617 560 694
1986 10,928 6,712 915 1,869 700 732
1987 12,153 7,343 1,023 2,168 790 828
1988 13,463 8,193 1,106 2,356 872 935
1989 14,979 8,993 1,224 2,698 994 1,071
1990 16,290 9,640 1,324 3,006 1,127 1,191
1991 17,589 10,238 1,474 3,367 1,204 1,307
1992 18,821 11,095 1,491 3,548 1,279 1,409
1993 19,954 11,960 1,559 3,589 1,360 1,486
1994 21,035 12,654 1,555 3,828 1,423 1,575
1995 22,179 13,337 1,690 4,048 1,489 1,614
1996 23,055 13,847 1,812 4,172 1,606 1,619
1997 24,380 14,321 1,910 4,699 1,737 1,712
1998 25,867 15,159 1,945 5,004 1,889 1,871
1999 27,544 16,112 2,022 5,382 2,033 1,995
2000 30,084 17,548 2,200 5,925 2,156 2,255
2001 32,800 19,227 2,320 6,614 2,218 2,422
2002 36,383 21,856 2,504 7,133 2,191 2,698
2003 40,077 24,753 2,645 7,663 2,161 2,856
2004 43,238 27,627 2,879 7,752 2,129 2,851
2005 45,774 29,187 2,940 8,265 2,291 3,092
2006 47,759 30,132 2,966 9,062 2,401 3,198
2007 49,495 30,430 3,151 9,718 2,675 3,521
2008 51,872 31,272 3,438 10,378 2,869 3,916
2009 54,863 32,576 3,647 11,148 3,197 4,294
2010 58,357 36,508 3,604 10,674 3,117 4,454
2011 61,988 39,646 3,571 11,130 3,094 4,548
2012 62,199 38,938 3,430 12,032 3,190 4,609
2013 63,355 38,262 3,396 13,264 3,431 5,003
2014 63,771 36,825 3,589 14,305 3,630 5,422
2015 65,044 36,805 3,526 15,039 3,895 5,778
na = not applicable; non-S&E data by source were not collected prior to FY 2010.
S&E = science and engineering.
a Prior to FY 2010, R&D expenditures from nonprofit organizations were collected under All other sources. Beginning in FY 2010, these data were collected separately and FY 2015 data included $4,237 million in R&D expenditures from nonprofit sources.
b From FY 2003 through FY 2009, some institution totals for all R&D expenditures may be lower-bound estimates because the National Science Foundation did not attempt to estimate for nonresponse on non-S&E R&D expenditures item prior to FY 2010.
c Data are estimated based on data collected in surrounding years. Between FY 1953 and FY 1971, surveys were only conducted in years FY 1954, FY 1958, FY 1964, FY 1966, FY 1968, and FY 1970.
d FY 1978 data are estimated based on data collected from doctorate-granting institutions only.
NOTES: Because of rounding, detail may not add to total.Beginning with FY 2012, institutions reporting less than $1 million in total R&D expenditures completed a shorter version of the survey questionnaire. These institutions reported $140 million in total R&D expenditures in FY 2015 and are included only in tables 77-83.
SOURCE: National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Higher Education Research and Development Survey.