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Table 8. Higher education R&D expenditures, by source of funds and R&D field: FY 2015

(Dollars in thousands)

Field All R&D expenditures Source of funds
Federal government State and local government Institution funds Business Nonprofit organizations All other sources
All R&D fields 68,667,801 37,876,879 3,812,408 16,711,730 4,000,614 4,236,993 2,029,177
Science 53,973,580 30,349,236 2,927,906 12,749,971 2,806,797 3,553,239 1,586,431
Computer sciences 1,963,572 1,420,628 42,317 334,002 90,380 43,802 32,443
Environmental sciences 3,249,068 2,067,030 176,610 656,356 127,302 118,849 102,921
Atmospheric sciences 576,460 455,561 16,494 73,102 9,234 8,393 13,676
Earth sciences 1,110,057 696,323 47,997 238,436 59,122 30,845 37,334
Oceanography 1,051,652 648,494 60,107 231,140 30,502 45,753 35,656
Environmental sciences, nec 510,899 266,652 52,012 113,678 28,444 33,858 16,255
Life sciences 38,820,016 21,187,061 2,326,550 9,000,135 2,312,980 2,806,284 1,187,006
Agricultural sciences 3,464,738 1,088,905 860,524 1,118,122 147,680 144,600 104,907
Biological sciences 11,710,677 7,107,138 552,724 2,621,361 408,559 756,498 264,397
Medical sciences 21,347,494 11,749,252 788,152 4,617,387 1,691,637 1,739,942 761,124
Life sciences, nec 2,297,107 1,241,766 125,150 643,265 65,104 165,244 56,578
Mathematical sciences 641,712 424,891 21,103 160,444 9,039 18,488 7,747
Physical sciences 4,711,297 3,116,233 89,656 1,066,094 137,354 173,139 128,821
Astronomy 672,838 403,025 1,410 168,356 9,009 35,241 55,797
Chemistry 1,758,127 1,095,108 42,480 429,930 81,715 74,889 34,005
Physics 2,052,860 1,467,687 40,161 417,461 37,243 54,593 35,715
Physical sciences, nec 227,472 150,413 5,605 50,347 9,387 8,416 3,304
Psychology 1,184,016 763,177 38,062 275,638 14,657 72,602 19,880
Social sciences 2,321,892 919,673 169,623 847,335 51,422 253,240 80,599
Economics 461,574 151,226 52,368 176,893 10,325 53,213 17,549
Political science 460,196 136,575 19,717 198,639 11,112 67,747 26,406
Sociology 524,867 262,396 26,649 158,131 11,684 55,332 10,675
Social sciences, nec 875,255 369,476 70,889 313,672 18,301 76,948 25,969
Sciences, nec 1,082,007 450,543 63,985 409,967 63,663 66,835 27,014
Engineering 11,070,258 6,455,847 598,002 2,289,474 1,088,357 329,351 309,227
Aeronautical and astronautical engineering 734,144 516,080 23,221 107,812 67,391 10,324 9,316
Bioengineering and biomedical engineering 1,003,803 606,394 42,012 244,307 39,293 53,092 18,705
Chemical engineering 914,713 462,729 31,492 195,012 145,763 53,352 26,365
Civil engineering 1,288,098 570,786 200,543 355,288 90,302 35,976 35,203
Electrical engineering 2,493,901 1,772,453 50,740 398,568 154,480 47,719 69,941
Mechanical engineering 1,515,893 957,792 59,730 261,016 168,179 26,526 42,650
Metallurgical and materials engineering 1,096,021 496,449 63,059 204,220 258,435 49,228 24,630
Engineering, nec 2,023,685 1,073,164 127,205 523,251 164,514 53,134 82,417
Non-S&E 3,623,963 1,071,796 286,500 1,672,285 105,460 354,403 133,519
Business and management 571,483 69,936 44,134 345,264 48,353 34,600 29,196
Communications, journalism, and library science 168,496 42,475 9,889 82,462 4,092 25,634 3,944
Education 1,292,225 642,799 100,043 374,802 25,623 128,131 20,827
Humanities 430,284 60,031 11,100 280,888 3,316 55,391 19,558
Law 174,524 24,444 11,620 97,626 6,081 27,995 6,758
Social work 215,652 101,927 32,853 55,560 2,487 19,050 3,775
Visual and performing arts 100,716 8,609 5,800 74,989 2,055 6,345 2,918
Non-S&E, nec 670,583 121,575 71,061 360,694 13,453 57,257 46,543
nec = not elsewhere classified; S&E = science and engineering.
SOURCE: National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Higher Education Research and Development Survey, FY 2015.