This set of data tables presents data on the research and development (R&D) outlays and obligations of federal agencies. Outlays are provided by agency for total R&D and total R&D plant. Obligations are provided for R&D by agency for type of work (basic research, applied research, and experimental development), field of R&D (for basic research, applied research, and experimental development), type of performer, and geographic area. Obligations are provided for R&D plant by agency for type of performer and geographic area. These data, collected by the Survey of Federal Funds for Research and Development from the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics within the U.S. National Science Foundation, are the primary source of information about federal funding for R&D in the United States.

Federal obligations for research and experimental development saw an increase of 4.4% from FY 2023 to FY 2024. However, although preliminary federal agency obligations for FY 2025 indicate most federal agencies will see declining R&D obligations in FY 2025 the total is estimated to decrease by 0.1%. These data are from the latest edition of the Survey of Federal Funds for Research and Development, sponsored by the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics within the U.S. National Science Foundation.

Science, technology, and innovation activities expand the frontiers of fundamental and technical knowledge, often leading to new discoveries. These may be translated into outputs such as new products, licensed technologies, and companies, ultimately impacting economic output, productivity, and global trade. This thematic report presents indicators of these activities and the innovation process, which contribute to the economic competitiveness and national security of the United States and countries globally.

In FY 2023, federal agency obligations to universities and colleges for science and engineering (S&E) support totaled $49.0 billion, with higher education institutions in California and New York receiving the most ($6.1 billion and $3.9 billion, respectively). However, when the data were normalized by the number of recipient institutions within each state, Maryland and Arizona received the most federal support for S&E on a per-institution basis. Estimates are from the FY 2023 Survey of Federal S&E Support module within the Survey of Federal Funds for R&D, conducted by the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics within the U.S. National Science Foundation.

The number of doctorate recipients from U.S. universities reached 58,131 in 2024, an increase of 325 students from 2023, similar to the increase between 2022 and 2023. Since the inception of the Survey of Earned Doctorates in academic year 1958, there has been an upward trend in the number of doctorates awarded by U.S. institutions—with an average annual growth of 3.0%, punctuated by periods of slower growth and some declines.

Annual update to the Master Government List of Federally Funded R&D Centers for 2026.

This report contains data on the budget authority provided to U.S. federal agencies to fund the research and development (R&D) and R&D plant components of their programs in FYs 2024–26. FY 2024 numbers are final budget authority, FY 2025 numbers are preliminary and based on the annualized continuing resolution, FY 2026 numbers are from the president’s proposed budget. The tables in this report provide this budget authority detail, by agency and major programs, for each of the government budget functions in which R&D is present. Several concluding tables also show budget authority data for R&D in earlier years. Data were compiled by the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics within the U.S. National Science Foundation.

This report provides current data on the levels of and key trends in the performance and funding of research and development (R&D) in the United States, with comparisons to the historical record (back to 1953). Detailed statistical tables present data on U.S. R&D expenditures by performing sector, source of funds, type of R&D, and state. Data are drawn from multiple surveys from the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics within the U.S. National Science Foundation.

Research and experimental development (R&D) performed in the United States totaled $937 billion in 2023: $138 billion was basic research, $174 billion was applied research, and $625 billion was experimental development. U.S. total R&D expenditures are estimated to be $993 billion for 2024, or $792 billion when adjusted for inflation (in constant 2017 dollars). Data from the National Patterns of R&D Resources annual series by the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES) within the U.S. National Science Foundation.

Between 2023 and 2024, the number of postdoctoral appointees (postdocs) rose by 6.1%, from 65,850 to 69,877—the highest number ever reported to the Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering (GSS). Before 2024, the 66,247 postdocs reported in 2019 was the high for the number of postdocs at GSS institutions. Graduate student counts were more complex, with generally stable enrollment in the master’s science, engineering, and health (SEH) program enrollment between 2023 and 2024 and a slight increase in doctoral SEH programs during that period. Findings are from the 2024 GSS, funded by the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics within the U.S. National Science Foundation and by the National Institutes of Health.