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.

New data from the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES) within the U.S. National Science Foundation indicate that research and experimental development (R&D) performed in the United States totaled $892 billion in 2022. The estimated total for 2023, based on performer-reported expectations, is $940 billion. The ratio of U.S. R&D to GDP was 3.43% in 2022, exceeding the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development average of 2.73%.

Roughly three-quarters of the science and engineering (S&E) doctorate recipients on temporary visas who received their degrees from U.S. higher education institutions from 2017 to 2019 remained in the United States approximately 5 years after graduation. China and India were by far the most common countries of origin during this time. The short-term stay rates for S&E doctorate recipients from China (83%) and India (86%) were among the highest and were significantly higher than the average across all countries of origin (73%). Data are from the Survey of Earned Doctorates and the Survey of Doctorate recipients, both conducted by the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics within the U.S. National Science Foundation.

State government agencies across the 50 states and the District of Columbia employed nearly 10,000 people in FY 2023 for intramural research and development (R&D). Intramural state agency personnel in New York, Florida, Washington, and California state government agencies combined accounted for more than half (55%) of all state agencies’ intramural R&D personnel. Data are from the Survey of State Government R&D, conducted by the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics within the U.S. National Science Foundation.

This InfoBrief presents findings from the Survey of Doctorate Recipients (SDR), which is conducted by the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics within the U.S. National Science Foundation and cosponsored by the National Institutes of Health. The latest wave of the SDR was conducted in 2023 and included new questions related to retirement and volunteering, providing an opportunity to understand U.S.-trained doctorate holders in science, engineering, and health fields, including their ongoing contribution to the workforce postretirement and the capacity to return to work for those who have fully retired.

Tables from the 2023 Survey of Doctorate Recipients (SDR) present data on the demographic characteristics, labor force status, occupations, employment sector, and median annual salaries of individuals with a U.S. research doctoral degree in a science, engineering, or health (SEH) field. The 2023 cycle of the SDR also asked respondents ages 55 to 75 questions about retirement and volunteering and about physical health and capacity to work either full or part time for those who were not working. The SDR is sponsored by the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics within the U.S. National Science Foundation and by the National Institutes of Health.

Between 2022 and 2023, the enrollment of graduate students in science, engineering, and health (SEH) fields continued its multiyear increase. The combined total of full-time and part-time students in master’s and doctoral degree SEH programs increased by 2.4%, from 798,534 in 2022 to 818,095 in 2023. The numbers of overall postdoctoral appointees rose 4.9% between 2022 and 2023, from 62,750 to 65,850. These and other findings in this report are from the 2023 Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering, conducted by the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics within the U.S. National Science Foundation and by the National Institutes of Health.

This report presents data from the 2023 Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering, sponsored by the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics within the U.S. National Science Foundation and by the National Institutes of Health. The tables show trends within science, engineering, and selected health fields on graduate student enrollment, postdoc appointments, and doctorate-holding nonfaculty researchers, as well as counts by selected characteristics, such as sex, ethnicity, race, citizenship, field of study, and source of financial support.

These tables highlight data from the new National Training, Education, and Workforce Survey (NTEWS) Pilot, which focuses on the skilled technical workforce—individuals in occupations that require a high level of technical knowledge and skill but not a bachelor’s degree to enter. The NTEWS Pilot is a nationally representative survey of the U.S. population ages 16 through 75 and expands knowledge of the U.S. workforce, including data on work-related credentials. The National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics within the U.S. National Science Foundation and the National Center for Education Statistics within the U.S. Department of Education sponsor the NTEWS Pilot

These tables release data from the 2023 National Survey of College Graduates (NSCG). The NSCG, conducted by the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics within the U.S. National Science Foundation, is a repeated cross-sectional biennial survey that collects information on the nation’s college-educated workforce. This survey is a unique source for examining the relationship between degree field and occupation, as well as examining other characteristics of college-educated individuals, including work activities, salary, and demographic information.