Academic R&D in the U.S. R&D Enterprise

In the years during and after World War II, the federal government recognized that university-based research contributed directly to societal priorities such as defense and health and devoted more resources to support that work (Nichols 1993). Federal investments in academic R&D contributed to a rapid growth in the share of U.S. R&D performed in higher education, which nearly doubled between 1953 and 1979. Academia’s share of U.S. R&D began trending upward again in 1986, exceeding 14% in 2004 (NCSES NP 2021: Table 2). Although the amount of academic R&D rose after 2004, it represented 11% of national R&D spending in 2021, continuing a decline in share that began in 2010 (Figure URD-1).

Academic R&D as a percentage of U.S. R&D, by type of R&D: 1953–2021
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Academic R&D as a percentage of U.S. R&D, by type of R&D: 1953–2021

(Percent)
Year All academic R&D Academic basic research Academic applied research Academic experimental development
1953 5.3 26.8 10.4 0.5
1954 5.4 29.0 9.9 0.5
1955 5.5 31.5 9.4 0.5
1956 4.6 30.7 7.6 0.4
1957 4.4 32.0 6.1 0.4
1958 4.5 33.1 5.5 0.4
1959 4.7 35.7 5.7 0.4
1960 5.1 37.7 6.1 0.4
1961 5.7 39.5 6.4 0.4
1962 6.3 40.4 5.8 0.4
1963 6.7 42.9 5.9 0.3
1964 7.2 44.7 6.1 0.4
1965 7.9 45.8 6.9 0.5
1966 8.2 47.1 7.5 0.6
1967 8.7 49.0 8.0 0.6
1968 8.9 49.8 7.9 0.6
1969 8.8 50.2 7.6 0.6
1970 9.2 51.6 7.8 0.7
1971 9.5 52.9 8.6 0.6
1972 9.6 52.9 10.1 0.5
1973 9.5 51.3 10.9 0.6
1974 9.6 50.6 10.8 0.7
1975 10.0 50.9 11.5 0.7
1976 9.9 49.8 11.6 0.7
1977 10.0 49.4 11.6 0.9
1978 10.3 48.5 11.6 1.2
1979 10.3 48.8 11.7 1.3
1980 10.2 49.3 11.8 1.3
1981 9.8 49.0 10.9 1.2
1982 9.4 47.8 10.5 1.2
1983 9.2 46.4 10.4 1.1
1984 9.0 46.1 10.4 1.0
1985 9.0 47.6 9.9 1.0
1986 9.6 46.3 10.2 1.1
1987 10.1 46.8 11.5 1.2
1988 10.6 47.2 12.8 1.3
1989 11.0 46.7 13.0 1.4
1990 11.1 48.3 12.6 1.5
1991 11.3 44.4 11.9 1.6
1992 11.7 46.8 12.9 1.6
1993 12.4 47.5 13.8 1.7
1994 12.8 48.6 14.7 1.8
1995 12.3 51.2 13.8 1.6
1996 12.0 48.9 13.6 1.5
1997 11.6 47.5 11.8 1.3
1998 11.3 54.2 11.0 1.1
1999 11.2 53.5 10.9 0.9
2000 11.2 53.0 11.3 0.7
2001 11.8 52.2 10.8 0.8
2002 13.2 54.2 15.2 0.8
2003 13.9 55.1 14.0 1.0
2004 14.3 57.2 12.9 1.2
2005 14.0 57.2 13.1 1.1
2006 13.5 58.4 12.4 0.9
2007 13.1 58.2 11.7 0.8
2008 12.9 57.1 14.3 0.8
2009 13.6 53.2 17.3 1.3
2010 14.3 50.6 18.4 1.9
2011 14.1 53.8 18.7 1.9
2012 14.0 53.9 18.0 2.0
2013 13.5 50.6 18.0 2.0
2014 13.1 48.7 17.6 2.0
2015 13.1 49.1 17.7 2.0
2016 13.0 49.8 17.0 2.0
2017 12.8 50.2 17.4 1.9
2018 12.4 49.0 17.4 1.8
2019 11.7 47.8 16.5 1.7
2020 11.5 47.2 16.2 1.6
2021 10.6 44.4 16.3 1.5
Note(s):

The absolute numbers on which the percentages in this figure are based can be found in the original data source. Before 2003, higher education R&D covered only S&E fields; in 2003 and later years, R&D in non-S&E fields is also included. In 1998 and later years, the higher education R&D data have been adjusted to eliminate double counting of R&D funds passed through from academic institutions to other academic and nonacademic (business, nonprofit, other) subrecipients.

Source(s):

National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, National Patterns of R&D Resources.

Science and Engineering Indicators

R&D conducted in academia is concentrated on basic research (experimental or theoretical work undertaken primarily to acquire new knowledge of the underlying foundations of phenomena and observable facts, without any particular application or use in view) rather than on applied research (original investigation undertaken to acquire new knowledge but directed primarily toward a specific, practical aim or objective) or experimental development (systematic work, drawing on knowledge gained from research and practical experience and producing additional knowledge, which is directed to producing new products or processes or to improving existing products or processes). Consequently, R&D at higher education institutions contributes primarily to total U.S. basic research. From 1972 to 2011, the share of U.S. basic research performed by academia fluctuated between 44% and 58%. This share has declined in recent years, from 54% in 2012 to 44% in 2021. In contrast, academic R&D accounted for 16% of U.S. applied research performed in 2021, down from a peak of 19% in 2011. Historically, academia has accounted for 2% or less of U.S. experimental development (Figure URD-1).

In 2021, U.S. academic R&D constituted a greater share of U.S. R&D funded by the federal government—about 28%—than its 11% share of overall national R&D (Figure URD-1 and Figure URD-2). In 2021, academia accounted for nearly 60% of federal funding for basic research, 27% for applied research, and nearly 6% for experimental development (NCSES NP 2021: Table 7, Table 8, and Table 9).

Federally funded academic R&D as a share of U.S. federally funded R&D, by type of R&D: 1953–2021
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Federally funded academic R&D as a share of U.S. federally funded R&D, by type of R&D: 1953–2021

(Percent)
Year All academic R&D Academic basic research Academic applied research Academic experimental development
1953 5.4 30.7 7.8 0.5
1954 5.3 33.2 7.6 0.4
1955 5.4 36.6 7.5 0.5
1956 4.4 36.3 6.3 0.4
1957 3.9 36.9 4.8 0.3
1958 4.0 37.6 4.4 0.3
1959 4.4 39.4 4.8 0.3
1960 5.1 42.9 5.4 0.3
1961 5.9 44.4 5.7 0.3
1962 6.8 44.8 5.6 0.3
1963 7.2 47.7 5.7 0.3
1964 7.8 48.6 5.8 0.3
1965 8.8 49.7 6.9 0.5
1966 9.4 51.4 7.9 0.6
1967 10.2 52.1 8.6 0.7
1968 10.6 52.7 8.9 0.7
1969 10.7 52.4 8.8 0.8
1970 11.2 52.9 9.0 0.9
1971 11.6 54.1 9.9 0.7
1972 11.8 54.1 12.0 0.6
1973 12.1 52.3 13.1 0.7
1974 12.5 51.1 13.1 0.7
1975 13.0 51.8 13.3 0.7
1976 12.9 50.7 13.3 0.8
1977 13.1 49.9 13.4 1.2
1978 13.6 48.5 13.3 1.8
1979 14.1 48.9 14.1 2.1
1980 14.5 49.8 14.6 2.1
1981 13.8 50.5 13.8 1.9
1982 13.1 48.8 13.1 1.8
1983 12.6 47.0 12.8 1.6
1984 12.4 47.2 12.9 1.5
1985 12.1 49.0 11.9 1.5
1986 12.9 50.1 13.4 1.5
1987 13.3 49.8 15.2 1.6
1988 14.3 49.1 18.2 1.9
1989 15.4 48.0 18.0 2.2
1990 16.1 49.0 15.6 2.7
1991 17.5 48.6 15.6 3.2
1992 18.9 51.3 17.6 3.3
1993 20.3 52.7 18.1 3.8
1994 21.4 54.5 19.2 4.0
1995 21.6 56.7 20.5 3.6
1996 22.2 55.9 20.5 3.6
1997 22.2 55.9 19.6 3.2
1998 22.3 56.5 17.2 2.9
1999 23.5 55.7 18.5 2.2
2000 25.4 55.4 19.9 2.0
2001 25.6 55.3 18.3 2.3
2002 27.3 56.5 20.3 2.1
2003 28.7 58.1 19.9 3.0
2004 29.2 60.5 20.8 3.5
2005 29.0 61.0 20.5 3.1
2006 28.2 61.0 20.4 2.4
2007 27.2 62.3 17.9 2.3
2008 25.1 63.7 21.5 1.5
2009 25.2 60.8 22.4 2.7
2010 27.4 58.8 29.2 4.2
2011 28.1 61.1 31.1 4.4
2012 28.2 61.0 30.0 4.7
2013 28.1 62.1 27.1 5.0
2014 28.0 59.4 25.8 5.3
2015 28.1 59.4 25.9 5.3
2016 29.3 60.3 26.1 5.8
2017 29.6 61.3 26.5 5.8
2018 29.1 60.2 26.3 5.7
2019 29.5 60.1 26.7 6.1
2020 29.7 59.5 26.5 6.6
2021 28.3 58.6 27.4 5.8
Note(s):

The absolute numbers on which the percentages in this figure are based can be found in the original data source. Before 2003, higher education R&D covered only S&E fields; in 2003 and later years, R&D in non-S&E fields is also included. In 1998 and later years, the higher education R&D data have been adjusted to eliminate double counting of R&D funds passed through from academic institutions to other academic and nonacademic (business, nonprofit, other) subrecipients.

Source(s):

National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, National Patterns of R&D Resources.

Science and Engineering Indicators