Resource Library

Explore NCSES's collection of downloadable resources, which were designed to allow our work to be disseminated in an easily digestible format. Navigate to a specific resource category using the links below. 

Survey Overviews

Explore a brief introduction to an NCSES survey. Each overview includes general details on the type of information collected and how to access the data.
Annual Business Survey (ABS).

Annual Business Survey (ABS)

The ABS is the primary source of information on R&D among for-profit businesses operating in the United States with one to nine employees. The ABS also collects data on innovation, technology, intellectual property, and financing from U.S.-based companies of all sizes.
Business Enterprise Research and Development (BERD) Survey.

Business Enterprise Research and Development (BERD) Survey

The BERD and its predecessors are the primary sources of information on research and development performed or funded by businesses within the United States since 1953.
FFRDC Research and Development Survey.

FFRDC Research and Development Survey

The FFRDC R&D Survey is the primary source of information on separately accounted for R&D expenditures at federally funded research and development centers in the United States.

Higher Education Research and Development (HERD) Survey.

Higher Education Research and Development (HERD) Survey

HERD is the primary source of information on R&D expenditures at U.S. colleges and universities that expended at least $150,000 in separately accounted for R&D in the fiscal year.
National Survey of College Graduates (NSCG).

National Survey of College Graduates (NSCG)

The NSCG is a biennial survey that provides data on the characteristics of the nation's college graduates, with a focus on those in the science and engineering workforce.
Nonprofit Research Activities (NPRA) Survey.

Nonprofit Research Activities (NPRA) Survey

The NPRA Survey collects information on research and experimental development performed by 501(c) nonprofit organizations in the United States.

Survey of Doctorate Recipients (SDR).

Survey of Doctorate Recipients (SDR)

The SDR provides demographic, education, and career history information from individuals with a U.S. research doctoral degree in a science, engineering, or health field.
Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED).

Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED)

The SED is an annual census conducted since 1957 of all individuals receiving a research doctorate from an accredited U.S. institution in a given academic year.
Survey of Federal Funds for Research and Development.

Survey of Federal Funds for Research and Development

The Survey of Federal Funds for R&D is an annual census completed by the federal agencies that conduct R&D programs and serves as the primary source of information about federal funding for R&D in the United States.

Survey of Federal Science and Engineering Support to Universities, Colleges, and Nonprofit Institutions.

Survey of Federal Science and Engineering Support to Universities, Colleges, and Nonprofit Institutions

The Federal Science and Engineering Support Survey is a congressionally mandated survey and the only source of comprehensive data on federal science and engineering (S&E) funding to individual academic and nonprofit institutions.
Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering (GSS).

Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering (GSS)

The GSS is an annual census of all academic institutions in the United States and its territories granting research-based master's degrees or doctorates in science, engineering, or selected health fields as of the fall of the survey year.
Survey of Postdocs at Federally Funded Research and Development Centers.

Survey of Postdocs at Federally Funded Research and Development Centers

The FFRDC Postdoc Survey collects aggregate information on the demographic characteristics and fields of research of postdoctoral researchers employed at a FFRDC.

Survey of Science and Engineering Research Facilities.

Survey of Science and Engineering Research Facilities

The Survey of Science and Engineering Research Facilities is a census of all research-performing colleges and universities in the United States that expended at least $1 million in research and development funds in the prior fiscal year.
Survey of State Government Research and Development.

Survey of State Government Research and Development

The Survey of State Government R&D measures the extent of R&D activity performed and funded by the governments of each of the nation’s 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. 

Topical Fact Sheets

Our fact sheets highlight NCSES data and analysis on particular areas of interest.
American Business Innovation.

American Business Innovation

Explore insights into U.S. business innovation and learn how NCSES defines and measures this concept using the Annual Business Survey (ABS). Additional resources on this topic can be found by visiting Innovation and Global Competitiveness.
Federal Budget Authority for R&D.

Federal Budget Authority for R&D

Discover NCSES's data on Federal R&D Funding, by Budget Function to see how the president's budget request and congressional appropriations for R&D are presented by functional categories. Functions are broad categories of national interest such as health, transportation, energy, and national defense, among others, and not restricted to a single department or agency.
U.S. Research and Development: Indicators of Growth and Innovation.

U.S. Research and Development: Indicators of Growth and Innovation

Learn about NCSES's National Patterns of R&D Resources, a data collection that quantifies the trends in total U.S. R&D performance and the connections between R&D funding and performance across all sectors of the U.S. R&D enterprise: business, higher education, government, and nonprofit.

U.S. Research and Development Investments.

U.S. Research and Development Investments

Discover NCSES’s data, capabilities, and expertise in understanding investments across the U.S. research and development (R&D) enterprise. Additional resources on this topic can be found by visiting Research and Development.
Using Evidence to Inform U.S. Policies on Science, Technology, and Innovation Competitiveness.

Using Evidence to Inform U.S. Policies on Science, Technology, and Innovation Competitiveness

Discover how NCSES data can be used to understand the science, technology, and innovation competitiveness landscapes of the United States within an international context. Additional resources on this topic can be found by visiting Innovation and Global Competitiveness.
Workforce Statistics.

Workforce Statistics

Learn more about how the U.S. science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce fuels innovation and provides important contributions to the nation. Additional resources on this topic can be found by visiting Science and Engineering Workforce.

Findings from Diversity and STEM: Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities 2023.

Findings from Diversity and STEM: Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities 2023

Explore highlights from NCSES's 2023 release of Diversity and STEM: Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities. This congressionally mandated report is issued every 2 years and provides statistical information about the representation of these three groups in STEM employment and science and engineering education.

Directorate Profiles

The Directorate Profiles provide visualizations on research doctorate recipients from U.S. academic institutions for fields of science and engineering, by U.S. National Science Foundation Directorate. The data were derived from two NCSES surveys: the Survey of Earned Doctorates and the Survey of Doctorate Recipients.
Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO).
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Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO)

Directorate Profile presenting data on research doctorate recipients in biological sciences.
Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE).
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Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE)

Directorate Profile presenting data on research doctorate recipients in computer and information sciences and engineering.
Directorate for STEM Education (EDU).
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Directorate for STEM Education (EDU)

Directorate Profile presenting data on research doctorate recipients in STEM education.

Directorate for Engineering (ENG).
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Directorate for Engineering (ENG)

Directorate Profile presenting data on research doctorate recipients in engineering.
Directorate for Geosciences (GEO).
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Directorate for Geosciences (GEO)

Directorate Profile presenting data on research doctorate recipients in geosciences.
Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS).
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Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS)

Directorate Profile presenting data on research doctorate recipients in mathematical and physical sciences.

Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE).
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Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE)

Directorate Profile presenting data on research doctorate recipients in social, behavioral, and economic sciences.
Directorate Profiles: Technical Notes.
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Directorate Profiles: Technical Notes

Directorate Profiles: Technical Notes presenting the profiles data in tabular format, with additional methodology details.

Additional Resources 

An Introduction to NCSES

Watch a video to learn about the capabilities and resources of the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics.
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NCSEStat

Explore a key statistic from one of NCSES's products. 
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Upcoming Survey Release Dates

See the release schedule for NCSES data and products.
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