News Release 12-144

NSF Releases Report Detailing Nationwide and State-by-State R&D Activities Performed by State Government Agencies

Agencies in the top five states accounted for 47 percent of all state agency R&D expenditures

Pie chart showing summary statistics from FY 2009 survey of state R&D expenditures.

Summary statistics from the FY 2009 Survey of State Government R&D Expenditures are released.


August 2, 2012

This material is available primarily for archival purposes. Telephone numbers or other contact information may be out of date; please see current contact information at media contacts.

A recent report released by the National Science Foundation (NSF) found state agency expenditures for research and development totaled $1.2 billion in fiscal year 2009, a 7 percent increase over the fiscal 2007 total of $1.1 billion.

The InfoBrief details nationwide and state-by-state totals of R&D activities performed and funded by state government agencies. This is the first time survey data are available by individual state agencies. Previously only state totals were published.

This survey also marked the first time NSF asked state agencies to classify their R&D according to the following five categories:

  • Agriculture: animal health; aquaculture; crop management; food and commodities; forestry
  • Environment and Natural Resources: air and water quality; fish, game, and wildlife; marine and aquatic environments; geological survey; parks and preserves; soil and water conservation
  • Health: biomedical research; mental health and addiction; public health
  • Transportation: highways, roads and bridges; ports and waterways; public transportation; rail and freight; aviation
  • Other: R&D in other areas, such as corrections, education, energy, labor, public safety and social services

In addition to the $1.2 billion on R&D, state agencies also expended $103 million on R&D facilities, for a total of $1.3 billion in fiscal 2009.

The level of R&D expenditures reported by state agencies ranged from $0.5 million in the District of Columbia to $147 million in California.

The fiscal 2009 survey is the most recent NSF survey of R&D activities performed and funded by state government agencies in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia.

For more information on this report, please contact Michael Yamaner.

Please visit the NSF's National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES) for more reports and other products.

-NSF-

Media Contacts
Deborah Wing, NSF, (703) 292-5344, email: dwing@nsf.gov

Program Contacts
Michael Yamaner, NSF, (703) 292-7815, email: myamaner@nsf.gov

The U.S. National Science Foundation propels the nation forward by advancing fundamental research in all fields of science and engineering. NSF supports research and people by providing facilities, instruments and funding to support their ingenuity and sustain the U.S. as a global leader in research and innovation. With a fiscal year 2023 budget of $9.5 billion, NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to nearly 2,000 colleges, universities and institutions. Each year, NSF receives more than 40,000 competitive proposals and makes about 11,000 new awards. Those awards include support for cooperative research with industry, Arctic and Antarctic research and operations, and U.S. participation in international scientific efforts.

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