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News Release 13-015

Academic Institutions Added More Science and Engineering Research Space in Last Several Years

Biomedical fields account for majority of growth

three students at a university

Doctorate-granting institutions experienced net growth in research space.


February 1, 2013

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 Telephone numbers or other contact information may be out of date; please see current contact information at media contacts.

Science and Engineering research space at the nation's research-performing colleges and universities increased 3.5 percent from fiscal year (FY) 2009 to FY 2011, growing to 202.9 million net assignable square feet (NASF), according to recent data from the National Science Foundation's Survey of Science and Engineering Research Facilities.

The biological and biomedical sciences (54.3 million NASF in FY 2011) continued to account for the bulk of growth, increasing by 8.0 percent during the same time period. This follows a 12.3 percent increase for this field from FY 2007 to FY 2009. Doctorate-granting institutions experienced net growth in research space, whereas non-doctorate granting institutions saw a decline in research space from FY 2009 to FY 2011.

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

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

-NSF-

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

Program Contacts
Michael Gibbons, NSF, (703) 292-4590, email: mgibbons@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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