News Release 13-169

Recent NSF study details post-stimulus decrease in federal research funding

Illustration showing a graphic trending up

The decline in federal obligations in FY 2011 was a result of the 2009 ARRA funds obligated in 2010.


September 26, 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 Telephone numbers or other contact information may be out of date; please see current contact information at media contacts.

According to recent data collected by the National Science Foundation (NSF), current federal obligations for research decreased between fiscal year (FY) 2010 and FY 2011. The data revealed a 9 percent decline, from $64 billion in FY 2010 to $58 billion in FY 2011.

The decrease was due to the last of the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) stimulus funds being obligated in FY 2010.

The ARRA funds accounted for $5.7 billion, or 9 percent, of research obligations in FY 2010. Research funding was estimated to remain steady at $58 billion in FY 2012, and obligations projected to increase by three percent to $60 billion in FY 2013.

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 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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