Between 1981 and 1991, academic R& D expenditures for all fields combined grew at an average annual rate of 5.5 percent in constant 1987 dollars. (See figure 5-4 for constant dollar expenditures over the decade by field.) Funding for the computer sciences grew fastest during the decade, increasing at an average annual rate of 9.7 percent in constant dollars. However, R& D expenditures for the computer sciences in 1991 were only about 3.1 percent of total academic R& D. The engineering and mathematical sciences fields grew second and third fastest during the decade, increasing at average annual rates of 7.1 and 5.8 percent, respectively. Academic R& D expenditures in the social sciences grew the slowest, averaging 3.1 percent.
The distribution of federal and nonfederal funding of academic R& D in 1991 varied by field and subfield.(See appendix table 5-6.) For example, the Federal Government supported 62 percent of academic R& D expenditures in the medical sciences subfield, but only 26 percent of academic R& D in the agricultural sciences subfield. (This latter figure reflects the traditionally strong role of states in supporting the agricultural sector.)
It is noteworthy that the declining federal share in the support of academic R& D is not limited to particular S& E disciplines. Rather, the federally financed fraction of support for each of the S& E fields declined over the past two decades. (See appendix table 5-8.) There were some variations by field, however. The most dramatic decline occurred in the social sciences (57 percent in 1973 to 33 percent in 1991); the smallest decline was in the computer sciences (70 to 67 percent). The overall decline in federal share also holds for all reported S& E subfields.
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